Sled Pull · Elbow Flexion at Peak Pull (Hand-Over-Hand)

Why this matters

Hand-over-hand rewards long strokes. The lats have their biggest range when the elbow draws well past the ribs — so a deeply flexed elbow at peak pull (30°–50°) means the athlete finished the stroke and used the full lat draw. Stop short and each pull moves less rope, so the athlete needs more strokes to clear the sled. Overdo it — hauling the handle past the ribs into a deep bicep curl — and the biceps take over from the lats and fatigue early.

This is the loaded arm at its deepest, not the arm that's reaching for the next grip.

What good looks like

From the side, at the moment the pulling hand is closest to the body, the elbow is deeply bent around 30–50° — the hand has come past the ribs on a full lat draw, just before the next hand starts its reach. Each stroke reels in a good length of rope.

Reading the result

• Over-flexed (<30°): pulling the handle beyond the ribs — biceps take over from the lats. Cue "elbow past the ribs, then stop."
• Deep (30°–50°): standard finish — full lat range, good rope-per-stroke.
• Short pull (>50°): stopping short; leaving lat range on the table and needing more strokes.

Coaching cues

• "Elbow past the ribs, then stop" — sets the finish depth without overpulling.
• "Long pulls, fewer of them" — trades stroke count for stroke length.

How to mark

1. Use a lateral-view clip. Pause at peak pull — pulling hand closest to the body, just before the next hand reaches. Avoid the release, where the elbow has already started extending.
2. Points: acromion (shoulder) → lateral epicondyle (elbow) → ulnar styloid (wrist).
3. Sample the loaded arm, not the reaching one.
4. The tool reports the interior elbow angle.

Common mistakes: picking a mid-pull frame (elbow still extending — reads too straight); sampling the non-pulling arm (it's reaching, not drawing); reading > 60° (short-pulling).

Related measurements

• Shoulder Roll (Hand-Over-Hand) — the rotation each deep pull provokes.
• Knee Anchor (Hand-Over-Hand) — the planted base the arm draws against.