I've done something similar, made use of internal and external rotation of the upper arm, only with a rope. It's more stable and I can use more weight, but at some point the grip also becomes an issue. I then started to experiment with a home made strap, when I changed gyms, but I did notice that my scapular rotation and dissension improved, as noted by the absence of pain..
Question for ya. As I myself enjoy doing these with a rope with the very same mechanics, intuitively I find everything what you wrote in the article true, "the ... pronated position allows a greater lat stretch while the ... supinated position produces a more forceful contraction in the lats at the end of the concentric pull". My problem is that I can't reconcile what biomechanics says about the lats. That is, that they internally rotate the upper arm as they contract, and inversely I assume they supinate in their stretched position, and this runs contrary to our intuition. I can't find a lat exercise the pronates in the contracted position, with the exception of a straight arm pulldown. I've even tried doing wide grip pulldowns with a bar with the ends bent using a supinated grip, to try to emulate the supposed correct biomechanics but it's really awkward. I may have a workaround to come, though. I suppose a bar with T handles on the ends would work. Any thoughts?
yeah the t handles should work but this is one of those things where supposed optimal mechanics you mentioned simply does not feel as natural (pronated grip at bottom) but worth giving a try. Let me know how that goes
I tried the rope with external rotation at top and internal rotation at the bottom. I had to do much less weight during the filrst session and hit failure really soon. It was awkward getting into a supinated grip at top because of each hand getting in the way of the other with a rope. Noticing that what defines external/internal rotation is not the how supinated or pronated the hands are but the elbow, I applied a parallel grip with the elbows close together up top, while working to a pronated grip at the bottom as the elbows work around the torso ... effectively internally rotating as contraction occurs. It takes a few sessions, to get used to it. It's not entirely unlike close grip pulldowns with a close grip attachment handle, but save for pronation at the contracted position. I'm still working on the underhand wide grip variation.
I've done something similar, made use of internal and external rotation of the upper arm, only with a rope. It's more stable and I can use more weight, but at some point the grip also becomes an issue. I then started to experiment with a home made strap, when I changed gyms, but I did notice that my scapular rotation and dissension improved, as noted by the absence of pain..
awesome, great insight as always
Question for ya.
As I myself enjoy doing these with a rope with the very same mechanics, intuitively I find everything what you wrote in the article true, "the ... pronated position allows a greater lat stretch while the ... supinated position produces a more forceful contraction in the lats at the end of the concentric pull".
My problem is that I can't reconcile what biomechanics says about the lats. That is, that they internally rotate the upper arm as they contract, and inversely I assume they supinate in their stretched position, and this runs contrary to our intuition.
I can't find a lat exercise the pronates in the contracted position, with the exception of a straight arm pulldown.
I've even tried doing wide grip pulldowns with a bar with the ends bent using a supinated grip, to try to emulate the supposed correct biomechanics but it's really awkward. I may have a workaround to come, though. I suppose a bar with T handles on the ends would work.
Any thoughts?
yeah the t handles should work but this is one of those things where supposed optimal mechanics you mentioned simply does not feel as natural (pronated grip at bottom) but worth giving a try. Let me know how that goes
I tried the rope with external rotation at top and internal rotation at the bottom. I had to do much less weight during the filrst session and hit failure really soon. It was awkward getting into a supinated grip at top because of each hand getting in the way of the other with a rope.
Noticing that what defines external/internal rotation is not the how supinated or pronated the hands are but the elbow, I applied a parallel grip with the elbows close together up top, while working to a pronated grip at the bottom as the elbows work around the torso ... effectively internally rotating as contraction occurs.
It takes a few sessions, to get used to it. It's not entirely unlike close grip pulldowns with a close grip attachment handle, but save for pronation at the contracted position.
I'm still working on the underhand wide grip variation.
Awesome, keep up the great work and love your insight and comments