Improving Your Swing Through Pull-Ups

The Lats are large muscles that originate at your hips and spine and attach to your arm. In the golf swing, the Lats are responsible for a few key movements, one, in particular, is the trunk’s initiation of the downswing, which helps create power.

Lat Strengthening exercises and progression

1. Hangs – build up to 30 seconds to 1 minute of just hanging from the bar. If you can hang that long, work on short bouts of 5 -10 secs 3-6 sets. If that’s too boring for you try the scapular pull-ups in the video. Complete the pull-up only using your shoulders.

2. TRX Pull-up – Adjust the TRX straps so that with you seated on the ground, the handles are just within your reach. Now perform a full pull up keeping your body vertical and pulling your chest to the ceiling, using your legs to help you as much as necessary. A common issue I see with this exercise is people end up completing a row with their torso horizontal with the ground, instead of a pull-up with the trunk in a vertical position. Complete 3 sets of 10-15.

3. Pull-up machine – The pull-up machine is a great machine for helping you get to your first bodyweight pull-up. The key to this machine is making sure the machine is not helping so much that the exercises are too easy. You want to make sure you can still feel like your Lat muscles are working, not just the biceps. Complete 3 sets of 10-15.

4. Negative – “Negatives” is another word for the down or lowering portion of the pull-up exercise, or the eccentric part. The eccentric part of the movement is when the muscle is lengthening under tension. This portion is 99% of the time easier than the concentric or shorting part. Jump up to the top of the pull-up and slowly lower yourself down over a 3-5 second span. If you can’t jump up, use a box or a step. Complete 3 sets of 6-10 or as many as you physically can.