The pull-over is a high-skill gymnastics element that is uncommonly utilized in traditional CrossFit workouts, but is a skill element that can be practiced to develop body control, strength, and coordination. Although not deemed to be a “functional movement,” CrossFit’s approach to fitness encourages the development of high-skill elements to develop neurological aspects of fitness. This movement is most likely reserved for intermediate to advanced athletes. However, variations of this movement can be performed with a very low bar, starting with feet on the floor to assist athletes through the transition phase of the movement.
This page will clarify what the pull-over is, how it is properly executed, and how movement modifications are adaptable for any ability level.
- What Is the Pull-Over?
- Benefits of the Pull-Over
- Muscle Groups Worked
- How To Prepare for the Pull-Over
- Equipment Needed
- How To Warm Up for the Pull-Over
- How To Do the Pull-Over: Step-By-Step Progression
- Common Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
- Pull-Over Modifications
- Pull-Over Variations
- Common Pull-Over Workouts
What Is the Pull-Over?
A pull-over starts by hanging from a pull-up bar with arms fully extended and with a hand width that is slightly outside of the shoulders. The movement starts by performing a strict pull-up until the head reaches approximately the bar height. At this point, the athlete starts to bring their feet to the bar while maintaining relatively straight legs. When the legs are approximately parallel to the floor, start pushing the hips toward the bar and lean the torso back. Continue this motion and rotate the feet behind the bar. Finish the movement by extending the arms as the torso rotates over the top of the bar.
Beyond the typical strength development attribute common to strict gymnastics movements, this movement trains full-body coordination and body awareness to achieve this difficult task. Portions of this movement can be trained with the feet on the floor to work the mechanics of the movement prior to attempting the pull-over on the pull-up bar.
Pull-Over Benefits
The pull-over involves adequate practice time to coordinate the entire body to work in unison to achieve the task at hand. The movement is very challenging. However, those with adequate strength will be able to perform the movement fluidly when mechanics are sound.
Coordination
The pull-over involves a coordinated effort of the upper and lower body to be able to perform the movement effectively. Correct timing of the arm bend, leg-raise, and hips-to-bar elements will be a necessity to perform the movement well.
Balance
The rotational element over the bar will demand adequate balance and stability to control the movement and press to the lockout position.
Upper-Body Strength
The pull-over demands adequate strength of the upper body to be able to perform the initial pull and to maintain the static arm bend position throughout various phases of the movement.
Muscle Groups Worked
A pull-over engages multiple muscle groups throughout the body, including the upper body, core, and hip flexors.
Although many muscles are utilized in performing a pull-over, the nature of the movement is one that is utilized primarily to develop neurological attributes of fitness like coordination, accuracy, and balance. This movement is not typically utilized in a manner to develop absolute strength, hypertrophy, or stamina.
Upper Body
A number of upper-body muscle-ups are utilized in the pull-over:
- Latissimus Dorsi (lats): Primary movers during the pulling phase, helping to lift the body toward the bar.
- Upper-back musculature (rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, etc.): Assist with retraction, stabilization, and rotation of the shoulders throughout various phases of the movement.
- Elbows flexors: (biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis): Engaged in the elbow flexion portion of the pull-up and to maintain the static bent arm position during various phases of the movement.
- Pectoralis Major and Minor: Primarily utilized when pressing to the support position.
- Triceps: Utilized when pressing the support position and stabilizing the athlete when at the top of this position.
Core and Hip Flexors
The abdominals are involved with stabilizing the trunk during the initial pulling phase of the movement. The abdominals and hip flexors are involved in the leg raise portion of the movement, as well as pulling the feet behind the bar when rotating above it.
How To Prepare for the Pull-Over
Adequately warming up the upper body and hip flexors through dynamic range of motion drills and muscle activation exercises before moving into a progressively challenging specific warm-up is valuable to increase performance and reduce safety concerns. A general warm-up for the pull-over may include movements such as ring rows, hanging scapular retractions, pull-ups, banded pull-aparts, push-ups, support holds, skin the cats, leg raises, and pike compressions.
Equipment Needed
A fixed and stable pull-up is all that is needed to perform the prescribed variation of the bar pull-over. A box placed to the side of the athlete can be utilized to reach the bar. Drills can be performed using an adjustable pull-up bar that allows for the feet to start on the floor to learn and scale the movement.
How To Warm Up for the Pull-Over
A general warm-up for the pull-over may include:
- Monostructural exercises, such as an air bike, rower, or ski erg to elevate heart rate and core temperature while providing some movement to the upper body.
- Dynamic range of motion exercises for the upper body, like PVC pass-throughs, arm swings, hanging scapular pull-ups, or easy kip swings.
- Banded movements like banded pull-aparts, banded face pulls, banded straight-arm press-downs, and banded presses.
- Core movements like straight-leg sit-ups, V-ups, hollow holds, and arch holds.
A simple strategy can be to combine a monostructural exercise with two to three of the above-mentioned movements and complete 2-3 rounds at a moderate pace. For example:
2 rounds:
1:30 row
10 PVC pipe pass-throughs
15 V-ups
20 banded straight-arm press-downs
*This warm-up will vary based on the other movements involved in the workout and the duration.
How To Do the Pull-Over
There are a variety of ways in which to develop the skill of the pull-over. The following skill progression is targeted toward intermediate and advanced athletes who have a bare-minimum pre-requisite capacity of strict pull-ups and bar dips. Many steps of this progression can be scaled by using an adjustable pull-up bar that allows athletes to use their feet to assist them through various phases of the movement. Various phases of this progression can also be performed with the tuck position instead of a straight leg position.
Partial Pull-Up With Pause
Start hanging from the bar with the shoulders pulling away from the ears slightly and elbows locked out. While maintaining a straight body position, pull the body upward to a position where the nose is approximately bar height. While in this bent-arm position, hold for 2-3 seconds. Then lower to the start position under control. Complete 1-2 sets of 2-3 reps.
Partial Pull-Up + Leg Raise
Start by performing the partial pull-up as mentioned above. When the nose reaches approximately bar height, perform a leg raise while maintaining straight legs. The height of the legs should be above parallel to the floor, and pause briefly. The arms should remain bent, and the torso may lean back very slightly. Return to the hang position under control. Perform 1-2 sets of 2-3 reps. You may drop from the bar briefly between reps of a set.
Partial Pull-Up + Hips-to-Bar + Inversion
Start this step like the previous step. After reaching above parallel to the floor with the leg raise, continue to move the feet up and behind the bar as the hips push upward into the bar. Continue into an inversion with bent arms, hips tight to the bar, and feet slightly over the bar.
Full Movement
Continue in the manner as mentioned above in one fluid motion. When moving into the inverted elements, continue to allow the body to rotate over the bar. It can be helpful to keep your eyes focused on your feet as they rotate over the bar. The arms remain bent throughout this step. Finish the movement by pressing into the support position above the bar.
Common Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
Deviations from optimal mechanics are often due to improper positioning of the hips and poor connection between the upper and lower body.
Lack of Hip-to-Bar Contact
A key element of effectively rotating the body over the bar is to bring the hips towards the bar. Focus on pulling to a bent arm position, then raising the legs. After the legs raise, focus on pushing the hips toward the bar while maintaining bent arms. Pause in this inverted position to feel the hip-to-bar contact.
Not Maintaining the Bent-Arm Position
It is common to try to initiate the movement while maintaining straight arms or to let the arms move into a straight position throughout phases of the movement. Maintaining bent arms will aid in performing the movement effectively. Athletes can focus on performing bottom-half partial pull-ups with pauses to feel this position and to develop strength in this position.
Pull-Over modifications
The most common modifications for the pull-over involve using a low bar, where the athlete can use their legs to assist with the movement.
Low-Bar Pull-Over With Feet on Floor
Position an adjustable pull-up bar to a position where the athlete has their chin at approximately bar height with bent arms. Use the legs to jump through the movement.
Pull-Over Variations
Variations of the bar pull-over may involve altering the position of the lower body or performing a full pull-up prior to initiating the rotation.
Tuck-Leg Pull-Over
Perform the pull-over as described; however, keep the knees bent throughout the leg raise (knee raise) and hips to bar portions of the movement. This variation may be easier to perform than the traditional variation, where the athlete maintains straight legs.
Chin-Up Pull-Over
In this variation, the athlete performs a full strict pull-up and pauses slightly prior to initiating the leg raise and rotation portion of the movement. Those with adequate pulling strength may find this variation to be easier to perform the rotation over the bar when compared to the traditional pull-over.
Common Pull-Over Workouts
The pull-over is rarely found in workouts and is traditionally performed as skill work during the cool-down or as a designated skill-development session.
2023 CrossFit Games Event 3: Inverted Medley
30-foot unbroken handstand walk over the ramp
8 free-standing handstand push-ups
Unbroken obstacle steps to 180-degree pirouette
16 pull-overs
Unbroken obstacle steps to 360-degree pirouette
8 free-standing handstand push-ups
30-foot unbroken handstand walk over the ramp