One of the star exercises in all dorsal routines is the dorsal dominated. A priori is a simple exercise, and it is, but always that we control perfectly the movement in each case. For this reason on this occasion we want to stop in this precisely, since we are going to keep in mind how to perform the dominated perfectly so that we make the most of each training and control what we are doing in each moment.

When performed, we put three muscle groups to work, first the back part, the shoulders and the pectorals. To a lesser extent we work the biceps, but in spite of everything, we must take into account the importance of knowing how to perform each movement in the most appropriate way, because as a general rule, if we do not do it as we should, we can overload certain areas to the detriment of others and even hurt us unintentionally.

Despite appearing to be a simple exercise and to be present in all back routines, chin- ups are difficult to perform well if you do not have a minimum of strength and absolute control of the technique . For this reason it is not at all a recommended exercise for beginners. When we begin to train the dorsal area it is important that we do it well, and it is always better to start with pulls or with the assisted chinning machine, than directly with the chin-ups. A trick to know if we can do dominated or we are not ready yet is to know if we can do 5 or 6 without difficulty. If this is not the case, it is better that we leave it and that little by little when we gain strength we do it.

Correct placement of hands

Once we have this in mind, the time has come to place ourselves properly to perform the pull-ups. We will place the hands in the grip or pull-up bar. The grip is simple and normal, since the hands will simply be the point of union with the bar. The way to place them will be about 7-10cm away from the shoulders, not exactly at the height of these. The placement of the thumb may vary depending on what is most comfortable for us. We can put it inside or outside without problems that the result will be the same.

Position of the back during exercise

The back is important that we place it slightly arched backwards. It is important that we keep it that way in this position throughout the exercise. We should not arch it excessively, nor make it rigid … It is important that we do not oscillate or wobble during the whole journey, just as there is no need to divert tension to the column. All the push of the exercise should be concentrated in the dorsal part. If we are not able to do it, we can risk hurting our backs.

Placement of the arms

The position of the arms is important, since the performance of the activity will depend on it. The ideal is to raise ourselves keep the elbows out as much as we can, so that it is the thorax that we raise to play with the bar. Both arms must remain fixed in this position and it is necessary that we do not separate them, let alone tilt the shoulders forward or upwards, because these simple gestures are a symptom that we are displacing the tension to the shoulder part, being able to hurt us in this zone.

The legs in the chin-ups

The placement of the legs is very important at the time of doing dominated correctly. We should not move them throughout the exercise. They have to be fixed and the best way is to place them back slightly bent at the knee. The feet, likewise, will be balancing and must be immobile during each dominate. The legs can also be placed stretched down. What we should not do under any circumstances is to propel ourselves with them forward or move them as if it were a pendulum. If we do this, we still do not have enough strength and we need the impulse to do the pull-ups.

Other alternatives to gain dorsal strength

It is important to know that if we are not prepared or we can not do well the dominated, we have other alternatives to acquire strength. On the one hand we can make dorsal milestones in machine with bar or dominated with assisted machine. Both options will affect the dorsal part in a very good way and will help us to acquire strength little by little in order to be able to execute the pull-ups without problem. We should never launch ourselves to do them badly if we do not have strength, because we will acquire vices that it will be difficult for us to eliminate over time and that in the long run they can take a toll on us.