Skip to main content

Blog

So you want a pull-up…

By Blog Entry, Skill

Ahhh, the elusive strict pull-up. A feat of strength that looks so easy to do, but is so humbling the moment you attempt it.

So how does one gain strength in order to perform a strict pull-up? First, let’s define a “strict pull-up”. A strict pull-up starts with you handing from the bar, with a pronated grip (that would be palms down on the bar), in a dead-hang position – both arms fully extended from the bar, feet off the ground. You then pull your body upward to the point where your chin passes over the bar. There is no “craning of the neck” to get your chin over the bar!!

Many CrossFitters use bands to perform pull-ups in the WODs. While this is an acceptable scaling option, it’s not really working toward building your strength in a pull-up. Why? There are a couple of reasons. First, bands take off nearly the entire load from the bottom portion of the pull-up (from extended arms to half-way up). The bottom half is the most difficult part of the pull-up, therefore using bands all the time will never strengthen this portion of the repetition.

Also, bands are elastic, and accelerate your body throughout the lift. There is very little resistance from the bottom half of the rep, but momentum is generated as you move up from the bottom. The end result is a very low amount of force production done by the muscles, so very little “strengthening” is actually happening.

Lastly, bands often lead to weird banded kipping pull-ups. They aren’t exactly kipping pull-ups, but some sort of hybrid child of the kipping pull-up that works. While this may be acceptable in the WODs, it isn’t doing much to help you achieve a strict pull-up.

In order to get your pull-up you must work on gaining strength outside of the WODs. Specifically, working on movements that will strengthen your back and shoulders.

Here’s a simple plan you can do to help develop your pull-up.

Day 1:
The Eccentric Pull-up
Perform 5 sets of 4 repetitions. Start with your chin over the bar and take 3-5 seconds to descend to a dead hang. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets. Remember, we’re working on strength here, so there’s no need to rush. And make sure you rest between sets!

Day 2:
The Barbell Assisted Pull-up
3 sets of 6 repetitions. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets.
*watch this video to see how to set-up and perform this movement.

Day 3:
Ring Rows
4 sets of 8 repetitions. Rest 90 seconds between sets.
*make sure you are using the same “intensity” for each set – feet in the same spot!

Dead Hang
3 sets to failure. Just when you think you can’t hold on any longer, count to 15! Rest as needed.
*yes, this is you, just hanging from the bar!

Day 4:
The Eccentric Pull-up
5 sets of 3 repetitions. Take 5 seconds to descend to a dead hang. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets.
*note – you are trying to increase the time under tension by increasing the time it takes you to lower to a dead hang.

Day 5:
The Barbell Assisted Pull-up
3 sets of 5 repetitions. Rest 90-120 seconds between sets. Then perform 1 set to absolute failure.

Keep cycling through these movements until you are able to perform a strict pull-up.

A few things to note:

1. you must increase the intensity of the exercise as you make progress – ask a coach how you can best do this.
2. LOG YOUR EXERCISES!! Just like you log your WOD results, keep a log for each movement performed. You need to keep track of your progress!
3. Eccentric pull-ups are VERY taxing, so use discretion when performing this movement.

One last thought – Pavel Tsatsouline coined the phrase “grease the groove”.  Essentially, it’s a way to describe what you’re doing when you consistently practice a specific strength skill. The more you practice, the more of a pathway forms between your muscles and your nervous system.

Now, go grease that groove!

WOD Time Caps

By Blog Entry

There’s been a lot of chatter about the WOD time caps. Let’s put some science behind the reasoning:

Reason #1: Intensity. CrossFit is all about intensity. Putting a time cap on a WOD forces you to amp up your intensity (rest less during the WOD) so that you get the intended benefit of the workout. Let’s take the workout Fran. A brutal combination of Thrusters and Pull-Ups, this workout is meant to be a sprint, completed in under 8 minutes. If you’re taking too long to finish the workout (which means you did not scale appropriately) then you’re not getting the required result (read: benefit) of the workout. You’re resting just as much as you are working – therefore there’s not much “intensity”.

Reason #2: Scaling. Time capped workouts force you to scale the movements or weights to an appropriate load/volume that will allow you to finish the WOD. Sure, you may be able to do the Rx weight/movement, but if you know you can’t finish the workout in the time allotted, with the Rx weight/movements then you should scale the weight/movements so that you finish the WOD in the allotted time (or less). Again, it’s all about the INTENSITY.

Reason #3: Time. Almost all the workouts we do are meant to be short, fast and intense. This is the essence of CrossFit, and why it works so well. A workout designed to be completed in under 10 minutes should be finished in under 10 minutes – Rx or scaled. It shouldn’t be drawn out for 12, 15, or even 20 minutes. Why not? Taking too much time teaches you to be SLOW. You end up resting more than you work. Again – INTENSITY!!!

The WODs are programmed for specific loads, volume and intensity. We calculate the intensity by how long it should take…and we can change any of one, two or three of those factors and get a different result for every WOD that is programmed. What it comes down to is intensity. And for us, time = intensity. The longer you are taking to perform a WOD the further away you are from getting the desired effect of that WOD (or the full effect of CrossFit).

Sure, long, tough WODs are fun…you sweat like crazy and you burn a bunch of calories. There’s a sense of accomplishment from finishing a brutal workout. I get that, and I like that sometimes. However, it’s difficult to maintain a high level of intensity over a long period…which is why we don’t do 30+ minute WODs every day. Also, the longer you take to do a WOD the greater the chance that your technique will break down which increases your chance of injury.

If you scale appropriately, increase your INTENSITY, and get the volume of work in that we ask YOU WILL see the results.