Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Retract shoulder blades, engage lats. Pull elbows down and back, lifting your body. Drive chin above the bar, maintaining a straight body line. Pause, squeeze your back muscles, then lower slowly with control to full extension.
Focus on pulling with your back muscles, not just your arms, to maximize lat engagement and prevent shoulder strain; imagine squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades. Maintain a rigid, stable body position throughout the movement to avoid swinging, which reduces effectiveness and increases injury risk. Keep your elbows close to your sides to ensure proper back muscle activation and prevent unnecessary stress on your shoulder joints. Consciously depress and retract your shoulders throughout the exercise, preventing them from creeping up towards your ears and ensuring optimal back muscle engagement.
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