Full Retraction on Chin-ups/Pull-ups

[Jono]

I've been doing a lot of reading on older threads and have a few questions.

 

Lately I've been going back to basics for chin-ups/pull-ups. For chin-ups on a bar, I can fully retract / depress at the top and hold this position with my lower chest / upper stomach touching the bar.

 

However, when I try to do this with a pull-up on a bar, I cannot do so; I can only reach mid-chest and cannot touch the bar. At first I thought this was due lack of strength, but then I noticed something; at the top position in a pull-up grip, my wrist naturally wants to rotate outwards into a more "neutral" grip pull-up. Thus, if I actually try to do full ROM and fully retract, my elbows don't like it.

 

Do any of you guys have this problem? Do you think it's because I have a weakness, or perhaps I have an internal rotation / mobility issue? I was planning to add basic ring / bar horizontal rows focusing on full retraction, and build up from there.

 

Just to clarify, this is without a false grip. When I use a false grip, I seem to be able to fully retract to my lower chest (although this may only be because the bar is 2-3" lower on my wrist with a FG).

 

Thanks.

[Kristiyan Donchev]

Dude, I have the EXACT same problem. I could do 20 chins before (without touching the bar with the chest). Now I can chin 5-6 times with retracted scapulas, and I have had no progress in the last 2 months...

[seiyafan]

protraction is easier than retraction? I always thought the opposite. 

[Joshua Slocum]

Does widening your grip make it easier?

[Jono]

I have the same problem with a wider grip, but this time my wrists can rotate in line with the horizontal bar. Perhaps it is a weakness. Most of my pulling strength is with shoulders rolled forwards.

[myron gaihens]

I'm not sure, but this exercise might help you

 

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/page/index.html/_/tutorials/mobility/lat-flys-r84

[Joshua Naterman]

IT takes time.

 

My preferred approach to this is to hold an isometric contraction for as long as I can at the top of the pull up, being sure to keep elbows tight. It is hard to learn, and those of us with longer arms may not get the chest entirely to the bar with retracted shoulders, but it will be very close. Eventually.

 

I do 1-3 reps of this for warm up every day, and it helps a lot. That top position is very difficult, partially just because it is and partially because you are performing a set of contractions that your body is not used to. It's not as intuitive as the top of a chin up. You want to be using theelbow flexors to pull the back of your wrist towards your shoulders, at the same time as you are both maintaining full retraction + depression AND keeping the elbows very close to the ribs (do not let them flare out).

 

At first this might be impossible with full bodyweight. Use some kind of assistance (band, machine, your toes, whatever) to slowly build up to full bodyweight.

 

Important point: Your primary focus should be on the RC progressions in F1 and F2. Stay focused, and practice this as WARM UP. Do NOT turn this into the primary workout! There's a reason I only do one rep most days, and this is it.