Screening the Upper-
Body Push and Pull
Patterns Using Body
Weight Exercises
Matthew Kritz, MSc, CSCS,1 John Cronin, PhD,1,2 and Patria Hume, PhD1
1
Institute of Sport & Recreation Research New Zealand, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand; and 2School of
Biomedical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
SUMMARY
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
SPECIALISTS USE UPPER-BODY
PUSH AND PULL PATTERNS IN AN
ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THE FORCE
AND/OR VELOCITY CHARACTER-
ISTICS OF THE UPPER-BODY
MUSCULATURE. HOWEVER,
BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE
FAULTY MECHANICS HAVE ON
PERFORMANCE AND THE PREVA-
LENCE OF OVERUSE INJURIES IN
SPORT AND SPORT-SPECIFIC
TRAINING, SCREENING AN
ATHLETES UPPER-BODY MOVE-
MENT COMPETENCY BEFORE
EXTENSIVE LOADING MAY PRO-
VIDE INSIGHT INTO MOVEMENT
STRATEGIES THAT ARE INEFFI-
CIENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO
INJURY.
INTRODUCTION
he use of the upper body in
T sport and sport -specific train-
ing is considerable. Strength
and conditioning professionals design
programs to improve the force and/or
velocity capabilities of the upper-body
musculature using exercises that can be
categorized as either upper-body push
or upper-body pull, given the patterns
of movement they involve. It has been
suggested that strength and condi-
tioning specialists should screen an
72 VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2010
athletes movement ability before pre-
scribing a program designed to im-
prove physical performance (6,22,23).
A benefit of screening movement for
the strength and conditioning specialist
is to identify the appropriate loading
level that corresponds to the athletes
movement competency to minimize
injuries related to overloading biome-
chanically specious movement pat-
terns (22,23). Screening movement is
a relatively new professional practice
for the strength and conditioning spe-
cialists. Historically, sports medicine
professionals conduct assessments to
measure the structure and function
of the body (18,33). Traditionally,
sports medicine assessments provide
information about range of motion,
structural weaknesses, or movement
dysfunction using isolated movements
(18,32,33). Assessing isolated single-
joint movements has proven effective
for diagnostic purposes. However, they
provide little information about how an
athlete would perform complex multi-
joint movements. Strength and condi-
tioning specialists program complex
multijoint movements to help prepare
athletes for the demands experienced
in sport. Therefore, a movement screen
should provide information about how
an athlete performs the complex fun-
damental movement patterns strength
and conditioning professional regularly
prescribe. The multijoint movements
Copyright National Strength and Conditioning Association
commonly prescribed in strength
training programs can be categorized
into 7 fundamental patterns; squat
pattern, lunge pattern, upper-body
push pattern, upper-body pull pat-
tern, bend pattern, twist pattern,
and single-leg pattern. Screening fun-
damental patterns before exercise
prescription gives the strength and
conditioning specialist information
about which patterns should be ag-
gressively challenged and which pat-
terns require developmental attention.
Many factors have been identified that
influence an athletes movement com-
petency specifically: awareness, changes
in muscle length, strength, stiffness,
and patterns of participation that arise
from repeated movements and sus-
tained postures (33).
This review article investigates the
kinetics and kinematics of the upper-
body push and pull patterns for the
purpose of screening. This review aims
to introduce 2 body weight exercises,
the standard push-up (Figure 1) and the
body weight bend-and-pull (Figure 2).
These exercises challenge upper-body
push and pull mechanics, can be per-
formed by athletes of all ages, and
provide the strength and conditioning
KEY WORDS:
movement competency; scapula;
shoulder function; push-up; posture
 that performing frontal plane pressing
exercises will predispose an athlete to
shoulder injuries. Although it is difficult
to determine the actual cause-and-
effect relationship between the type
of exercise performed and the occur-
rence of injury, a majority of shoulder
injuries, pain, and limited function are
believed to be because of faulty me-
chanics rather than a particular exercise
(25,31).
RATIONALE FOR USING THE
PUSH-UP AND BODY WEIGHT
BEND-AND-PULL TO SCREEN
UPPER-BODY MOVEMENT
COMPETENCY
The exercises introduced in this sec-
tion for screening upper-body move-
ment competency occur in the sagittal
Figure 1. (a, b) Proper push-up technique is demonstrated with the head held in a plane. Although the 2 chosen move-
centered and stable position, shoulders held down away from the ears, ments do not directly challenge all
elbows close to the body, lower back and hips in a neutral position, and the planes of movement, they do challenge
legs are aligned with the hips and held stable. the musculature that contributes to
movement in each anatomical plane.
specialist with prognostic information considered to occur in the frontal The standard push-up (push-up) is a
about an athletes upper-body move- plane. Push-ups and the bench press common upper-body push pattern
ment competency. are examples of push exercises that exercise that challenges shoulder girdle
occur in a sagittal plane. Pull-ups and mechanics under load, has a compara-
UPPER-BODY MOVEMENT seated cable pull-downs are exercises tively small learning curve, and is an
COMPETENCY that occur in the frontal plane. Bench accommodating exercise to load for
It is the authors observations that rows, supine pull-ups, and dumbbell the novice to elite athlete (69,12,
many strength and conditioning pro- rows are common pull pattern exer- 1417,24,26,31,33). The peak force
grams consist of push and pull exer- cises that occur in the sagittal plane. generated by an individual performing a
cises that are performed in the frontal Many strength and conditioning spe- push-up with hands and feet on the
and sagittal planes. Push pattern ex- cialists tend to load the push pattern in ground is equal to 70% of body weight
ercises such as overhead pressing (e.g., the sagittal plane to a greater degree (15). A modified push-up (e.g., knees
dumbbell overhead presses, military than in the frontal plane. This may be on the ground or hands positioned
press, handstand push-ups) are in part because of the misdirected belief above the knees or feet) requires less

Figure 2. Body weight bend-and-pull technique. The numbers represent the start to finish position. Start and finish with the hands
overhead (1), bend forward let the arms drop so that they hang under the shoulders, then pull the arms demonstrating a pull
pattern (2 and 3). Return the arms to the hang position (4) and then return to the starting position with the hands overhead (5).

Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 73

Screening Upper-Body Movement Competency
force and offers an effective alternative
for those individuals unable to support
70% of their body weight.
The body weight bend-and-pull is a
hybrid exercise that involves 2 move-
ment patterns, the bend pattern and
the pull pattern. Screening the bend
pattern will be addressed in a future
publication and will not be addressed
in great detail in this article. The
authors believe that the body weight
bend-and-pull effectively challenges
pull pattern mechanics. Although the
load experienced during the body
weight bend-and-pull is significantly
less than that of the push-up, there is
benefit in screening the pull pattern
with minimal load. The push-up will
highlight issues an athlete has with
scapula muscle strength and control
under load. However, the authors have
observed that sometimes movement
patterns under load present a false posi-
tive and do not challenge the athletes
awareness of how to move properly.
Therefore, the body weight bend-and-
pull is effective at highlighting the
athletes awareness of how the scapula
should be controlled in a pull pattern.
The authors recognize that the pull
pattern could be screened without
involving the bend pattern; however,
combining the 2 patterns for the pur-
pose of screening complex movement
appears to have practical value. There
are a number of pull pattern exercises
that involve a bend pattern (e.g., bent-
over row variations), and there are
a number of sport-specific movements
that require the bend-and-pull patterns
to be performed together. In addition,
an athlete may demonstrate good pull
mechanics and good bend mechanics
in isolation, but when these 2 patterns
are combined into a complex move-
ment, the athlete may be challenged.
This is critical to expose before loading
and further confirms the authors view
that using the body weight bend-and-
pull to screen an athletes upper-body
pull pattern is of great value.
SCREENING CRITERIA
The screening criteria presented in
Tables 1 and 2 has been validated
74 VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2010
through the review of relevant litera-
ture (1,59,11,18,19,21,24,25,33). Bio-
mechanical evidence is provided to
highlight the effects the head position,
shoulder girdle mechanics, core stabil-
ity, and lower limb position have on the
performance of the proposed exercises.
Researchers have yet to investigate the
effects of various head positions on the
kinetics and kinematics of the push-up
or body weight bend-and-pull. How-
ever, research has been conducted on
the effects of head position on trunk
mechanics during movement (13). The
authors believe that the head should be
held in a neutral position and kept
motionless throughout either exercise
(2,4,21). The head should not appear to
be projected down (i.e., flexing the
cervical spine) or held up (i.e., extend-
ing the cervical spine). Although
empirical evidence is lacking, the
position of the head will influence
shoulder girdle mechanics and expose
the cervical spine to unnecessary
stress due to the fact that many of
the shoulder girdle muscles attach to
the skull and cervical vertebra. If an
athlete is unable to maintain a centered
stable head position, then assessment
of the neck and shoulder musculature
Table 1
Screening criteria for the push-up
Anatomical Screening criteria
region
Head Centered and held stable
Shoulders Held back and down away Top
from the ears
Elbows Tucked to the side
Thoracic spine Neutralwith fluid and
controlled scapulae
movement
Lumbar spine Neutral
Hips Aligned with the ankles,
knees, and shoulders
Knees Aligned with the ankles
and hips
Feet/ankles Aligned with the knees
by a sports medicine professional may
be warranted and exercises to stretch
and/or strengthen the muscles that
support the head and connect to the
shoulder girdle may be advantageous.
The shoulder girdle plays an important
role in both facilitating upper-body
movement and helping to identify
movement strategies that may be ineffi-
cient. The screening criteria for the
push and pull patterns are not com-
plex; nonetheless, a fundamental un-
derstanding of the structure and
function of shoulder girdle is impor-
tant to appreciate the consequences
that faulty movement may have on
an athletes long-term health and
performance.
The shoulder girdle is a complex
structure consisting of the sternocla-
vicular, acromioclavicular, and gleno-
humeral joints and the scapulothoracic
interface (Figure 3). The scapulothora-
cic interface and glenohumeral joint
have been identified to be of great
importance when qualitatively screen-
ing upper-body movement (19,20,25).
The scapulothoracic interface consists
of the scapulae, the thorax, and those
muscles that provide stability and
movement. The scapula is a flat blade
Viewing Commonly observed
position problems
Front Projected down
Shrugged toward the
ears
Side Flared out
Top Scapulae winged
Side Extended
Side Dropped during descent
Side Bent
Side/back Flared out or in
 Table 2
Screening criteria for the body weight bend-and-pull

Anatomical region Screening criteria Viewing position Commonly observed problems

Head Centered and held stable Front Projected down
Shoulders Held back and down away from Front Shrugged toward the ears
the ears
Elbows Tucked to the side Side Flared out
Thoracic spine Neutralwith fluid and controlled Side/top Little to no scapulae movement
scapulae movement
Lumbar spine Neutral Side Flexedbend occurs in the lumbar
spine instead of the hips
Hips Aligned with the ankles, knees, and Front/back Rotating medially or laterally
shoulders
Knees Aligned with the ankles and hips Front/side Hyperextended
and slightly bent
Feet/ankles Aligned with the knees Side/back Rolled out or in

lying along the thoracic wall. The
functional design allows for smooth
gliding along the thoracic wall and
provides a large surface area for
muscular attachment (19,33). There
are many muscles that are involved in
shoulder girdle function. For example,
the muscles that receive the most
attention are the trapezius, serratus
anterior, and levator scapulae (7
Figure 3. Diagram of the shoulder girdle.
10,17,19,20,25). However, the extrinsic
muscles that attach along the lateral
aspect of the scapula, the deltoid,
biceps brachii, and triceps brachii that
provide gross motor activities for the
glenohumeral joint should not be
ignored (19). The intrinsic muscles of
the rotator cuff (Figure 4) attach along
the entire surface of the scapula, which
contribute to shoulder movement and
stability by providing compression of
the humeral head into the glenoid
socket (19).
The numbers of muscles that contrib-
ute to shoulder girdle function high-
light the complexity of the shoulder
girdle. It should be no surprise that
a considerable amount of research has
been devoted to understanding the
position of the scapula, the scapula
muscles that influence scapula position,
and their influence on shoulder girdle
mechanics. Movement dysfunction of
the scapula has been termed scapulo-
thoracic dysfunction. Scapulothoracic
dysfunction has been detailed to be the
alterations in the resting position of the
scapula affecting shoulder girdle me-
chanics and is considered a major
contributing factor to shoulder pain
and impingement syndromes (9,33). It
has been well documented that a re-
lationship exists between static posture
and dynamic movement (3,18,22,33).
An athletes standing posture may be
used to identify the resting position of
the scapula (18,22,33). Weak or poorly
activated scapula muscles may influ-
ence the resting position of the scapula
(9,33). If the scapula is not in the correct
starting position, glenohumeral joint
integrity may be compromised (33).
For optimal glenohumeral joint motion

Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 75

Screening Upper-Body Movement Competency

to occur, the head of the humerus must

remain compressed and centered in
relationship with the glenoid (33). In
order for this to occur, the muscles of
the scapula must be conditioned to
support good alignment and precise
timing between the scapula and hu-
merus (19). This is referred to as the
scapulohumeral rhythm and is defined
as the relationship between the scap-
ulae and humerus during movement.
The coactivation ratio of the trapezius
and serratus anterior is thought to have
significant influence on scapulohum-
eral rhythm and is key when de-
termining shoulder dysfunction versus
function (69,19,33). Many suboptimal
shoulder postures are reported to be
a result of an over development of the
upper area of the trapezius as com- Figure 4. The muscles of the rotator cuff.
pared with the middle and lower areas
of the trapezius and serratus anterior
muscle during shoulder function
(17,33). How the trapezius and serratus
anterior muscles work together (i.e.,
force couple action) can be observed
during a push-up and body weight
bend-and-pull. When the shoulders are
observed to elevate toward the ears
during either of these movements,
there is considered to be greater upper
trapezius muscle activity (19,25,31,33).
For example, an athlete with pro-
nounced kyphotic posture (Figure 5)
may present with the upper area of the
trapezius to be considerably stronger
than the middle and lower area of the
trapezius, serratus anterior, and levator
scapula muscles (3,18,22,33). Kyphotic
posture is often observed in athletes
participating in sports such as baseball,
swimming, water polo, tennis, gymnas-
tics, wrestling, and volleyball where the
use of the upper body is essential (22).
The athlete in Figure 6 is upper
trapezius dominant and is unable to
achieve the correct starting position
and therefore maintain proper align-
ment and function of the scapula when
performing upper-body push and pull
pattern exercises. This athletes scapu-
lae are forced to elevate toward the
ears to provide the protraction and
retraction necessary to facilitate the Figure 5. Athlete posture. Vertical line should intersect the shoulder, hip, and knee
movement patterns. This movement joint positioned just anterior to the ankle joint. Kyphotic posture
strategy has been reported to sacrifice highlighted with curved line.

76 VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2010


Figure 6. Line highlights shoulders elevating toward the ears during push (a) and pull
(b) pattern exercises. Commonly observed in athletes with trapezius
muscles that dominate the movement patterns.
the alignment of the humerus within
the glenoid, possibly affecting the
compression of the humerus in the
glenoid, resulting in shoulder complex
muscle weakness and limited gleno-
humeral joint range of motion. These
factors have been reported to contrib-
ute to shoulder impingement patholo-
gies and negatively affect upper-body
movement competency over time
(17,18,33). Therefore, an important
screening criterion of shoulder func-
tion during push and pull pattern
exercises is the ability of the athlete
to keep the shoulders down and away
from the ears.
However, the scapulae should not
appear to be stuck in the attempt
to keep the shoulders down away from
the ears during movement. The scap-
ula should appear to be protracting and
retracting during all push and pull
pattern exercises. Protraction and re-
traction of the scapulae are important
movements for sport performance. The
movement ability influences the prox-
imal to distal sequencing of velocity,
energy, and forces that contribute to
common sport-specific actions. For
example, in an overhead throwing
movement, over half of the total kinetic
energy and forces that are generated
come from the lower body and are
transmitted up through the trunk and
delivered to the shoulder, arm, and
hand to complete the kinetic chain (19).
Proper scapulae retraction and pro-
traction provide the most advanta-
geous anterior trunk muscle tension.
This provides efficient force transfer
from eccentric to concentric motion of
the anterior muscles of the trunk and
concentric to eccentric motion of the
posterior muscle of the trunk for effi-
cient performance of overhead throw-
ing, tennis serving, the recovery phase
of the swimming stroke, and many
upper-body strength exercises (19).
Therefore, aligned and fluid scapulae
motion involving protraction and re-
traction with the shoulders held down
and away from the ears during upper-
body push and pull pattern exercises
would epitomize the ideal push and
pull movement strategy in either the
frontal or sagittal plane (6,33).
The muscles of the trunk generate
force and stiffen to stabilize the lumbar
spine during lower- and upper-body
movements (15,26,28). Push-ups have
been used as core training exercises,
given how they challenge lumbar spine
Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org
stability (15). Freeman et al. investi-
gated the forces incurred by the lumbar
spine during different kinds of push-
ups and found that abdominal activity
and lumbar spine loads increased with
push-up intensity (i.e., standard push-
up versus clap push-up) (15). The body
weight bend-and-pull requires the
athlete to bend forward to self-selected
depth and demonstrate good pull
mechanics. Lumbar spine movement
during the body weight bend-and-pull
has not been empirically studied. How-
ever, research has investigated the
effects of flexion and extension to the
lumbar spine under load (26,2830).
The consensus of spine researchers is
that the lumbar spine should not be
flexed or extended under load because
of the negative effects that shear and
compressive forces have on lumbar
vertebral integrity (26,27). Figure 7 fea-
tures an athlete performing a push-up
with lumbar extension, and Figure 8
features an athlete performing a body
weight bend-and-pull with lumbar
flexion. A stable lumbar spine has been
reported to be able to resist excessive
flexion, extension, and rotation (26,30).
When performing a push-up or body
weight bend-and-pull, the lumbar
spine should remain neutral and not
be allowed to extend, flex, or rotate.
The bend pattern should be initiated
with the hips not the lower back. The
hips should move back as the trunk
moves toward the floor. To assist the
bend pattern, the knees should be
slightly bent to avoid knee hyper-
extension and accommodate tight ham-
strings. A lumbar spine that experiences
extension, flexion, or rotation during
either the push-up or body weight
bend-and-pull may indicate lumbar in-
stability or an athletes lack of awareness
that this area should remain stable
during movement (15,24,26,30). Core
training that challenges the athletes
ability to resist flexion, extension, and
rotation may be warranted to improve
their core competency.
LOWER BODY
Researchers have not yet investigated
the effects of various leg positions on
the kinetics and kinematics of the
77
Screening Upper-Body Movement Competency

push-up or the body weight bend-and-

pull. However, the correct position of
the lower body during a push-up
consists of having the legs held in line
with the hips and remaining motion-
less (2,4,21). During the body weight
bend-and-pull, the legs should be
aligned with the hips and the knees
should be slightly bent to avoid
excessive compressive forces for those
Figure 7. Push-up demonstrated with excessive lumbar extension highlighted with athletes who can hyperextend their
curved line. knees. If an athlete is unable to control
the position of the legs during a push-
up or body weight bend-and-pull,
further assessment may be required
by a sports medicine professional.

DISCUSSION
When screening an athletes upper-
body push and pull patterns using the
push-up and body weight bend-and-
pull, the athlete should be instructed to
perform each exercise in a natural and
comfortable manner to a depth they
can control. The screener should give
primary attention to the shoulders,
lower back, hips, and knees and sec-
ondary attention to the head, ankles,
feet, depth, and balance. On screening,
Figure 8. Body weight bend-and-pull demonstrated with lumbar flexion highlighted the athlete refers to Tables 3 and 4 to
with curve line. help determine the appropriate load

Table 3
Push pattern movement competency progression paradigm
Load level 1 Load level 2 Load level 3 Load level 4 Load level 5

Coaching points Assisted Body weight External load Eccentric Plyometric

Head centered and Incline push-up Floor push-ups Common upper-body Drop and stick Explosive
held stable push pattern exercises. push-up push-ups
Band-assisted Example: bench press,
Shoulder held down push-up Single arm dumbbell press, and Clap push-ups
and away from incline handstand push-ups
the ears push-ups
Elbows tucked to Weighted push-up Explosive staggered
the side of the push-ups
body during the
descent
Obvious scapula Band one-arm
movement explosive
push-ups
Lumbar spine neutral
and held stable
Progression to the next level should only occur if the athlete can demonstrate the pattern with all coaching points maintained through
a complete range of motion.

78 VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2010

 Table 4
Pull pattern movement competency progression paradigm

Coaching points Load level 1 Load level 2 Load level 3 Load level 4 Load level 5

Assisted Body weight External load Eccentric Plyometric

Head centered and held stable
Shoulders held down and away
from the ears
Horizontal or Supine Horizontal or Supine Horizontal or Supine Horizontal or Supine Horizontal or Supine
Pull-Up Pull-Up Pull-Up Pull-Up Pull-Up
Feet on the ground Adding weight to the
chest
Assisted: using strength Feet on a box Supine quick hand Quick hands
bands or performing the pull-up and stick
supine pull-up from an One foot on the ground Vertical Pull-Up
incline will reduce the one foot raised and
required pulling force held straight

Elbows tucked to the side of
the body during pull
Obvious scapula movement
Lumbar spine neutral and held
stable during the bend
Bending occurs at the hips
Progression to the next level should only occur if the athlete can demonstrate the pattern with all coaching points maintained through a complete range of motion.
Vertical Pull Up Single-arm pull-ups
Assisted: using strength
bands or performing
the supine pull-up
from an incline will
reduce the required
pulling force
Common horizontal pull Vertical Pull-Up Quick hands
exercises: dumbbell
rows, machine T-bar
Both legs on the ground row, seated row, and
so on
One foot on the ground Vertical Pull-Up
one foot raised and
held straight
Vertical Pull-Up Weight added to the Quick hand pull-up Jump squat pull-up
waist or between the and stick
legs in the form of a
medicine ball,
dumbbell, and the like
Chest touches the bar Common vertical pull
exercises: Seated
pull-downs of varying
hand position and grips

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79
Screening Upper-Body Movement Competency

Table 5
Description of exercises prescribed in both the push and pull pattern progression tables

Exercise Description
Incline push-up Set an Olympic bar in a squat rack at waist height, higher if the load needs to be reduced further.
Perform push-ups as normal but with hands on the Olympic bar. Move the bar lower as
competency improves.
Band-assisted Hang a strength band overhead on something stable and secure fit just below your chest around
push-up sternum level. Perform a push-up with good form; the band will reduce the load of the push. Use
an appropriately thick band to enable the athlete to push with good form without struggle.
Floor push-ups A push-up performed on the floor requires the athlete to push up 70% of their body weight.
Single arm push-ups Start in push-up position. Spread the feet wider than hip width to increase stability. Place the
nonpushing arm on the stomach. Lower the body to the floor on one arm, keeping the elbow
tucked to the side and resisting trunk rotation. These can be performed on an incline to provide
progressive loading using the same setup detailed for the incline push-ups.
Weighted push-up Place the feet on an 8-inch step to make the trunk parallel to the floor. Add weight to the shoulder
blades for additional loading. A good indicator of upper-body horizontal push pattern strength is
if the athlete can perform 10 repetitions with 30% of their body weight on their back.
Drop and stick Start in push-up position and drop to the floor by quickly lifting your hands so that your thumbs touch
push-up your chest. Catch the body just before it hits the ground and stick the landing position maintaining
all coaching points. Watch the athletes shoulders do not elevate toward their ears on impact.
Explosive staggered Start in push-up position with one hand level with the head and another hand directly under a
push-ups shoulder. Forcefully push into the ground to elevate the body to allow the hands to change
position. Alternate hand positions with each repetition.
Band one-arm Secure a strength band overhead on something stable. Set up in one-arm push-up position. Push
explosive forcefully into the ground to elevate the body off the ground. Alternate hands with each repetition.
push-up
Horizontal or supine For all supine pull-up variations, the bar should be set at waist height to accommodate full arm
pull-ups extension. The athlete should start with the shoulder directly under the arms. Technical variations
are as follows.
Legs on the ground: Feet positioned shoulder width with the torso held stable and flat throughout
the pulling pattern.
Legs on a box: Legs positioned hip width on the box resting on the heels with the toes pulled
back toward the knees. The body should be held stable and flat throughout the pulling pattern.
One leg: Raise one leg up and hold straight with one leg on the ground. Trunk should be flat
throughout the pulling pattern.
One arm: Remove one arm from the bar but keep the hand that is holding the bar in line with the
shoulder. Pull up keeping the elbow tucked to the side.
To reduce the pulling force, use a strength band. Simply loop strength bands over the bar and
position the body inside the bands.
Vertical pull-ups To assist a vertical pull-up, use a strength band looped around a pull-up bar. Place either one or both
feet or knees to reduce the pulling force.
Supine quick hands To perform a quick hand pull-up, simply pull-up and slide the hands together so that they touch and
back to shoulder width as fast as possible before full arm extension occurs. This technique can be
used for vertical or horizontal pull-up variations.
Supine quick hands Perform a quick hand variation as described above. Only catch and hold the position once the hands
and stick slide out. Lower the body down to the start position and repeat.
Jump squat pull-up Standing under a high bar, jump up, grab the bar, and pull-up. Drop back down to the ground and
repeat.

80 VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2010

level for the push or pull pattern. Tables 3
and 4 detail each patterns progressive
loading paradigm and provide exer-
cises that will challenge the pattern
in a progressive manner. The pattern
progressions follow a compendium of
assisted, body weight, external load,
eccentric, and plyometric trainings.
The objective of the load progression
is to challenge the pattern with a load
that facilitates a good pattern. In other
words, use the load level that allows
the athlete to perform the fundamental
pattern with all coaching points main-
tained for the sets and repetitions
prescribed. Level 1 assists the pattern
by attenuating the force required to
complete the pattern through a full
range of motion. Level 2 challenges the
pattern with a body weight load. Level
3 introduces modalities to the body
weight that provide further external
resistance such as free weights. Level 4
challenges the athletes eccentric
strength. This is a critical level for the
athlete to demonstrate that they can
maintain the coaching points detailed
in Tables 3 and 4 under high velocity
with moderate to high force. If the
athlete cannot demonstrate a good
movement pattern under high velocity
and moderate to high eccentric force,
then plyometric training may be too
advanced. Level 5 loads the pattern
with plyometric or ballistic training.
Table 5 provides descriptions of the
exercises detailed in Tables 3 and 4.
Regular screening is recommended
(e.g., before and after a training block)
to confirm the effectiveness of the
loading progressions and to ensure
that improvements in power produc-
tion are not achieved to the detriment
of movement competency.
CONCLUSION
When performing the push-up and
body weight bend-and-pull, the athlete
should demonstrate a centered and
stable head position. They should
demonstrate fluid scapulohumeral
rhythm, which means the scapula will
be in good alignment and protract and
retract with precision. They should
also be able to perform upper-body
push and pull pattern exercises with
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