What to look for:

• Vertical movement
• Feet in front of the body with knees bent
• Feet flat or toes off the floorNeutral grip
• A focus on the upper body doing the work
• Scapular retraction/depression
• Rip cage down
• Finish with the elbows pointing down to the floor
• Shoulder not pulled into anterior tilt
• Tall posture
• Head neutral
• Control the eccentric
• Full extension in bottom position

Coaching cues:

• “Reach up and feel the stretch”
• “Pull the shoulders back and down”
• “Drive the elbows down”
• “Pull from your armpit”
• “Keep chest up”

When to:

• Regress: To ring rows if client finds these challenging; this can be due to strength or if the client is carrying excess body fat.
• Progress: If client can perform comfortably for 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps, they may be able to add full chin up progressions to their workouts.

Coaching considerations:

• Serves as a great choice for those unable to perform multiple sets/reps of pull-ups as they are still able to train a similar movement with a good amount of volume.
• Be sure to communicate that the upper body must be doing the majority of the work, not the legs.
• You can further increase the difficulty of this exercise by increasing the lever length of the legs or by reducing the points of contact with the floor.