I honestly didn’t feel my pull-ups become a full-body, lat-first move until I found a way to fire up the lats that actually worked for me.
After a certain age, I do think the brain-body connection can take a little more intention than when we were younger. And I had zero muscle memory for pull-ups because I had never, ever even wanted to try one before I was 60, and that’s after working out most of my life.
I kept trying things like lat pulldowns, doing pull-ups first thing before any other Exercise, and scapular pulls, which I still do, but now as part of a more comprehensive warmup.
Two things that made a big difference for me were ditching the gloves and using liquid chalk, because my hands SWEAT, and incorporating inverted rows and especially straight-arm pulldowns.
Truly, my best pull-ups happen when I’m super aware of my lats, and I’m already hollowing my body, engaging my core and glutes, and all of it. But that brain-lat connection changed everything.
My two cents: experiment with different methods and see what works for YOU.
Are you still trying to get your first pull-up?
If I got mine in my 60s, after recovering from a torn rotator cuff, you may surprise yourself, too.
Filmed entirely at @jeffersonfitsrq. I Love their red pull-up station SO much.
#sarasotagym #pullupsafter60 #pullupdrills
