German hang pull elbow question.

I was just curious, is the German hang pull harder on the elbow joint than a 5 sec full lay, supinated grip, back lever? The German hang pull (advance tucked, fully externally rotated, retracted shoulders) irritates my elbow where as my elbow is fine with full back lever hold and pull throughs.(they are high intensity for me though). Side note, I focus far more on internal rotation to pull through instead of shoulder flexion(I think it's called) like in the back lever pull through. Also the German hangs are done before the back lever work usually. I'm deloading for now, so this is mainly a curiosity question. Any ideas?

Hi kageryu07,

 

Have you spent the appropriate amount of time mastering the Rope Climb progressions from Foundation? What about assisted German Hangs? On a first read, it just sounds like your elbows (read: biceps) are not 100% ready for more advanced back lever work on the rings.

 

Best,

Chris

Depends how you are doing your back levers. If you are strong at thrm because your shoulders are tight then you may not even notice the elbow area pressure by comparison. If you are coming to them prepared correctly, i usually see them executed subtly but distinctly different.

Or you may just be relaxing into german hangs and the weight of your body is pulling the elbows into some hypertension which they are not liking. It's that whole connective tissue thing; if the body is going to be able to take pressure on its structure rather than its strength, you need to have built that structure up through progressive training as we are all familiar with. I think of it a little like plyometrics, wherein one is bouncing off connective tissue and essentially trusting In the structure to be able to take the strain.

Summary;

Sounds like German hang pulls are punching a little above your weight class in terms of straight-arm conditioning. Take it as a lesson and an opportunityoto brush up your prep before moving on this should be a small and fast hole to fill given all other prep is in place.

Is like comparing the tension between two elastic bands at different stretch.

pulls require  to start in a position of full extension. here if you have flexibility and conditioning of long head bicep, brachialis, chest etc or your body will compensate in a way or in the other. and you are in time to stop before "the other" is a broken tendon.