TKU Strength will provide information on how to improve your physical capacity for goalkeeping performance, to reduce injury risk, or for general health and wellbeing. The information in this blog comes from my own experiences with strength training, with many years of lifting in a professional environment with my team 2-3 times per week, and also from my university studies in exercise physiology.
WHY SHOULD I DO PULL-UPs?
For me, the pull-up is one of the best exercises to build upper body strength. As goalkeepers, we want to focus on compound exercises, which are exercises that use many muscles and joints during each movement... And the pull-up uses MANY big and small muscles through the back, shoulders, arms, and core!
The biggest benefit I got from performing pull-ups is that it improved my shoulder health. When I first moved to the United States to play full-time, I had chronic shoulder pain for the first 2 years because my back and shoulder muscles weren't strong enough to support all the catching, throwing, diving and landing I was doing every day. With the team strength coach, I went from being able to perform a maximum of 6 pull-ups in a row to 20+... and I haven't had shoulder pain in almost a year.
HOW DO I DO PULL-UPs?
Below I am going to provide a step-by-step ladder for you to develop a good pull-up for any level of athlete, starting at the easiest variation and ending at the hardest. You should be able to perform 3 sets of 6-8 reps of an exercise before you move onto the next one.
Scapular Pulls: - Start by hanging from the bar with your palms facing away from you (overhand grip). - Keep your elbows completely straight during the entire exercise. - Pinch your shoulder blades together as hard as possible. - Pull down slightly on the bar (while keeping elbows straight). - Return to your relaxed hanging position. Here is a good demonstration of the Scapular Pull. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG8JZJ22NQI&t=114s
Pull-Up Negatives: - Jump to the top of the pull-up position with your chest at the bar. - Make sure your palms are facing away from you (overhand grip). - Maintain straight legs (not crossed). - Lower yourself slowly until your arms are straight. - Let go of the bar and jump back up when you're ready for another set. - Build up to a 10 second negative before moving on. Here is a good demonstration of the Negative Pull-Up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8xNrImzdwI
Pull-Up: - Start by hanging from the bar, with your palms facing away from you (overhand grip). - Maintain straight legs (not crossed). - Pinch your shoulder blades together, and pull down on the bar until your chest/chin is at the top. - Hold for a second, before lowering yourself down slowly until your arms are straight.
Weighted Pull-Up: - Not recommended for those under 16 years - Using a weighted vest. - Using a weight squeezed between the legs. - By sitting in a tuck position during the movement (holding at 90 degrees). - By sitting in a pike position during the movement (holding at 90 degrees).
For any questions please contact us!
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