Looking for power/plyometric "pull" exercises

Haffy13 · Post by **Haffy13** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:44 pm

I've noticed that most explosive exercises the work the upper body are almost entirely push movements or just involve shrugging as far as olympic lifts go. I can only think of a few exercises for pull that would fit into this category but am not equipped or capable of doing them yet. Can't do clapping pullups, can't do power straights. My gym isn't set up for doing the cable push-pull.

Any suggestions?

Post by **Jungledoc** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:51 pm

Maybe not "clap pullups" but you can do explosive pull-ups. Horizontal pull-ups the same. Just pull as fast as you can. If you have bands, you can do band-assisted for either. You can do drags backwards, facing the sled, and pulling explosively.

bam · Post by **bam** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:23 pm

I think bent over rows could be done explosively -- but you gotta watch the back.
Perhaps the Inverted row ? (horizontal pullups like doc mentions)

kidkurious · Post by **kidkurious** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:45 pm

the pendlay row

Haffy13 · Post by **Haffy13** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:57 pm

I was planning on adding the pendlay row as more of a strength exercise. However, from my form on bent-over rows, I believe I may have to wait until my hamstrings are more flexible and my lower back doesn't round.

Wouter · Post by **Wouter** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:07 am

High Pull

Paperclip · Post by **Paperclip** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:32 am

Wouter wrote:High Pull

I think this isn't the most suitable exercise for training upper body pulling power because for olympic pulls, the power comes mainly from the lower body.

kidkurious · Post by **kidkurious** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:55 am

Haffy13 wrote:I was planning on adding the pendlay row as more of a strength exercise. However, from my form on bent-over rows, I believe I may have to wait until my hamstrings are more flexible and my lower back doesn't round.

When done correctly, the pendlay row is supposed to be done quick and explosively.

Paperclip wrote:
Wouter wrote:High Pull
I think this isn't the most suitable exercise for training upper body pulling power because for olympic pulls, the power comes mainly from the lower body.

Back when I used to do a lot of oly lifts, a lot of the power came from my upper back.

Post by **Jungledoc** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:24 am

I think that a lot of people who use high pulls use them as upper-body strength/power exercises, and not really as part of training for oly lifts, so they use their arms a lot. Let's ask MattZ--he uses them this way, I think.

Wouter · Post by **Wouter** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:18 am

High Pulls hit my upper back nicely.
You can do them 2 ways.
Either do it like an explosive upright row.
Or like an explosive bent over row.

Paperclip · Post by **Paperclip** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:57 am

Hmm I also often felt some tightness on my upper back after I did pulls in training. But I'm not sure if it's mainly from holding onto the bar when lowering the weight (usually I do about 3 reps of pulls) or the lift itself does indeed exercise the upper back. I know that the upper back must contract isometrically to maintain good posture when performing the lift. And probably the traps do some job of pulling the bar too.

But I may be biased or a little different because as someone training the olympic lifts specifically, I have to make sure that I use my arms as little as possible (pulling) and most of the power comes from the lower body. Basically the pulls are the full lifts cut short without you (I) going under the bar. Or perhaps I've been doing them incorrectly all this time.

Post by **TimD** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:04 pm

Paperclip, no worries, you're doing them correctly. The power starts at the hips and is transferred upwards into the upperback, trap area.. In the classic lifts, coaches teach NOT to conciously bend the arms. Just remembe, it's much easier to jump under the bar than to hoist it up.
Tim

Post by **Jungledoc** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:07 am

Just askin. Why would someone who is actually training the O lifts do high pulls? Why not just do cleans? Wouldn't that give the same training effect, plus practice technique?

Haffy13 · Post by **Haffy13** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:11 am

I do a lot of olympic lifting and high pulls are definently included. I'm looking for something that is more involved in the upper body than just shrugging. I definently wouldn't want to use the motion like an upright row just because that could contribute to some bad habits.

I also understand that the Pendlay Row is done explosively, but it's still more of a strength lift, at least how I'm planning to use it. I'm looking for something more like a plyometric move. Something that isn't goin to end with a bar being stopped by my chest.

Paperclip · Post by **Paperclip** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:46 am

Jungledoc wrote:Just askin. Why would someone who is actually training the O lifts do high pulls? Why not just do cleans? Wouldn't that give the same training effect, plus practice technique?

The high and low pull are done with heavier weight (personally I use about 120%, 3 reps) than the snatch and c&j. That means they are used to train the pulling part of the full lifts. Also the pulls give you confidence when you're attempting to break PR because you know that you can at least pull the weight high enough.