You Need To Do More Pull Exercises. Here's How To Condition Your Pull Posture To Make Them More Comfortable.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

I hated doing them also, until now

For me, and others I see at the gym, doing "pull" exercises is not common. Not as common as "push" exercises.

The "pull" that I don't look forward to is bent-over rows - in whatever form. They pull at my hamstrings.
​
A simple "natural movement" has helped me be more willing to do more bent-over rows. That's important because we all need more balance between push and pull.

​Here's what I learned, and now do daily.

I believe that fitness for "living longer better" - which is what motivates me to exercise - is to pay attention to full-body functional movements. 

You might say, these are the fundamental human movements. Getting stronger at these, with more flexibility, balance and muscular endurance is the basis of being able to live independently for longer.

What are they? That's often debated.

Five fundamental human movements

Different people give different versions of the fundamental movements. That said, they all have a common "core" of actions.

The ones I regard as fundamental are:

1. Reaching - reaching for the can of baked beans in the high kitchen cupboard. You don't want to topple when you do this.
2. Pushing - we have to push in many ways, including getting up off the floor.
3. Pulling - we need to pull if we lift ourselves out of or sometimes into various places;
4. Squatting - getting up from the lounge, sitting down without collapsing, picking things up from the floor - all require forms of squatting. I also add "hinging movements" in this group. Many people separate squatting and hinging, but the difference is technical and often just creates confusion.
5. Carrying - you carry heaps - strengthening your posture helps prevent injuries.

I needed to pay more attention to pulling. Most people do. 

While the gym bros are renown for their rounded slumped shoulders from excessive pushing exercises, I see more and women the same now. 

That's a pity, as it is an ugly outcome of their good intentions and hard work. More than that, it's an imbalance that you don't want to carry into your later life.

Hip-hanging - conditioning your pull posture

Here's the way I have brought more pulling into my routine.

It starts with bending by hanging at the hip.

Hanging at the hip will:

1. Increase your hip flexibility;
2. Lengthen your spine and hamstrings;
3. Puts less strain on the lower back than bending with a curved spine.

The stance 

The movement models the stance used when you are doing barbell bent-over rows. It is an unloaded compound movement.

1. Standing tall, place your knees just wider than your hips and toes slightly turned out.
2. Next, push your hips back with a slight bend in your knees, and lean forward from the waist. Keep your back straight, with your neck in line with your spine. 
3. With your back straight and parallel with the floor, let your arms drop directly down from your shoulders. Keep your head in line with your spine - neither looking up nor down.
4.  At this point, your fingers may not be touching the floor. Mine don't.
5. Now, move your fingers down to touch the floor in between your feet. Bend your knees if you cannot reach the floor with a straight back, and without straining your hamstrings.
6. Alert: Avoid going past your range of hamstring flexibility - when you get too low, your back rounds. And as a result, you'd be placing a significant amount of stress on your lower back. Always stick to your range of flexibility, so your back remains neutral throughout. Bend your knees as necessary. Have your knees soft and only bend at the hips as far as you can before you feel your back start to round.  At that point, enjoy the gentle stretch in your hamstrings and external hip rotators. 
7. Hold in the "fingers on floor" position for 10 seconds. Remember to breath.
8. Now that your hands are centred in between your legs, drift each hand outwards across the floor until your elbows are engaged on the insides of your knees. Your left fingers will be next to your left foot, and left elbow touching the inside of your left knee - same on the right side.
9. Gently push outwards into your knees with your elbows, resisting by squeezing your knees inwards. Hold for 10 seconds.
10. Relax and bring your fingers back to the middle, maintaining your bend, and your straight back and your head in line with your spine. 
11. Walk both hands gently to the outside of your left foot. Hold for 10 seconds. Walk both hands gently across to the outside of your right foot, and hold for 10 seconds.
12. Rise slowly, keeping your back straight, head aligned, while gently straightening your knees. Stand erect, shoulders square and slightly retracted.
13. Now slowly repeat the full movement down to your hands, touching the floor between your feet. Remember - back straight, head aligned, bending knees as needed. Rise back up slowly, without holding at the bottom. Repeat this gentle movement 5 to 10 times.​

It's easier to do than describe

Don't be put off by the 13 steps described above. This is a very simple movement.

​The extent of the description is necessary to ensure that you don't risk injury and follow the proper form. Distorting the spine when bending loads the discs and can cause damage.

The most common mistake in bending is to round the back. Keep your spine straight.

By doing this daily, I have found that my discomfort in doing bent-over rows has diminished considerably. Probably because it has made my hamstrings more flexible, and also added muscular endurance to my whole posterior chain.

It can do the same for you. That will make you more comfortable to include more "pull" exercises into your training, which will better balance your body.
​
Good luck.

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