Pull-ups, Got Problems With Lat Activation? Do This Drill

If you’re a trainer, working to progress your clients to pull-ups and keep finding that:

• You get them to do chin-ups
• But can’t get them to do wide grip pull-ups

You need to start including this lat activation drill I designed to help people find and connect with their lats.

Can Do Chin-Ups!

You have to understand that chin-ups and pull-ups are not the same things, don’t get me started on the whole naming, but let’s keep it simple, and go with the flow for now. A chin-up is biceps and rear delts. A pull-up, is—should be—lats.

Can’t Do Pull-Ups?

A wide grip takes out the use of the elbow flexors (biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis). The wider the grip, the less involvement of the elbow flexors is possible. With an overhand grip where the hands are close to the shoulders, a lot of elbow flexors can be involved, the more you move the hands away from the shoulders, the less involvement of the elbow flexors is possible, hence, if you’re not strong in the lats, or don’t know how to connect with them, you won’t be able to do a wide grip pull up.

Want the nitty gritty on all this? 3 pages. Including more info on naming. Download the PDF from our library here.

Also check out the article Strong, Safe, Mobile Shoulders With Kettlebells.