Strength Training: To Pull or Not to Pull? That is the Question

A good strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer can read the mind of most average gym goers upon entering the “dungeon” --- it goes like this “can’t wait to hit the bench press and do some curls today!”  The barbell bench press and curls may help you to look good in that t-shirt but their functionality is lacking.   Often one takes for granted the ability to maintain good posture or to simply stand on their two feet.   When performing a pull variation one is engaging the entire posterior chain and creating a great amount of power.   As a collegiate strength coach and personal trainer, I suggest adding this quality exercise into your programs because it will produce greater strength gains and overall functional motor programs.   Check out my 5 reasons why you need to PULL your butts off of that bench press:

1. Easier on the Wrists.  A wrist injury can be devastating to any athlete.   By using a high pull variation you can avoid the risk of a wrist injury and provide all of the gains one would see from a traditional Olympic lift.

2. Adds Variety to Workouts. There are many variations of pulls and they do not necessarily have to be performed from the floor. An athlete can set the bar up at various positions above or below the knee from the hang position or using blocks; small changes like these add difficulty and variety to your workout. 

3. Turn Up the Volume. Because it is a simpler movement than the classical lifts, pulls can more easily be performed in high volume. Using higher reps with a lower intensity (weight) provides a break for the nervous system and also allows for greater gains in hypertrophy.

4.Shock the System. By performing the pulls from a hang position, a plyometric effect is created by utilizing the stretch reflex of the muscles to accelerate the weight upward. The late plyometrics guru, Yuri Verkhoshansky, would refer to this as “shock training”.

5. A Tool for Beginners. By breaking the lift down, pulls help a beginner learn proper form and create an efficient motor program. For example, with pulls it is much easier for an athlete to focus on keeping good posture when lifting off the floor.

In cases where a coach maybe outnumbered by athletes or in group settings such as boot camps or things of that nature and a coach is unable to watch everyone individually a pull is a great choice.    Movements such as the power clean when used in high volume result in poor execution which can lead to very serious injuries.  It would be better for groups like these to perform a variation of the pull ensure the safety of the athlete or client.