~ A hollow body position is very important in all Gymnastics. Photo credit Wendy Callender
Have you retested September’s skill of the month yet? If not, please retest your max plank hold before the end of the week so we can analyze the results and award the Cup!
The next skill is something that our coaches have been trying to dial in with the athletes over the last few months. We have done this skill before, but it is time to bring it back….
STRICT PULL-UP
Before learning how to do a kipping pullup, it is very important to build shoulder strength in the strict pullup. With this skill of the month, when you see pull-ups programmed it will be of your discretion or your coaches discretion if you will do strict or kipping. When pull-ups are programmed in CrossFit, the automatic movement done is a kipping or butterfly pull-up. This is because you can get more work done in a shorter period of time, hence generating more power, which equals getting fitter. What tends to happen when you practice a movement a lot is, you start to develop muscle memory in the movement. When it comes to kipping pull-ups, that muscle memory created is not helpful when comparing to the strict pull-up. What we tend to see before the movement begins is a severe arch in the low back, AKA arch position. This position while keeping the body tight is needed for the kip, but has a negative impact on the strict pull-up. So…. long story short… the best position to be in for the strict pull-ups is a hollow body position. Keeping the body in this position is (1) a safer pulling position and (2) a stronger pulling position.
Our coaches will be dialing the technique in with you over the month. Please be aware that you may need to scale back until you can make it a natural pulling position. Please respect the coaches feedback, because they are giving you advice that will make you stronger and safer in the long run.
Make sure to hit up the pullup/dip complex regularly to help improve the skill!
Some tips to dial in over the month:
- Start your movement with a hollow body position where your feet are slightly in-front of the pull-up bar.
- Retract your shoulder blades, think of bringing the shoulders back and down. Activate the lats!
- Maintain the hollow body position as you start to pull and resist the temptation to arch your back as you pull.
- No legs allowed!
- Keep your head in a neutral position as you pull your chin above the bar, don’t cock your head back to get it over. When you do this you will be taking the cervical spine out of alignment, hence breaking the chain of power. No bueno
Have fun and listen to your coaches!
