A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a horizontal pull exercise focused on posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids and the great dorsal, the vertical row with its variants.
Today we are talking about another pulling exercise, always to be performed seated, always aimed at the thickness of the back (so they tell you) and which once again requires the use of a machine.
Index
Low pulley: a classic for the back
Another exercise for what in anatomy is called "big back", the low pulley works the great dorsal, great teres (the extensor muscle of the elbow) and rhomboids and trapezius, ie the scapular adductors.
Go to the pulley machine, sit down, put your feet on the supports. The back should be kept neutral: thus increases the stability of the spinal column, and a series of otherwise neglected “minor” muscles are also engaged in the movement.
At this point, you can grab the handle (the "triangle"), inhale, and pull her elbows (but thinking "wrists") towards the belly. During the concentric phase, exhale.
The defining characteristics of this pulling movement are
- la pinch (made with three fingers) narrow and neutral, given by the standard grip
- the fact that, due to its dynamics, you "feel" it in the center of your back, even if in reality it works mainly the great dorsal
Note: if the gym where you train is equipped with the other handles, you can also perform the variations of the exercise, including:
- trazy-bar (not always a good choice, especially if you are "tied" with thoracic mobility)
- low prone grip with horizontal or lat bar: does not change much of the actual muscle activation
- low pulley with handles: suitable for those with problems at an elbow, because allows you to get out of forced symmetry. Plus, hire the core
Mistakes to avoid in execution
Although, as I always say, machines reduce the possibility of performing movements with important errors, there are some warnings to perform the low pulley at best:
- do not help yourself with other muscles than those of the pull. Mostly, do not flex / extend the spine while running, because it increases the risk of accident, tires you, and makes the exercise significantly less effective
- do not raise your shoulder blades as you begin the movement
- shorten the time in tension: do not rush us, because the pull should last 2/3 seconds to be really effective. The release must last as long.
- overloading, which leads to poor technical execution
When to use the low pulley
Medium series (8-12 rep) or medium-long (12-15), which combined with a sufficiently long pull, makes the exercise maximally productive.
Between low pulley and rower? The first, if performed with the right precautions and the adequate load, allows an excellent work in tension that the rower, in general - also given the need to engage cores and paravertebrals, does not allow.
The best choice is to include both in the program, possibly in the same session: with the oarsman with barbell do the big loads and the work on force, with the low pulley you exhaust the muscles and work on the mind-muscle connection.
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