Hello, it’s Sho.
Today, I want to share some essential exercises to help you build back strength for CrossFit gymnastics movements, particularly for kipping pull-ups, chest-to-bar, and bar muscle-ups. The back consists of many muscles, and it can be challenging to figure out how to target each one effectively. I hope this information will be helpful to those of you looking to strengthen your back for better performance in gymnastics.
Based on my personal experience, I’ve selected the top 3 exercises that I believe are crucial for building back strength. Let’s start with number 3.
#3 Bulgarian Ring Row
This exercise effectively targets the rhomboids and the middle fibers of the trapezius, which are key muscles responsible for scapular retraction (pulling the shoulder blades together). Additionally, as you perform the row with your arms wide, this movement significantly contributes to improving shoulder stability. While it’s important to avoid this exercise if it causes pain, the slightly unstable shoulder position requires you to engage your scapular muscles more, which can greatly enhance shoulder and scapular stability.
When starting, I recommend finding an angle (relative to the floor) where you can fully retract your shoulder blades. As you build strength, you can gradually lower your body to increase the difficulty. In gymnastics, both core and scapular strength are crucial. While strict pull-ups can also help develop these areas, they often rely more on the latissimus dorsi and biceps if those muscles are dominant, which can make it harder to focus on scapular retraction. The Bulgarian ring row forces you to emphasize scapular retraction, making it an efficient way to strengthen these often weaker muscles.
Now, let’s move on to number 2.
#2 Inverted Row (Australian Pull-Up)
This is a variation of the Bulgarian ring row, but with your arms kept closer to your sides. This position allows for greater engagement of the latissimus dorsi, making it easier to generate more pulling power than the previous method. This exercise builds on the scapular retraction practiced in the Bulgarian ring row by adding a pull that more actively engages the lats. As a result, you’ll likely find it easier to lower your body closer to the floor.
The most effective variation is to place your feet on a box, pulling your body from a position nearly parallel to the floor. Once you can perform around 10 reps in this position, you should be able to pull your chest to the bar during pull-ups. This exercise is particularly beneficial for those who experience shoulder pain during butterfly chest-to-bar (CTB) pull-ups. In my case, I noticed significant improvements in shoulder pain when I could perform three sets of 15 reps with my body at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Starting with rows before progressing to pull-ups allows for better form and more effective pull-up execution.
#1 Pull-Up (Chest to Bar)
The top exercise is, of course, the pull-up. Specifically, I recommend focusing on strict pull-ups where your chest touches the bar. Unlike the previous two exercises, which involved pulling horizontally, the pull-up requires vertical pulling strength. Controlling vertical force is essential in gymnastics movements, and building the strength and endurance to perform strict chest-to-bar pull-ups is key to completing gymnastics elements in WODs without pain and with sufficient volume.
Why chest-to-bar? The full range of vertical pulling should be developed, and while some believe that getting your chin over the bar is sufficient, true full-range motion occurs when your shoulder blades are fully retracted and your shoulders are maximally extended. Achieving this ensures that the pulling power of your lats is fully utilized. Additionally, focusing on the eccentric phase of the pull-up is crucial. Movements like kipping pull-ups, butterfly CTB, and bar muscle-ups all require control of your body’s descent. Keeping the scapula depressed and using the lats eccentrically is particularly important—this is where strict pull-ups come into play.
By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you’ll build the strength necessary for proper form and effective execution in your gymnastics movements.
Thank you for reading!
See you next time.
Sho