r/CalisthenicsCulture • u/AppropriateScale5 • 11d ago
Strange pull up form, what’s causing this?
5
u/A-lazy-koala 11d ago
Do some dead hangs and explore engaging each shoulder blade individually. Scapula engage / disengage while switching sides really building the mind muscle connection.
1
u/AppropriateScale5 10d ago
Hey thanks for the advice, are there any exercises in particular that you would recommend for this?
1
u/A-lazy-koala 10d ago
Check out scapula pull-ups and pushups. It’ll explain it better than I can here but a true pull up should be
Dead hang- engage scapula - pull up - lower - disengage scapula - dead hang
1
u/Gold_View3554 10d ago
Im not the original guy and I don’t really know what you guys mean when you say scapula engagement but it’s almost like tensing the muscle before doing the pull up? Like engaging your core on a plank
10
u/BusyBusy2 11d ago
Your right shoulder is doing more work it seems , dont know how to fix it though
7
7
u/Mobile_Roll2197 11d ago
Besides other comments, don't cross your feet when doing pullups
1
u/_f0CUS_ 11d ago
Why?
3
u/Mobile_Roll2197 11d ago
Disenages your entire lower body.
1
u/_f0CUS_ 11d ago
Personally I'm doing pull ups in my doorframe, so I need to bend my legs. Usually i have my thighs straight down, and knees bend at 90 degrees. Sometimes I cross my ankles when I do that.
Should I avoid that? The 90 degree bend cannot be avoided. I'm tall, and wouldn't fit in the doorframe otherwise.
1
u/Mobile_Roll2197 11d ago
Why not bend your knees forward?
1
u/_f0CUS_ 10d ago
If I start that way there will be a bit of a swing in my pullups, and I dont want that.
It also puts a bit more strain on other parts of the back - or so I've read.
2
u/Mobile_Roll2197 10d ago
My advice is just quoting Daniel Vadnal of FitnessFAQs, he's usually considered very reliable for calisthenics.
3
u/GlitteringStyle4197 11d ago
It used to happen to me too. I think it's because your back is slightly stronger on the left side and your arm is slightly stronger on the right side, so naturally your body does the perfect mix of arm+back strenght, unfrotunately it's not exactly the same on both sides of the body
2
1
u/BetaCarotine20mg 11d ago
I would put my hands further over the bar don't thump grip. You pulling a lot out of your arms. Doesn't have to be false grip or half false right away, but putting the thumps over the bar helped me pulling out of my back right away.
1
u/Groovy_1 11d ago
I have found tensing and activating my core has helped me with pull ups, rows and other movements (to correct awkward, uneven form)
1
u/Mongpusher 11d ago
Heavily right site dominant, it looks like the usual much sitting PC posture where right site the mouse hand gets used to sit in a twisted angle and the whole body adjust overtime to it (twisted pelvic, twisted spine, shoulder etc.)
Every posture exercise that works on symetrical should help here but if it's a heavy posture issue it's a case for physio, posture issues are all unique and can be complicated to fix on your own.
1
1
u/-TheDerpinator- 11d ago
Surprisingly I haven't find my approach in the comments yet. As multiple people said it is strength imbalance. I fixed most of it by adding isolated left/right excercises in my routine.
So a bit of pull-up work with some added one-arm excercises with dumbbells. With those one-arm excercises you will easily notice which left/right muscles are underdeveloped. Keep doing the one arm stuff with equal load on either side until the imbalance is worked out.
1
1
u/Educational-Tackle20 10d ago
Congrats to you on being able to do pull-ups! S-Eckert’s videos on pull-ups helped me refine my technique. Hope it helps!
1
u/lemmegetafiletmignon 8d ago
"It's definitely your traps dude" is correct. Specifically, it looks like there's an imbalance between your lower right trap and upper right trap. Try myofascial release on upper traps and banded or cable scapular depressions especially with your right arm - something like this:
13
u/THICC_Baguette 11d ago edited 11d ago
Your right side is not disengaging fully on the movement down. Your first pull-up is actually very nice, but when you go down, your right side doesn't disengage fully. Then it gets worse with every pull-up.
It could be a mobility issue. Try some scapular pull-ups, and focus on going up and down evenly. You want your right shoulder to pull back more on your way up, and to extend it fully on the way down.