Straight Arm Pulls with Hexlite Bar

The Hexlite Bar offers a different way to do explosive pulls for those who do not wish to use a straight bar. I have been using this type of pull with my big boys (6'10 and 6'9"). Now, why do you think I would choose to use this particular movement vs. traditional barbell pulls from the floor or from the blocks? I would appreciate constructive commentary and feedback from those out there who use pulls in workouts for athletes who are not competitive weightlifters.


Comments

Joe Przytula said…
Certain athletes never reach full hip extension in the S-A-P with the olympic bar. Could be tight gastrocs, hip flexors, kyphotic T-spine, GH IR deficit or combo of all. As I have mentioned before, the hexlite automatically correctly orients the body to gravity by the nature of it's design. Because the handles are closer to the COG, & oriented in the SP as to place the shoulder in neutral rotation, you don't wind up trying to fit the athlete to the implement. Not that the olympic bar is a bad thing, but if you're goal is simply a power shrug it can be a time saver. Don't mean to plug it, but I purchased one for my school out of my own pocket.
4:13 PM
fern said…
these fellows are training for sports which demand vertical jumping. Why screw up the mechanics of their jumps by making them do some funky knee excursion to get around the barbell on the "ideal" vertical path - especially given the length of their leg segments?

I suppose you could avoid the knee/bar-accomodation issue with a barbell by only doing these shrugs from the hang, but then you are only training them in the range of a jump from a very upright stance, and really only capturing the hip extension with minimal leg extension. I think about a basketball player making a fake under a defenders arm and exploding into a jumpshot from a low CoG - that's the jump you are getting with your hexlite.
9:24 AM
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