Block pull to the belt while sitting: options and order of the exercise. Block pull to the belt while sitting in the simulator - the correct exercise technique Rowing exercise or block pull

The pull of the lower block to the belt is excellent basic exercise for the development of the lower sections of the latissimus dorsi. Also, while working on such a simulator, the lower back, biceps, deltoid muscles, and forearms are involved. The pulldown to the belt is considered one of the most effective exercises for increasing the thickness of the back.
Types of rods of the lower block
There are two types of traction of the lower block to the belt - doing the exercise narrow(classic) and wide grip. With a narrow grip, the lower part of the latissimus dorsi is maximally involved, with a wide grip, the upper back is loaded (large round, diamond-shaped, top of the latissimus dorsi and trapezium). There is also such a variety as traction with one hand. Theoretically, it allows you to concentrate more on working out each individual latissimus dorsi muscle, but practically few people use this option, many athletes are skeptical about it.
Execution technique
The thrust of the lower block to the belt requires a great concentration of the athlete on the technique. It is also worth properly adjusting the robot of the simulator. The cable of the block must run parallel to the floor, for this you need to adjust the height of the seat or bench. The feet must be supported, stability is very important. The palms should look at each other, the grip is closed.
Take a position, put your feet on the platform, bend your knees a little, take the handle and lift it towards you. Holding the handle in your hands, lean back so that a right angle is formed between your back and legs. Bend your back slightly at the waist, push your chest forward. Begin to pull the handle towards you, keeping the bend in your back. Pull until you touch the stomach, touching, fix the handle in this position for a second, and then begin to slowly release, maintaining tension in the muscles of the back. Elbows should walk strictly along the body. If you are working with too much weight, then we recommend using hand straps, so you can concentrate more on working the latissimus dorsi, and not on holding a huge weight.
During the movement, a slight deviation of the torso is permissible (no more than 10 degrees). This allows you to perform a movement with a full amplitude and slightly relieve the load from lumbar while working with maximum weights.
The principles of execution remain the same for working with a wide grip. But in this case, you need to pull the projectile not to the stomach, but to the chest, spreading the elbows to the sides at the height of the handle.
Do not spread your elbows when you do the pull of the lower block to the belt narrow grip. Breeding the elbows will shift the load on the upper back and will not allow us to fully work out the desired areas.

Do not tilt your body more than 10 degrees. Amplitude limits protect you from injury lower parts loins.

Try to turn off the biceps during execution and pull the back muscles. Biceps only needed for stabilization elbow joint.

The legs should be bent throughout the exercise, this will take the load off the knee joints.

Opinions on breathing technique during the exercise are divided. Some athletes for inhaling on effort and exhaling when releasing the handle, but there are athletes with the opposite opinion. We recommend trying both options and choosing the one that suits you best.

If you still have any questions about the technique of performing the pull of the lower block to the belt, then we recommend watching the video:

The pull to the belt of the lower block is a basic exercise. It activates quite a few muscle groups. In this case, the target are And the secondary groups are represented by: pectoral muscles, biceps, shoulder, lower muscles back, quadriceps and hip extensors, as well as the forearm.

It is believed that this exercise is best for those who want to make their back wider. Most effective option exercises are considered a modification using a forked handle, which allows you to keep the hands parallel to each other. From the point of view of anatomy, the exercise refers to the It is performed in a sitting position and, by the nature of the movement, resembles rowing.

And now let's take a closer look at an exercise called pull to the belt of the lower block.

Preparation

This exercise requires certain conditions to be met:

The height of the bench or seat should be such that the cable is parallel to the floor during the pull.
In no case should the body slide forward, which means that the feet should have comfortable support.
The handles can be both fixed on a common base and separated from each other.
One way or another, it is desirable that when performing thrust, the palms look at each other.

to the waist while sitting: execution technique

So, first you need to sit on a bench and pick up the handles. Then it is worth pulling them towards you until the back takes a vertical position, while maintaining its natural bend in the region of the shoulder blades. In this case, the hands should be even. This is the starting position.

Now you need to inhale, hold your breath and start pulling:

The first phase of the movement (it is also intermediate) ends at the moment when the elbows are in line with the body, and the bending angle of the elbow joint is close to a straight one.
Further, the handle stretches a little closer to the belt so that the elbows go back beyond the torso. This is where the second phase begins.
From this position, you need to pull your shoulders back as much as possible and try to move your shoulder blades. The stronger the contraction of the latissimus dorsi you achieve at this stage, the more effective the exercise will be.
Then you need to quickly exhale and return the handles to their original position, keeping your back straight and motionless.

When working with heavy weights, hand straps can be used.

Mistakes and nuances

When performing an exercise such as traction to the belt of the lower block, you need to make sure that the elbows are pressed to the body. If they are placed apart, it will not lead to anything good. It is thanks to the elbows pressed to the body and the shoulder blades retracted as much as possible that this exercise allows you to load the latissimus dorsi muscles well, or rather, their lower part.

If you spread your elbows to the sides, the load will shift to upper part back, middle beams and rhomboid muscles. Thus, the exercise simply will not fulfill its main task.

The torso, as already mentioned, should be vertical throughout the movement. However, small deviations at the beginning and end of the movement are acceptable. They should not exceed 10 degrees. The limited amplitude of the torso is due to the need for insurance against injuries of the lower part of the spine.

The exercise can also be done with a straight bar, that is, the palms will look down, and not at each other. If, holding the crossbar, direct the elbows to the sides and up, then the middle part of the trapezius muscle, the back of the deltoid muscle and the rhomboid muscle will be involved in the work.

If the crossbar has a bend in the middle, and its ends are turned back, then by pointing the elbows down and towards the body, you can almost completely eliminate the delta from the work. But if the elbows are directed up and to the sides, then the deltas will participate in the movement very actively. Both options load the trapezium and rhomboid muscle well.

It turns out that the thrust to the belt of the lower block when different provisions elbows and the use of various crossbars allows you to deeply work out all the muscles of the back: the latissimus dorsi, rhomboid, trapezius, round and, finally, the back bundle deltoid muscles shoulder.

Conclusion

As you can see, the pull of the lower block to the belt with your hand, or rather, with your hands, despite its apparent simplicity, has a number important nuances. Only realizing them and working on correct technique, can be achieved good results. alternative this exercise is in a standing position in an inclination. In the sports literature, you can often find the phrase "low block / barbell row to the belt" and, despite the fact that these exercises are similar from an anatomical point of view, they are very different from each other in terms of technique.

Greetings to all who want to become stronger, more muscular, more embossed and just improve their health. In this article, I will tell you about the incredible effective exercise for back muscles. This is the horizontal block pull that athletes often unknowingly neglect.

I will tell you in detail all the features, technical nuances and important rules that will help make the exercise as effective and useful as possible.

Horizontal block traction is a basic exercise for the back, which is aimed at. In fairness, it should be put in second place in the efficiency rating, right after. But how many of you did pull-ups with ease in your first year of training? How many athletes can do 3-4 full sets of strict pull-ups?

For beginners, this is almost always an incomprehensible task. Therefore, horizontal, as well as vertical thrust, should be the basis for the development powerful back. Otherwise, plans to quickly pump up will remain only at the level of desires and ideas.

I want to give Special attention popular misconception that sitting block deadlift is analogous to rowing. These are two separate exercises. different purposes, so if you want to simulate rowing movements in block simulator then that would be a huge mistake. So you will not achieve either the desired load on the widest, or the benefits that the rowing machine gives.

This exercise is worthy of becoming the main one for girls and women, it is ideal for training at any age. The only recommendation I would give to beginners and even experienced athletes is not to use a belt. It is great for additional support of the lower back in standing exercises, but leads to unnecessary strain when performing movements while sitting. As a result - provoking unwanted problems with the cardiovascular system.

What muscles work

In order for the exercise to bring maximum benefit, you need to clearly understand which muscles are under the main load. Without this, it is impossible to draw up a competent and balanced training program. The main working muscles in traction:

The broadest.
Trapezoidal.
Big diamond.
Spinal extensors.

Additional load goes to the triceps, biceps, rear deltas and chest. With the correct technique, the main load will go to the latissimus dorsi, the rest of the groups work in a passive mode. When I see gym goers tearing the handle to the waist with all their might with their hands, additionally helping themselves with their legs, I understand that without theory, practice is almost useless. Remember, the handle is pulled not by the biceps, but by the lats. Focus on the muscle, feel how it works, and then the thrust will be effective.

The benefits and harms of exercise

The benefits of exercise are undeniable. This movement allows you to train the lats with large weights without harm and consequences. And most importantly - without axial load on the spine and other negative factors. Also, with this performance, the minimum load is placed on the lower back, therefore I recommend this exercise both for adolescents and during recovery after childbirth (but only with minimal weights, without straining and with the permission of a doctor).

To summarize, the main benefits of horizontal thrust are:

Safe work with large weights (which means increased production of anabolic hormones).
Minimal injury risk, in comparison with other exercises.
Posture improvement.

I would not talk about the dangers of the exercise, especially when you consider that working with the lower block is considered the safest. In fact, this is an analogue of the rod thrust in the slope, which allows you to fix the position and better control the position of the body.

However, there are two main disadvantages that can greatly reduce its effectiveness:

Strong shaking of the body.
Traction due to the strength of the arms and shoulders, not the back.

Both minuses provoke Not correct technique performance and incorrectly selected weight in the simulator.

Contraindications

The main contraindication is spinal injury. It is also desirable to avoid traction for shoulder injuries. Otherwise, there are no special restrictions.

Correct execution technique and types of exercise

In bodybuilding, the observance of the correct technique is an axiom and a paramount rule (which is often violated, most often out of ignorance). Because the better you follow all the technical features, the greater the effect will be from performing each repetition in the approach. Now I will talk about the main types of traction and their differences.

To the stomach

This is the basic version of the front pull, which is considered completely universal. I would like to point out that performing the movement in the low crossover block is not considered a substitution. With this technique, the cable will not move horizontally, but from the bottom up. As a result, the load angle changes and other muscles will be included in the work. If you sit on the floor, and not on the bench, then doing the exercise will be inconvenient. This option is only suitable in the absence of a special simulator (although I have not met a gym where it was not installed).

Pulling looks like this:

Sit on a bench and place your feet on the platforms with your knees slightly bent.
Grip the short handle with a neutral narrow grip (depending on the handle).
Align the body and move it forward a little.
Begin to slowly bring the handle to the stomach, slightly tilting the body back.
At the peak point, bring the shoulder blades together as much as possible, then return the handle to the starting position.

I emphasize that the rocking of the body should be minimal. Only to better stretch the lats.

To the chest

Pulling to chest allows you to shift the load from the bottom of the trapezium to the top, as well as to the shoulders. Latissimus dorsi also receive the main load, but you need to monitor the deltas so that they do not overstrain. If they are the weak link in the deadlift, you will not be able to work with large weights and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. A narrow handle works best, but if you have good shoulder mobility, you can do the exercise with a medium grip. In any variant wide grip not recommended due to a strong reduction in amplitude and increased load on the shoulders.

To the head

Bringing the handle to the face is more classified as a movement on the shoulders, because the main load is significantly shifted to this muscle group. However, this pull works well on the upper lats and rear delts. I recommend doing this option for those who have problems with posture. In this case, the ideal would be a scheme of alternating classic traction in a sitting position and bringing the handle to the face (to the chin, to be more precise).

An example workout with the addition of a horizontal pull

What should be proper training with sitting traction? To begin with, a complete warm-up of the whole body, even the legs. After that, it is better to switch to pull-ups or a vertical block as a replacement. Only then is it worth taking on traction when the muscles are warm enough and you can give your best in heavy power approaches. The whole back workout after a warm-up and cardio will look like this:

Pull-ups / vertical pull block with a wide handle.
Horizontal block traction.
Bent over barbell/dumbbell row.
Shrugs with dumbbells.
Hyperextension.

At home

Even without going to the gym, horizontal traction is available to everyone. How to replace a bulky simulator? The answer is simple - rubber bands. Just mount them at the right height and do the deadlift in the same way as in the gym. You can move with one hand for more clarity and focus on the back.

Workout example:

Warm up.
Pull-ups on the horizontal bar.
Horizontal rubber band.

The tourniquet exercise can be alternated with dumbbell rows by week.

In the gym

Perform the deadlift as usual, after 1-2 exercises for the back and a full warm-up. Choose a repetition mode depending on your training goals, but I do not recommend going beyond 3-5 sets.

Gym workout example:

Weighted pull-ups/upright pulldowns.
Lever traction in the simulator / dumbbell traction in an incline.
Horizontal traction in a block simulator.
Shrugs.
Hyperextension.

Warm up

Without a quality warm-up, it is better to get dressed and go home, because every movement can be traumatic. Stretch not only the back muscles, but the entire upper body. 4-5 minutes of warm-up and 5-10 minutes of light cardio at the beginning of the workout are enough.

Sets and Reps

For beginners, it is better to work in the repetition mode from 8 to 10.

For men, it is better to work in the 6-8 rep mode to develop strength and muscle mass. For girls, multi-rep work for 12-15 repetitions is ideal, but with a reduction to 8 in the last approaches and a gradual increase in weight.

The optimal number of approaches for traction is from 3 to 5.

How to choose a working weight

You can choose the right weight only by experience. Start small and try to get to the point where you find it hard to complete 5-6 reps. Based on this in subsequent workouts, but remember the progression of the load.

What grip to use

Regarding the position of the brush - it does not matter. The lats will receive the same load in any case. Medium and wide grips are great for pulling to the chest, so you can better pull your shoulders back and bring your shoulder blades together.

Nutrition and sports supplements

All these beautiful photos and videos of professional athletes doing deadlifts and getting extraordinary relief, it's a publicity stunt. Horizontal thrust is needed for powerful power work. If you want to become slim, then you need to control nutrition and diet. Exercise is nothing more than a mechanical element that makes the body respond to the load. Of the mandatory sports supplements I can only recommend protein and vitamin-mineral complexes. Men are advised to add creatine to the list to increase strength and progression.

Common mistakes

Deadlift is an exercise with a minimal arsenal of mistakes, but the inhabitants of the gyms are trying in every possible way to use them. Here are the main ones:

Excessive shaking of the body.
Lack of focus on the target muscle (lats).
Incomplete reduction of the shoulder blades at the peak point.
Back rounding.

Each mistake significantly reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and can cause injury.

Conclusion

Horizontal pull in the block - great exercise. It can be replaced with a dumbbell or barbell row, but you are unlikely to be able to work with the same weights and efficiency. The exercise is truly versatile, effective and safe, so I strongly recommend including it in training program to everyone who wants to have developed back and good posture.

In contact with

Main working muscles:

Short description:

Sitting in the simulator, pull the handle attached to the cable passing through the lower block to the belt .

Introduction

To perform this exercise, you will need a simulator in which the cable runs parallel to the floor at a small height from it. Sit in the simulator and pick up the handle attached to the cable. Pull the handle towards your waist, then straighten your arms and return to the starting position.

Preparation and starting position

Use either a straight handle that you will grasp with a supinated grip, or a handle that is straight in the middle but the ends of which are bent diagonally upwards, or use a special handle with parallel handles. One common mistake one often sees in athletes performing this exercise is that they grab the handle with a too narrow grip. A shoulder-width grip would be much more effective. If you decide to use a handle with parallel handles, then keep in mind that they need to be taken exactly in the center.

As for the handle with parallel handles, try to persuade the administration of the gym where you train to purchase it if it is not yet available in your gym. This handle should be designed for a shoulder-width grip. If it was not possible to persuade the owners of the gym, then buy a handle for your money or order it and carry it with you to the gym at every workout where you are going to do the traction of the lower block while sitting. Grab such a handle with your hands in such a way that your forearms are parallel to each other throughout the exercise. Sit and bend your legs so that the handle does not touch your legs during the set.

Performing lower pulldowns

Sit on the floor or on a special low seat, bend your legs slightly at the knees, rest your feet on the footrests. If the machine is not equipped with footrests near the block, you will have to come up with something yourself and make some kind of reliable foothold that will allow you to spread your legs in the way that suits you. Pull the handle towards you so that you can start in a sitting position with an upright torso, back straight and arms extended under the weight. Holding the handle with a shoulder-width grip, gently pull it towards your stomach and bring your shoulder blades together. Do not spread your elbows to the sides.

Throughout the exercise, the distance between the elbows should not change. Arching your back slightly, pull your shoulders back and down. This means that your elbows should not rise when you are in the final position. In fact, your elbows should even drop a little as you tighten and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold the maximum contraction position for a second or two and then, in a controlled and gentle manner, let the weight straighten your arms.

During the negative phase, you can A little tilt the torso forward, then return to the vertical position during the completion of the positive phase (i.e., pull) of each repetition. This slight forward movement of the torso will reduce the load on your lower back a little. But, leaning forward a little, do not round! In the final position, where your back muscles are contracted as much as possible, do not lean back. Your torso should be upright, straight and perpendicular to the floor.

First and second photo: good technique perform the thrust of the lower block while sitting with a parallel handle grip shoulder-width apart.
Last photo: wrong end position: shoulders rounded, elbows up.

Adjustable handlebar with parallel handles
from Scorpion Gym Equipment.
Not everyone is suitable for a handle with a fixed grip width.

Compared to a straight handle, the upturned ends allow you to hold your hands in a more natural position - both in the row of the lower block sitting and in the deadlift upper block sitting.
The photo shows the handle for pulling the lower block while sitting, its ends are bent up and slightly forward. Any metalworker will easily be able to make a handle with curved handles, as well as a handle with parallel handles of a fixed width.

If you lean back from the vertical - at least during a set with serious weight - then you will unwittingly round your shoulders, you will not be able to bring your shoulder blades together and underload the muscles for which, in fact, this exercise is intended.

Some, under the pretense of reaching full range, relax their arms and shoulders between repetitions, stretching them. This technique poses a threat to the stabilizing muscles. shoulder joint located behind and predisposes you to injury. Don't do it! In the starting position, do not relax your shoulders, but keep your head straight. Never drop your head down and don't let the weight pull on your arms and shoulders abruptly.

Before each working set, apply chalk to the palms of your hands. However, no amount of chalk will help if the handle you're using is smooth and not knurled. To increase your grip on a smooth handle, place a piece of neoprene between the handle and your palm. (Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is used for many purposes. Ask for a small piece at a dive shop, or at your university campus shop, or at a hardware store.)

Insurance and assistance

A belay for this exercise is usually not necessary because the weight cannot "crush" you in this exercise. (However, if the cable breaks, you could be seriously injured.) But you may still need help in this exercise: your assistant will not let you spoil the technique during the last couple of repetitions. Consider that you start to break the technique when you start to round your shoulders. At this point, an assistant should immediately intervene, who should pull on the weight with enough effort so that you can complete the repetition with good form.

Working weight gain

Cable and lever simulators, as a rule, allow you to increase the weight in steps of 5 kg. Such an increase is too large and can derail your progress. Perhaps in your gym there are special weights of 1.25 kg or 2.5 kg, designed for attaching a stack of "bricks" on top of the simulators. (If there is nothing like this in your hall, then buy them yourself in a store selling sports equipment). Use these weights to ease the transition from one weight to another. Or, you can put a small plate on the second pin and stick this pin a little higher than the first. This second pin won't go all the way into the stack of bricks, but it will go deep enough to securely hold the little pancake. Alternatively, use magnetic pancakes. But always check the reliability of the design before proceeding with the set.

Left: Attachment designed to be mounted on top of a stack of "bricks" in the simulator.
Right: A small plate from a barbell, attached to a stack of "bricks" with an additional pin.

On the left, the smallest (black) pancakes are shown, which, as a rule, are found in halls - 1.25 kg. Other (light) pancakes are what we call "micro pancakes": 0.5 kg, 0.25 kg and 0.1 kg. Use them to smoothly increase the weight of the bar.

M agnitny pancakes ("PlateMate") come in 0.280 kg, 0.570 kg and 0.850 kg. They are especially convenient for attaching to a stack of “bricks” on simulators, to dumbbells and fixed-weight barbells. A pair of pancakes, respectively, equals 0.560 kg, 1.1 kg and 1.7 kg.