New Standards: Fran

September 1st marked the beginning or return rather, of an old pull-up standard at CrossFit Oakland. Although chest to bar pull-ups first became the pull-up standard in 2003, they were reintroduced at the CrossFit Games this summer, quickly becoming the source of stress for many CFitters-including myself. Mike Minium, owner and head trainer of CFO, describes the C2B standard, "it's a tough one, to be sure. But the rewards far outweigh any reduced times or scores that may occur on workouts in the short term. This standard requires a higher degree of power output (primarily in the form of explosive hip extension), along with more coordination and accuracy, than the garden-variety kipping pull-up where chin simply has to go over bar."

Here's an excerpt from the CrossFit Journal article published in April 2003:

Technically correct pull-ups:

• Go from full hang to chest pressing tightly to the bar

• Lead with the chest up and shoulders way back

• Are visually directed, that is, a sight line is chosen that is shortened as the body rises to the bar

• Synchronize respiration to the pull-up: inhale down, exhale up

• Are motivated by trying to drive the elbows down to the ground, not by trying to flex the arm!

Pulling the chest to the bar is very hard but encourages fully “opening the chest” and pulling the shoulders back or “closing the back.” In the early stages of developing a pull-up it is acceptable to bring the Adam’s apple to the bar instead of the chest, but leading with the shoulders forward rather than back is a fault that needs to be fixed long before you are going to get to 30 pull-ups.

Read the full article here, courtesy of CrossFit.com.

I've learned that, as with all things in CrossFit, with regular practice this too is attainable.
Yesterday's WOD was "Fran" I finished in 8:42.

(Fran time +10min. before C2B)

The last time I did this was at the 2008 CrossFit Games. I struggled with the new pull-up standard, doing one pull up at a time and was only on the 3rd round of thruster at the 12 minute cut off! Since then I have slowly adapted to the C2B pull-up and can now string together 3-5. Although learning this has taken a fair bit of practice and patience, the result have definately been worth it. I feel much stronger in am able to do pull-ups with more control and precision.