Doug LarsonRope pulls are great for you, if you’re looking to build more pulling strength and muscular endurance.
They’re especially useful if rope climbs (especially legless) are difficult for you. They’re one of the best exercises you can find for conditioning lats, arms and grip while being very easy on your joints.
Also, they’re “concentric only”, which means that they won’t make you very sore so you can do them frequently without having to take much time to recover.
That said, they’re unlikely to cause much of a grow response, so if your main goal is to grow muscle and get bigger, then sticking with basic movements like bent rows and strict pull-ups may be a better choice.
Get a sled, tie a rope to it and do 5 sets of 20 yards at the end of your next training session and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
-Doug (@douglaselarson)
You can simulate a “legless rope climb” even better if you simply lay on your back with the sled 20′ behind you and pull it toward you. It’s the exact movement pattern. You are reaching above your head and pulling toward your feet.