STEP-BY-STEP SIDEWAYS PULL-UP

After quite a few requests and even more questions, I finally made time to put up a “how to” article on the sideways pull-up.

It is assumed that you’ve reviewed the other articles in the “core strength” series and that you are up to speed.

It is also assumed that you can bench and shoulder press your body weight for at least one clean rep, as well as, squat / deadlift at least twice your body weight for one clean  rep.

DISCLAIMER

*****As with all exercise, please consult your doctor before trying anything that you see or read online.  You should also be aware that the images on this blog are of elite level / trained strength athletes and you should not try these advanced techniques without proper supervision.  Children and young adults should not try these movements at home.******************

Below you see our setup.  We’ve picked a quiet spot in the gym at an unused cable crossover machine (yeah … I know … the one exercise everyone and their mother does).

 Hand placement is very important.  The two most important points are that the thumbs should both face towards the floor and the taller you are, the wider your hands should be spaced.  The lower hand should be palm up while the higher hand should be palm down as in an "over / under" grip.  

Here is a closer look at the hand placement.  Please excuse my the low quality of my camera.

Once you've taken your grip, you will need to focus on pushing with your lower arm while pulling with the upper arm.  This first part is a lift... NOT A LEAP OR JUMP INTO POSITION.  I must stress this because most people try this and risk injury.

The first thing that one learns is simply levitation.  You have to learn to slowly "float" your feet just a few inches off of the ground. With time, you should be able to move higher and go longer.

Eventually, you get to the point where you are able to go completely horizontal or even inverted with little effort.  It is very similar to the way we get better at pull-ups.

Once you can do hold a "flag" for at least 5 to 10 seconds, you should then start practicing the illusion of the pull-up.  You must practice bending both arms at the same time.  Since one is pulling and the other is pushing, this will take some practice.  It should take no longer than three months for anyone that meets the initial requirements mentioned in first paragraph of this article.

Below is another vid of the movement.

Step-by-step sideways pull-up youtube vid link

Here you will see me do a little levitation and a few pull-ups, as well as, emphasize hand placement.
It should be noted that the taller you are, the longer it will take to do this movement.  You can help minimize the time by bringing your legs in closer to your body effectively shortening yourself for the movement.  You should also take a much wider hand placement and narrow it as you become stronger.

I hope you've gained some insight from what I've posted here.  If you have, please don't be shy.  Leave a comment so that I can hone my communication skills on future posts.  Thank you and see you next time on www.fitmid-life.com.