FL/PE16 Front Pulls - The Struggle Is Real!

I have been struggling with this movement for quite some time. I thought I was improving and that I was doing much better on eliminating the pike in the hips...this of course until I filmed myself!

• Lower ROM: Had trouble for a long time initiating the movement from the dead hang, which I feel has gotten a better.
• Top ROM: Given what I have to work with, I'm doing this on a straight bar (even though the pull up bar has a space in the middle), and I end every rep in a single bar inverted hang. This is much harder but with the previous PEs & the fact I hit the position every rep, I am strong in the top portion of the ROM (thighs to the bar and 8"-12" away from the bar)
• Middle ROM: The portion of the movement where I pass through the front lever crushes me...no-brainier its the hardest part...but my body does weird things:
  • It feels nearly impossible to keep my glutes and thighs flexed tight.
  • My head stops traveling backwards and my back bends.
  • I can't figure out what to do with my lats through this part of the ROM!? It feels like I am trying to make a transition from hanging and using my core to lift up and sinking back in to my shoulders/lats (full protraction) but not really being able to engage them to assist. And then in the Top portion after I break my straight body form, I am able to engage the upper body and lock out straight and get great activation in the lats/chest/front deltoids/triceps.

Where is the weak link and what do I need to do to fix it?

Should I aim for the lats & upper body to be activating as it is when in SBIH?

I need some advice on this one!!

This is my 2nd set from last night:

https://youtu.be/NSrB8RvgP10

Ok thanks! Will do.

Agree with Zach, but would add try not to use any swing at the bottom and don't tilt your head back to initiate the backward travel, do that from the lats and triceps. Once you reach the top position your head comes back to neutral.

In tbe course video Jef's neck is neutral throughout.

I think it is development of lower portion of lats that is needed, best achieved as Zach says. Keep up the negatives also and slow the front lever portion down as much as posible.

Ok I tried to do my best with both of your suggestions. The workout just turned into an experiment to see what position I was able to do properly. I still feel like they are sub par. I filmed all sets and some negatives.

-Thoughts on the position I should work and if I should start from rock bottom on my rep sets?

-Should I go back to negatives or keep working them in?

Any advice will be appreciated, thanks!

https://youtu.be/8V01yzYuxPY

Zach, thanks for all the help. I totally agree with you. I feel like my core is strong but I keep failing on the front pulls. I filmed some of the PEs and a couple of 2-3 straddle FL holds. I normally can hold about 7 secs but I did all of these in a row without much break. Can you take a look and let me know what you think? The only thing I forgot to film was the single bar inverted hold. I felt like the most challenging of these was the vertical body levers. Maybe I should work more of those with negatives??

https://youtu.be/la02Mg5m4CY

Awesome, you are the man! I really appreciate it! But I have to say I am a little confused by what you meant in the first paragraph about the vertical body levers:

 

One I would change in your vertical body levers is the position of your hips nearing the bar. This will further mimic your FL and will help you feel the smoothness of the Front Pull. You will know you are set properly when you lift off the ground. The floor is just closing the gap for you a little bit by setting up this way, but you will have the advantage of being in a full lever.

Do you mean while laying on the floor slide my body back such that my hips are under the bar??

Thanks again for the help!

that sounds like a good one! Great, I will give all of those things a go!

Well Zach has been on it with this thread!

Zach Armijo said:

My other advice would be to...put it bluntly, condition the sh*t out of your body levers. I mean A LOT. Same goes with your HLLs. Sets of 20 reps of body levers should sought after. 30r for higher end conditioning for both HLL and body levers. This can be done at a moderately quick tempo if form is intact. This goes double for Body Levers.

I'm looking to move on from PE14 but currently have nowhere suitable to work neg front pulls / front pulls at full lay (not enough room height and no practical outdoor options). I was thinking of either working weighted half lay (but with no idea what weight?!) or going back to the start of F2 and working back with increased reps until I find a solution. After reading this I'm leaning towards the latter - is this my best option or have I missed a trick?

Yeah I can just about get away with half lay negatives and therefore eventually half lay pulls - I'll consider these PE14.5 & PE14.75 respectively until I find a proper solution! Thanks. 

Lot's of good stuff in this thread, including Eddie's inspiring videos! Thanks guys!!