Why Learning to Pull With Your Lats Matters (Not Your Arms)

When people first try pull-ups or chest-to-bar pull-ups, the most common mistake we see is simple: they try to pull with their arms.

Biceps tighten.

Forearms burn.

The movement becomes inefficient and frustrating.

Many people assume they simply “aren’t strong enough.”

But the truth is that pull-ups aren’t an arm movement.

They’re a back movement.

Recently in class we were working with one of our members, Gareth, on a chest-to-bar drill using a box-assisted pull-up. This is one of our favourite ways to teach proper pulling mechanics.

By placing a foot or toe on the box, the athlete can control their body position and focus on pulling through the correct muscles without having to support their entire bodyweight.

During the drill, we place our fingers on either side of the spine, halfway down the back. This area is where the latissimus dorsi (your lats) connect.

These muscles are the real engine of pulling movements.

A cue we often use is simple:

“Push my fingers away with your back.”

This encourages athletes to activate their lats instead of relying on their arms.

Another cue we use is:

“Keep the hands light.”

If the hands and arms are doing all the work, the movement becomes inefficient and often leads to stalled progress.

By teaching athletes to engage their lats early in their training, we build a foundation that makes all gymnastics movements easier over time. Pull-ups become stronger, chest-to-bar becomes smoother, and advanced movements like bar muscle-ups become far more achievable.

At Sixty7Six Strength & Conditioning we believe in building movements properly from the start.

Because when the foundations are strong, everything else gets easier.