I had to make this drawing to explain my new pull up technique. Now, I’ll try to add words to the explanation. Most people think of a pull up as the body hanging loosely from the hands. People should bare in mind muscles only pull and most are only connected at two places, so they they only pull in a straight line. Chest muscles pull the shoulders forwards and back muscles pull the shoulders backwards. The dead hang from the bar leaves the tension on shoulder muscles, a small muscle compared to the back. The first step from a dead hang is to use the shoulder muscles and latissimus dorsi(lats), muscles on the outer back, to rotate the entire body as close to parallel to the ground. Engage the core to keep legs up. Once parallel, the back is in position to pull in a straight line, making most efficient use of the effort. The reason I got hurt doing pull up was Mike Mentzer. He was a bodybuilder in Arnold’s time, and trained Duran Yates who ushered in the new age of muscle giants. Mike was a successful bodybuilder on his own, but Arnold’s politics shunned him. The philosophy that Duran Yates proved true is intensity matters. Arnold was promoting hours in the gym everyday, while Mike said only a half hour a couple times a week. The difference is Mike went to exhaustion in that time: maximum intensity. I was using one of Mike’s techniques to increase intensity when I got hurt. The reason I got hurt is because that was my first set, I’m older and need to take time warming up. Stretching is always good, it will take a heavy focus to release the current tension in my neck.
Chris' Morning Pages 