Horizontal block pull to the waist, chest, stomach, shoulders, back with a narrow, wide grip, sitting, standing. Execution techniques

The horizontal block pull is a common exercise in strength training regimens because it is an adaptable exercise that works several upper body muscles. Learning the proper form is essential to getting results and avoiding injuries, whether your goal is to strengthen your back, tone your shoulders, or correct your posture.

There are various grips and positions for this exercise, each targeting a different set of muscles. A wide grip works the shoulders and outer back more efficiently than a narrow grip, which targets the biceps and inner back. Additional variations that place more emphasis on different muscles include pulling to the waist, chest, or stomach.

Grip Type	Execution Technique
Narrow Grip	Pull the bar towards your waist while keeping your elbows close to your body, focusing on engaging your lats and upper back muscles.
Wide Grip	Pull the bar towards your chest with elbows flared out slightly, targeting the outer lats and rear shoulders.
Sitting	Keep your back straight, pull the bar to your stomach while keeping your feet grounded and your core engaged for stability.
Standing	Stand with knees slightly bent, pull the bar towards your lower chest while keeping your core tight and spine neutral.

Purpose of horizontal block pull

An athletic exercise called the horizontal block pull helps you accomplish the following:

• Increase in strength and endurance of the back muscles. Lower block pull in the simulator is a full-fledged basic exercise. During its execution, movement occurs in 2 paired joints (elbow and shoulder). Convenient location on the bench of the simulator relieves stress from the lower back and allows you to use large working weights.
• Rehabilitation and recovery. Sports activities using a horizontal block isolate the upper body. Unlike the bent-over barbell or dumbbell row, the load on the lumbar spine is significantly reduced. When exercising with a block trainer, it is possible to better control the weight of the load and concentrate on muscle contraction. This makes it possible to continue training even with minor sprains and injuries.
• Giving depth and relief to the back muscles. Due to the peculiarities of the hormonal background of the female body, building up large muscle volumes in girls without the use of special means is impossible. Therefore, forming the depth of the muscles of the back of the body is one of the few ways to create the appearance of a harmoniously developed and strong back.

The following large and small muscle groups are used during a horizontal block row exercise:

Name	What role do
Latin dorsi muscle	These paired muscles bear the main load. The latissimus dorsi muscles are responsible for abducting the arm beyond the plane of the body and bringing it to the sides.
Rhomboid muscles	Internal muscles of the back. Located in the upper third of the body. This paired muscle group resembles a rhombus in shape and is located under the trapezius muscles. The main task of this group is to bring the shoulder blades together.
Trapezoid muscles	Belong to the group of postural muscles. Responsible for maintaining the correct position of the spine and for the correct positioning of the shoulder joint. Trapeziums are located symmetrically along the spine.
Rear deltoids	Participate in abduction of the arm behind the line of the body and transverse adduction of the shoulder. Also bend the arm at the elbow joint.
Large teres dorsi muscles	Paired muscles located above the latissimus dorsi in the upper back. Responsible for moving the rib cage up and forward. Have a postural nature and help to form a correct and healthy posture.
Long back extensors	The muscles are located in the lower back and are located symmetrically along the spine.

To effectively train every muscle group mentioned above, girls should adhere to the following guidelines:

• To engage the muscles responsible for the correct position of the spine and posture, it is necessary to bring the shoulder blades together as much as possible and pull the elbows back. In this case, the trapezius and rhomboid muscles of the back receive sufficient stimuli for growth and strengthening.
• All athletic movements in the gym should be performed smoothly. This is especially true for exercises with block trainers and horizontal traction in particular.
• Monitor the position of the legs. The lower limbs should be securely fixed and slightly bent at the knee joint. Straight legs will lead to excessive tension in the muscles of the back of the thigh. In this case, performing the exercise will become uncomfortable. Excessively bent lower limbs will interfere with the movement of the handle of the trainer.
• Swinging the body. Girls should not resort to this technique. Thanks to the swinging, it becomes possible to operate with large working weights. This is not required to build a harmoniously developed back.
• Elbow position. The arms of the person exercising should move along the body. They should not be moved to the sides when pulling the horizontal block. This will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

The horizontal block pull requires strict adherence to the guidelines of the exercise method. Injuries may result from thoracic spine rounding or body swinging. The back muscles are unable to carry out their intended functions due to such violations. Other muscles, such as the biceps and extendors, receive the load.

Weight selection

When doing the lower block pull, choosing the wrong amount of weight can result in:

• Muscle injury or damage to the spine. This happens when using excessive loads. A girl or woman incorrectly calculates her strength and sets too much working weight on the sports equipment. A characteristic sign of such an error is a violation of the technique of performing an athletic movement. The body begins to swing, and the back rounds.
• To the lack of progress in training. A small weight of the weight is not able to load the muscles and create the prerequisites for growth. As a result, the girl does not get the desired result and is disappointed in the exercise.

Selecting the appropriate amount of weight is essential for the horizontal block pull to yield the greatest training effect.

The following guideline should help you determine the appropriate amount of load: bodybuilding and fitness exercises are not performed to the maximum extent of human physiological capacity. Maintaining proper technique is the fundamental idea behind training.

Only the final three to four repetitions of the approach should be heavy when doing the lower block pull.

As a result, the proper load is defined as one that permits the performance of a specific number of repetitions using proper form, with the last three repetitions in each approach producing a mild burning sensation in the muscles.

You can use the following methods to determine the appropriate weight:

• Set an arbitrary weight and perform 5-7 repetitions. If you can do this easily, then add 2.5 kg.
• Perform another 4-5 repetitions and add weight if necessary.
• Repeat this algorithm until 3-5 repetitions begin to be difficult.
• Rest for 2-4 minutes and try to perform 12-15 repetitions.

Grip options

One of the biggest muscle groups in the human body is the back. As a result, selecting a general exercise that would effectively work every muscle in the back of the body is challenging. Depending on the width of the grip and where the hands are placed on the simulator handle, even the horizontal block pull affects the working muscles differently.

Wide method

The vertical block’s long crossbar is used as a handle to obtain it. The hands on it may be in the pronation (turned palms down) or supination (turned palms up) positions in this instance. The exercise works the latissimus dorsi muscles in their outer regions when performed with a wide hand position on the machine bar.

The shoulders are further forward at the beginning of the trajectory, and the maximum contraction of the outer back muscles happens when you pull the block towards yourself. The latissimus dorsi upper regions are engaged in the task if the hands are turned with the palms down. The lower portion of these muscles is more heavily used when the hands are turned up, or supinated.

Narrow method

A short double V-shaped handle is used to create a narrow grip. The thumbs are pointing upward in this instance, and the hands are parallel to one another. Similar to this, undertaking a horizontal pull involves using the trapezius, rhomboid, and inner latissimus dorsi muscles.

It is crucial to focus on bringing the shoulder blades together when performing narrow hand exercises. It makes no sense to use a short crossbar otherwise. The full amplitude of the trapezius muscles’ contractions is the primary focus.

Pull in different directions

Pulling can be done in the following main directions:

• To the lower abdomen. With this option, the back muscles are included in the work. The main emphasis of the load shifts towards the bottom of the latissimus dorsi. Also, a significant part of the load falls on the rear bundle of the deltoid muscles. This occurs due to the greater amplitude of elbow movement. The arm goes further behind the line of the body. In this case, the rear delta contracts and stretches more intensively.
• To the chest. Pull involves the muscles of the entire back of the body. The main load is distributed between the large round muscles and the top of the latissimus dorsi. Depending on the selected grip width and type of handle, both the rhomboid and trapezius muscles can be included in the work. The rear deltas work to a lesser extent.
• To the head. This version of the exercise is performed sitting or standing in a crossover. All muscles of the upper back are involved in the work. The thrust of the horizontal block to the head allows the shoulder joint to perform external rotation. In this case, the inner rotational cuff of the shoulder is strengthened.

When you can’t do a traction

Exercise with the horizontal block thrust is comparatively safe. There is very little chance of injury even though the movement involves the simultaneous use of multiple paired joints and all of the muscles on the posterior upper surface of the body.

It is common practice to perform the lower block thrust with minor injuries to the targeted muscle group. This exercise can be used to train and recover complex movements for the start of sports classes after injuries because of its small loads and capacity to isolate specific back muscle bundles.

There are several situations, though, where using traction is contraindicated. These include injuries to the spine, shoulder subluxations and dislocations, and upper limb muscle ruptures.

For any girls and women who have not received a doctor’s clearance to exercise in a gym, the training is not recommended.

Technique for performing exercises with a horizontal block while sitting and standing for girls

The only ways that gym training for girls and men is different are in the weight and the quantity of approaches and repetitions.

Men’s and women’s muscles have the same attachment sites and functions. As such, the method for executing exercises with a horizontal block that follows applies to both the former and the latter.

Pull to the waist

With a short double V-shaped handle, the lower block is pulled to the waist. The grip used for the movement is narrow. It’s important to warm up properly before beginning any exercise. Joint gymnastics are used for this.

Following the warm-up, you ought to assume the following position:

• The back should be brought to the vertical and slightly pulled back.
• The lower limbs are bent at the knee joint. The feet rest on the rollers or platform of the simulator.
• The shoulders are slightly moved forward, the arms are extended.
• Look in front of you.

There is no jerking or roughness to the movement. It is not appropriate for girls to pull the block towards themselves by swinging their bodies. The posture of the spine ought to be static. The back muscles are contracted in order to pull the weight. It’s crucial to keep moving until the handle makes contact with the body.

Pull to the abdomen

Either a long bar with the hands held widely apart or a narrow handle can be used to pull the horizontal block to the abdomen. You should start in the exact same spot each time you do an exercise like pulling the lower block to your waist.

The abduction of the elbows from the body at an angle ranging from 15 to 30 degrees is the primary characteristic of the pull of the block to the abdomen. The outside region of the back now bears more of the weight. Extensive use of the pull to the belt activates the latissimus dorsi in its middle and lower regions.

Back pull

This kind of exercise is done with a cable handle or a crossover handle.

For the two earlier iterations of the lower block pull, the starting position is exactly the same.

The pull behind the back differs primarily in that it is executed alternately with each hand.

A woman or girl should first take the handle in one hand and pull to the stomach the prescribed number of times.

Subsequently, new hands are used. You can put the free hand on the belt. This will support maintaining a straight body.

The capacity to isolate the back muscles on either side independently and optimize movement amplitude are the benefits of executing the horizontal block pull in this manner.

When pulling the block to the stomach, you need to pull it farther, placing your hand behind your back, in order to increase the amplitude. The movement should not stop when the handle touches the body. In this instance, a small body rotation is permitted. To get rid of imbalances in paired muscle development, asymmetric training is required.

Pull to the head

The upper back, rear deltoid, and rotator cuff muscles are trained with pull-to-the-head exercises. especially the rhomboid and trapezius muscles. Using a crossover, the exercise can be done standing up or while seated in the simulator. Since it is easier to maintain balance in this situation, the latter option is preferred.

Use any flexible connection, like a chain, or a cable handle to execute a horizontal block pull to the head.

The following is the starting position:

• Set the block in the crossover at forehead level.
• Approach the simulator, grab the ends of the cable with both hands. In this case, the thumbs should look towards the person exercising.
• Take 1.5-2 steps back.
• Raise your hands to forehead level and begin the pull.

The motion "in your direction" doesn’t stop until a woman working out in a gym reaches her hands to her ears.

Triceps Cable Pull

A bench with an adjustable back and a cable crossover machine are required for the triceps cable pull:

• It is necessary to set the bench in the plane of the machine so that the adjustable part is directed towards the working block and the handle.
• Raise the back of the bench by 40-45 degrees (angle between the floor and the back).
• Install a short straight handle on the cable of the cable.
• Grab the handle of the machine and lie down on the bench.
• Raise your arms vertically upward.

You should start lowering the machine’s handle behind your head from this position. Your elbows should stay still while your arms bend in this situation. This exercise is a barbell analogue of the traditional French press. Therefore, the cable pull of the lower block on the triceps in the cable crossover is also subject to all recommendations pertaining to this athletic movement.

Pull to the chest

A long horizontal bar is used to execute the horizontal block pull to the chest. When executing the movement to the waist and lower abdomen, the starting position is the same as the position.

The muscles involved are the main distinction. The primary load in this exercise is directed towards the upper part of the latissimus dorsi.

How to add traction to a training program

Both women and girls can use the horizontal block pull as their primary back exercise. The lower block pull is also employed when performing intense basic exercises with free weights and the back muscles become even more exhausted. In this scenario, you should perform each approach with a greater number of repetitions while decreasing the weight.

As a result, the horizontal block pull can be included at both the start and the end of the training regimen. The day that the back muscles are to be trained is the only requirement for this exercise.

Main errors in execution

Even though pulling towards the body is a simple technique, many women and girls make a lot of mistakes when they are training. This is brought on by a lack of prior athletic experience as well as a lack of foundational theoretical knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

Principal errors:

• Rounding the back. Too much weight in the weights leads to the girl not being able to control the sports equipment. The body begins to round and a dangerous situation arises.
• Lowering the chin down. Girls and women look down, trying to control the trajectory of the handle. However, this relaxes the neck muscles, and the risk of pulling them increases.
• Involvement of non-target muscles. Pull the block with your hands, swinging the body and pushing off the platform of the simulator with your feet are the most common mistakes. It is strictly forbidden to allow such violations of technique.

The horizontal block pull is a multipurpose exercise that works the waist, chest, shoulders, and back, among other muscle groups, based on grip width and body position. Learning the correct form guarantees efficient muscle activation and reduces the risk of injury, whether the exercise is done while standing or while sitting, with a wide or narrow grip. You will learn about the various variations in this guide, along with important pointers for performing each one correctly.

What to replace the horizontal block pull with

You can swap out the lower block pull for:

• Bent-over barbell pull.
• T-shaped bar.
• Pull dumbbells to the lower abdomen, waist and chest.

The lower block serves as a multipurpose instrument. You can use it to assist you in performing exercises for the shoulder and arm muscles. One of the fundamental exercises for strengthening the back muscles in the body is the pull.

With the horizontal block simulator, you can work out all of your back’s small and large muscles with a variety of grip and movement options.

Gaining proficiency in the horizontal block pull can significantly increase your upper body strength and define your muscles. You can work on different muscle groups, such as your back, shoulders, chest, and core, by changing your grip and posture.

Whether you’re sitting or standing, using a wide or narrow grip, using good form is essential to preventing injuries and getting the most out of every workout. To get the best results, start with manageable weights and concentrate on fluid, deliberate movements.

Including this exercise in your routine will help you develop strength as well as better stability and posture in general. With time and careful attention to technique, you’ll notice a noticeable improvement.

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