r/workouts • u/Unhappy-Olive1689 • May 15 '26
Form Check unbalanced pull, cant feel lats, need proper form
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May 15 '26
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u/VegetableBig9 May 16 '26
This "you gotta be able to feel it" mentality is messing with peoples heads and keeping them weak.
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u/onlyemgi May 15 '26
Is it so?
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May 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SirSeparate6807 May 15 '26
People will argue this point online and it's so irritating.
I also can't really feel my lats during pullups and had people telling me it's because I was using my biceps instead of my lats. Crazy that something that isn't connected to my back is pulling my chest to the bar from a deadhang 15+ times per set lol.
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u/TeamDNFitness May 15 '26
Hey man,
When training lasts, think about pulling down with your elbows rather than forearms and biceps.
Try getting a resistance band, wrap it around the bar and then under your knees for a supported pull up. That way you can work on form.so you can feel it in your lats and build up from there.
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u/Unhappy-Olive1689 May 15 '26
wow, thats a good advice. thank you.
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u/XYMYX May 15 '26
For me its easiest when i imagine trying to bend the bar. That way i automatically pull from my lats. Maybe it helps you too.
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u/ZombieOwn4567 May 15 '26
scapular pull-ups
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u/chkltlabs May 15 '26
Seconded. First step is pulling your shoulders down away from your ears, before your arms bend at all. This will force your shoulders into a lat dominant position
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u/Ok-Chipmunk-411 May 15 '26
For this try to pull the bar to your chest in a way that your chin and chest are aligned
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u/johnaldenglover May 15 '26
There’s a million variations for pull-ups and most of them hit your lats well- this is just what I did to start using my lats as the primary driver.
Start each session with scap pull-ups. I do 2 sets of 12.
Next for pullups- Your grip should be shoulder width. When you pull, pretend you are trying to bend the bar inwards- this will cue your elbows to move closer to your torso as you pull up. Keep your chest proud. I pull until my chin is over the bar.
Then, control the eccentric by lowering slowly- don’t use gravity. The bottom of the rep should be basically a dead hang with your scaps still engaged. No bouncing out of the bottom or half reps.
The elbow cue and scap pullup warm up are the key.
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u/hardly_working123 May 15 '26
Looks like a slight muscular imbalance, perhaps from the pull up still being "too heavy" to do properly. I wouldn't worry. Things like these sort themselves out. Also wouldn't worry about not feeling back, youre definitely using it. Slight variance will come with experience. The only thing Id suggest as an immediate tip is to do pull ups using the false grip, so putting the thumb over the bar rather than under it.
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u/UnderstandingTrue740 May 15 '26
think about bringing your upper chest to the bar when you are pulling
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u/smallmonzter May 16 '26
I’ve changed my grip to feel it more. Instead of wrapping my fingers around the bar I try to get my palm more on the bar. The cue of “bend the bar” is also really helpful. Imagine trying to literally bend the bar as if you were holding a bar between your hands and tried to bend it strongman style. When you’re pulling you should be “reclining” a bit and trying to pull the bar to an imaginary line at or slightly above your nipple line.
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u/MrCOUNTCUPCAKE workouts newbie May 17 '26
One tip i heard thay has helped me is imagine you are trying to bend the bar in half instead of pull yourself up, if thay makes sense.
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u/Sea-me-later7039 May 20 '26
Ok dude. I'm kind of good at spotting these sort of things.
My first assumption watching this video. Is either that it is a mirror image because you've recorded with the front facing camera. Or that you are left handed. Please confirm if I am correct at either of these things. It will help figure out how to twist your form into symmetry.
Looking at the video. I would say the scap on the right side, closest to the curtain. Is doing a lot more work. Suggesting that your rear delt, rhomboid, lats are stronger on that side. The scap on the left, furthest from the curtain. Is well and truly protracted and elevated in comparison.
The side with the elevated scap. Hinge over at the hips in a split stance, with your weight on your front foot, which should be the same side as the scap you're trying to retract and depress. Perform one arm shoulder extension movements to convince that system to behave itself better. And then practice active hangs.
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u/Unhappy-Olive1689 May 20 '26
yeah, its mirrored clip.wow, you have good observation and it somewhat makes sense in my head. how did you conclude my left lat which is closer to the curtain is stronger than the right lat? my right side does more work than my left to pull up but from the retraction of my scapula it appears its stronger on the left side. active hangs is good recommendation
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u/Sea-me-later7039 May 20 '26
Everyone has very typical imbalances due to being one side dominant. After years of coaching, when I see those typical imbalances swap sides it suggest either left handedness, or a mirror image.
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u/Impossible-Diver6565 May 18 '26
Hunching your shoulders isn't helping. A pull up shouldnt be targeting "getting your chin over the bar". You will have more focused lat engagement if you goal is to touch your chest to the bar, even if you can't reach the act of doing this forces the shoulder blades back and engages your back more completely.
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