Why it matters how you grip the pull-up bar:
One of the questions that I usually ask a CrossFit patient with shoulder complaints is “do you wrap your thumb around the pull up bar or use a suicide grip?”
Suicide Grip vs. Thumb Wrapped
More often than not, the patient doesn’t know the answer so we head over to a pull up bar and see which happens. I ask this question because when an athlete actually wraps their thumb around the bar they are engaging their grip(if I was to ask you to squeeze something as hard as you can, would you wrap your thumb around the object or suicide grip it?) The simple act of gripping can have a great influence on the shoulder, mainly by increasing rotator cuff muscle activity. One of the main functions of the rotator cuff is to stabilize the shoulder joint. Shoulder joint stability should be a top priority to anyone swinging “aggressively” from a pull-up bar when kipping. Gripping also decreases activity of other muscles that could be over firing, which can possibly cause things such as pinching in the front or the back of the shoulder(see next weeks post). Weak grip/or not gripping can also cause an athlete to compensate when kipping which can lead to elbow, shoulder, or neck pain. So start wrapping your thumb around the bar when kipping. Its going to feel unnatural and definitely be uncomfortable at first, but your shoulders will appreciate it.
-Wes Hendricks
Disclaimer – If you are a competitor and have sufficient flexibility through the thoracic spine and shoulder a suicide grip may be more appropriate to save your group and to help re-grip and become more efficient with butterfly pull-ups, etc.. – Goose
Strength
Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3
Open WOD 12.5
7 Minute AMRAP
3 Thrusters (100,65)
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
6 Thrusters
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
9 Thrusters
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
12 Thrusters
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Thrusters
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
18 Thrusters
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups…
This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 21, go on to 24. If you complete 24, go on to 27, etc.
Level 2 (75,50)
Level 1 (55,35)
Conditioning
With a Partner…
100 Calories for Time on the Assault Bike