what's a move you're dying to do in the gym, but are too scared to do?
Many people say that the hard pull is an excellent movement for developing total body strength, but this is only half true. The hard pull here is only talking about the traditional hard pull. It is a full body movement that requires the back and arms to exert force while pressing the feet to the floor.
Many of you may have the misconception that the variation is the same or not very different from the root movement. The romanian hard pull is an isolation movement for the upper hamstrings and gluteus maximus, whereas the straight leg pull is a movement for the lower back, which is a far cry from the traditional hard pull.
how do the training muscle groups change during the movement? What exactly is the difference between them in terms of power generation and movement details?
We think it is possible to filter these variations directly through the traditional hard pull (the root of all variations). The hard pull is arguably one of the best full body movements as it is as intense for leg training as it is for back training. The fact that this movement is called a hard pull because its centripetal (aggressive) contraction starts from a complete stop (no elastic floor) sets it apart from other hard pulls.
why is this important? It's simple: You do the start of each movement without the help of so-called elastic energy or stretch-shortening cycles. In other words, you start each movement from complete rest (the same goes for reverse movements).
If you take the deep squat for example, after taking the barbell off the rack, you lower your arms (and the barbell), which is the negative part of a movement. It is during the descent that energy builds up so that at the lowest point of the movement, the body is more likely to power upwards back to the starting point. The elastic energy is very real and this is one of the reasons you are able to propel your body upwards during the centripetal process of the lift.
and what about the romanian hard pull? This movement actually starts from a standing position and the first half of the movement is a centrifugal (negative) contraction that is capable of generating elastic energy. But anyway, this is the hard pull variation.
However, it also has some key features that are unique to it. Firstly, it is an isolation movement that targets the upper hamstrings and gluteus maximus. Many people think of it as a compound (multi-joint) movement because the knees are bent and movement is mainly concentrated in the hip joints (the hips remain elevated throughout the movement; in a traditional hard pull, the hips face the floor). However, the other joints are not fully flexed or extended, so it can be called a single joint isolation movement.
secondly, the knees remain slightly bent throughout the movement, but not necessarily with the legs firing.
Instead, the slight bend in the knee is to allow you to shift your focus to the upper thighs. Then, when your lower back is flat or even arched and the barbell bar stays close to your legs, the slight bend in the knees removes the pressure from your lower back and forces all attention to the lower gluteus maximus and upper thighs.
the hardest to understand, i'm afraid, is the straight legged hard pull, which is the most underrated and misunderstood of the hard pull variations. Probably because if you do it right, many people will tell you that you are doing it wrong. But the straight leg pull is definitely a lower back move for the following reasons.
To do a straight legged hard pull correctly, you must straighten your legs, keep the barbell away from your body, and also, you will be tempted to arch your lower back. Now, most coaches are surprised by this idea, but it's true, you will want to arch your lower back during a straight legged hard pull.
this is probably the only movement where we would advise you not to arch your back. Be careful when doing straight legged hard pulls and use very light weights, especially if you are new or have very weak lower back strength. This is because when the leg is straight, the thighs and gluteus maximus do not play a role in the movement if the lower back is arched.
We must say that this movement should be left to the end of the workout because after the straight legged hard pull is done, the lower back will be completely exhausted and you won't want to do other movements that require lower back stability.
for the traditional hard pull, the romanian hard pull and the straight legged hard pull we have summarised the following points.
Traditional hard lift
target muscles: Back, legs, shoulders, arms, grip, core muscles
difficulty factor 1 - 5:5
key features: Start each movement from the beginning without building up energy; you are effectively pulling the bar straight up in each movement.
Correct position: With your feet flat under the barbell, squat down and grasp the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep the barbell bar resting on your calves. With your chest up and back level, pull the barbell up by fully extending your hips and knees. Keep your arms straight throughout the movement as you pull the barbell along your legs until you are standing. Squeeze the back, legs and gluteus maximus and then lower the barbell along the same path until it touches the floor. Allow the barbell to come to a stop before starting the next movement. Make sure your hips are down at the very bottom of the movement.
romanian hard pull
target muscles: Posterior body chain
difficulty factor 1 - 5: 3
key features: Knees slightly bent, lower back arched, barbell close to the legs, barbell plates not touching the floor.
Correct posture: Stand straight and hold the barbell squarely in front of the front of the thighs. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Keeping your chest up, abdominals tight, and lower back naturally arched, lean forward from the hips and push back at the hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor. As you lean forward, keeping your arms straight, bring the barbell down along your thighs to your calves. At the lowest point of the movement, keep your back flat, head neutral and the barbell very close to your legs. Flexing the hamstrings and gluteus maximus, lift the torso while pushing forward at the hips until the barbell returns to the starting position.
straight leg hard pull
target muscles: Lower back
difficulty factor 1 - 5: 4
key features: Legs kept straight, barbell kept away from the body, lower back actually allowed to arch, so don't use too heavy a weight.
Correct posture: Stand up straight and hold the weighted barbell in the front hand. Keeping the legs and arms straight, bend forward from the waist, allowing the barbell to move away from the body as you lower it. Arch your lower back as you bend over. When the barbell piece is a few inches off the ground, reverse the direction and pull the barbell up to an upright position and repeat the movement.
there's actually a lot more to learn about hard pulls! In addition to the above variations, in the past we have also covered the split-legged hard pull, the racked hard pull, the sumo hard pull and many more.