First Time Pulling..

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hit the gym around 3:30 today with plans to pull for the first time. I warmed up with some mobilty work my hips and upper back (thanks MM), did some activation work for my core and glutes and some lightweight weight dumbell swings to get in the groove and my heart rate up a bit.

I started with a 25 on each side, hit three reps and then feeling the bar sat too low and i could probably pull more i bumped it up to 45s.
Let me tell you, i have NEVER felt my ENTIRE body shake like it did at the top of that lift. It was awesome. awesome just feaking awesome. I now understand what people talk about when they say how taxing this lift can be. By the end my numbers looked like:
95/3
135/3
135/5
135/4
135/4
135/3

A Couple of random thoughts:
-Think my feet were too close causing me to bow my legs a bit with some minor pain on the inside of my knee afterwards. IOt also seemed like this prevented from keeping my hips up hurting my power off the floor. Will go wider next time for sure.
-found it MUCH easier to brace my core before going for the bar than when bracing with hands on it.
-My erectors have NEVER felt so pumped as they did after that second set. Whether this means i was using too much lower back when pulling or my back is just weak (probably a bit of both) it got WORKED
-So did my traps, arms, abs, hams, calves and butt. Like i said before, th tension your body holds at the top of the lift is just crazy. I am hooked.
-Tended to tilt my head back when lifting. Probably should tuck in the chin and look up with my eyes instead.
-My major sticking point seems to be right before my knees are fully extended and, i think, it stems for lower back weakness.
-I have seriously hard time tilting my hips anteriorly. I know i have issues with my SI joint which may be part of it.
-Ultmately, i think i may start pulling sumo style.I think it will work with my body type and ROM a bit more. If i do that i will probably add some back extensions to finish it off for a while.
-My shins are scratched to hell. After splitting them open countless times on my mountain bike it was almost enjoyable.

Bottom line,this is without a doubt the exercise i need to be doing. Period. It shows all my weakness, is fun as hell and i can absolutley see the DL makes someone a strong, powerful person with mass to match.
Next time i hit the gym i maaaaaaaybe will go back to two 25s on platforms to see if my form improves and work up from there. If i go wider in my stance though i think i may be ok and sumo should be cake and, maybe, the style i may stick with until gains stop.
According to the DL standards chart from a previous poster on my last thread i am the un-trained level for someone my body weight; and i cannot wait to go again.
Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

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Keep your feet no wider than shoulder witdth apart, and your hands should be placed right outside of them by a couple inches, make sure ur comfortable…start with the bar at the tips of ur toes, and make sure u keep ur ass out and chest up…rip that shit off the floor, and dont slow up on the way, people tend to stop pulling as hard after that initial pull, dont do that!!

come to lockout and feel the burn…dont be afraid to throw the weight down, most people tend to get hurt wihle putting the weight down than pulling it up…also, dont be afraid to use wraps, or a switched grip with chalk…keep up the good work, your stats with the DL will skyrocket, good luck man! hope it helpded a bit

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[quote]IronWarrior34 wrote:
Keep your feet no wider than shoulder witdth apart, and your hands should be placed right outside of them by a couple inches, make sure ur comfortable…start with the bar at the tips of ur toes, and make sure u keep ur ass out and chest up…rip that shit off the floor, and dont slow up on the way, people tend to stop pulling as hard after that initial pull, dont do that!!

come to lockout and feel the burn…dont be afraid to throw the weight down, most people tend to get hurt wihle putting the weight down than pulling it up…also, dont be afraid to use wraps, or a switched grip with chalk…keep up the good work, your stats with the DL will skyrocket, good luck man! hope it helpded a bit[/quote]

All of the advice i have gotten from you guys has helped in one way or another. Thanks a bunch.

Just to follow up…I was really interested to see what was going to be sore the next day after the DL. That evening i definetly felt general fatigue in my entire posterior chain. Not so much in my glutes (which i was hoping for)but they felt worked, for sure.

The next day my neck and upper traps were SORE! For the neck, I think it was not so much the lift itself but me tilting my head back during the pull. My lower left back was a bit sore (which is kind of funny because my lower right side that almost always bothers me) and my right hamstring as well.

My abs were ok except for a spot on my lower right left side that is quite sore and i assume that if i was going to pop a hernia, this is where it would have come out :slight_smile:

Suprisingly i did feel that ridiculous localized DOMS like i get during, say, split squats or pull ups. More of a general fatigue all over which makes sense, i think, considering the nature of this lift.

I am back to the gym Monday to give them another go and cannot wait. I think i will be going for 4 sets of 6 with a weight that allows me to match or beat my volume for the first workout (i think it may work out to a bit less weight which is probably appropriate for me at this stage anyhow).