Thread: Pronated Pull Ups

Limiting the width of your grip should also limit the impingment on your shoulder. Do they cause any kind of pain or unnatural feeling when performing them?

You may also consider doing some injury prevention work in the form of rotator cuff exercises. Windmills, internal and external rotation, abduction, and some high rows would probably all be beneficial. Stay light with higher repetitions, something like 15. This should help strengthen the muscles involved in keeping the shoulder girdle in tact and hopefully help prevent future occurences. Other exercises that have been recommended to me include doing pushing with your arms on a stability ball and YTWAs.

Here are a few links to help you put together a routine to improve the integrity of your shoulder complex:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....5-183-training
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle....=body_145shldr
http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/archi...h.php?pid=1333

Happy lifting.

thanks for the advice. my left shoulder/arm is weak - so any issue I have really is with that side. There is a bit of pain when I am doing them - I just don't think my joint works as it should. Thanks for the tips.

Whilst I'm here - what about doing Shrugs - I have tried them but I can't see any change in shape when they are done - I use a 20kg weight.

Originally Posted by Davo

thanks for the advice. my left shoulder/arm is weak - so any issue I have really is with that side. There is a bit of pain when I am doing them - I just don't think my joint works as it should. Thanks for the tips.

Whilst I'm here - what about doing Shrugs - I have tried them but I can't see any change in shape when they are done - I use a 20kg weight.

Are you saying that you don't see hypertrophy in your traps as a result of doing shrugs? If so, perhaps diet is an issue?

I have just started them really - not seen that great a change. I am doing a straight up and down movement. I see some people do forward and backward rotations - is this the right way?

no, up and down is what you want. the upper traps elevate the scapula.

OK thanks. any other exercises that would suit? I need to build up my shoulders in general. currently I am doing Lat raises front and side. not doing any shoulder presses/arnolds though in my current routine. Whats best to hit shoulders hard?

why are you not pressing? Is the problem you are talking about a diagnosed injury?

no not pressing - dropped it in favour of more focus on lat raises. Should I take it back up? Something tells me thats a yes! My shoulder issue is not a medically diagnosed issue. I doubt anything can be done other than stabilise it more. It is just weakly built I think. Sometimes if I try an over arm swing - say a tennis or badminton shot - my arm moves strangely in its socket. Hard to explain. Other than that no problems. I tried more pull ups last night. As long as I don't start from a straight arm or dead hang I am OK I think.

I would do presses before I do lateral raises for shoulder development any day. I haven't done lateral or front raises in a long long time.

Definitely do your overhead pressing. That is going to do more for your shoulders than any inefficient lever raises.

damn. looks like i have to build in presses again! my workout is getting a bit overloaded. how do you handle it. could i say do presses on monday then lat raises on tuesday and then back to presses on Wed? I know some say you need a rest day but i only do 1 hour max each session and I need to expediate my gains. I'm 31 - time is running out! and I plan a holiday in April to Australia! Looking at the antipodeans in the gym makes me feel exceptionally inferior.

how will lifting more frequently make your gains come quicker? Train smarter, not longer. The more effecient you are the quicker your gains will come.

OK but how do I focus on the key excercises? I posed my programme once and someone said it needed improvement - see what you think: On average I will attempt to do this in one session:

Bench Press 40kg 3 sets of 10
Squats 40kg 3 sets of 10
Lat Raises 6kg sets of 10
Arm Curls 14kg sets of 10
Triceps pushdowns 25kg 3 sets of 10
Shrugs 20kg 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull downs (palms facing) 40/45kg 3 sets of 10
Pull Ups 30kg 3 sets of 10
Abs - Crunches - a weak point of mine
Cable cross over 45kg 3 sets of 10

I say 3 sets of 10 but I reach exhaustion by rep 8 of the last set.

Do you think this is enough or not enough? Anything I should build in or strip out?

Originally Posted by Davo

OK but how do I focus on the key excercises? I posed my programme once and someone said it needed improvement - see what you think: On average I will attempt to do this in one session:

Bench Press 40kg 3 sets of 10
Squats 40kg 3 sets of 10
Lat Raises 6kg sets of 10
Arm Curls 14kg sets of 10
Triceps pushdowns 25kg 3 sets of 10
Shrugs 20kg 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull downs (palms facing) 40/45kg 3 sets of 10
Pull Ups 30kg 3 sets of 10
Abs - Crunches - a weak point of mine
Cable cross over 45kg 3 sets of 10

I say 3 sets of 10 but I reach exhaustion by rep 8 of the last set.

Do you think this is enough or not enough? Anything I should build in or strip out?

Looks like a lot of stuff. Why are you trying to do all in one workout? Why not do 2 or 3 workouts a week of total body and break it up more? I would do a horizontal row like a Bent over BB row or Db row in place of either the pulldown or the pull up (but keep one of them as your vertical pull).

OK thanks. I'll build that in. and i think what i'll do is break it up into 2 workouts - so that I keep variety and interest. Many thanks. This site is great - people are so helpful.

Originally Posted by Davo

OK thanks. I'll build that in. and i think what i'll do is break it up into 2 workouts - so that I keep variety and interest. Many thanks. This site is great - people are so helpful.

I might do something like if I only had 2 days to workout:

day 1
horizontal upper body push/pull
legs (quad dominant)


day 2
vertical upper body push/pull
legs (hamstring domintant)

OK - what about if I did a workout every other day?

Originally Posted by Davo

OK - what about if I did a workout every other day?

you could do a lot of different things if you work out three days a week:

total body all three days.

of

day 1- upper push
day 2- upper pull
day 3- legs

of

day 1- upper
day 2- lower
day 3- total body

day 1- upper
day 2- lower
day 3- upper
then start the next week
day 4- lower
day 5- upper
day 6- lower
then rest and repeat back at the top with day 1

etc....lots of options.

Designing a Full Body Routine

Check it. It will help you put together a full body routine.