Main muscles worked
latissimus dorsi, biceps, brachialis, pectorals, upper back, abdominal wall, forearms
Capsule description
holding a fixed overhead bar, pull yourself up to the bar
There’s confusion with the names chin-up and pull-up. In this book, the chin-up refers to pulling yourself up on an overhead bar using a supinated grip, and the pull-up refers to the same movement but with a pronated grip. Many trainees, however, use the two names interchangeably, regardless of the grip used.
Your ability to pull yourself overhead is influenced by your bodyfat percentage, and your bodyweight in general. The more bodyfat you have, and the heavier you are, the harder this exercise will be.
Set-up and positioning
If your overhead bar is adjustable—for example, if you use an Olympic bar on saddles in a power rack—set the height so you can just grab the bar when standing on your toes. The knurling on an Olympic bar will help your grip, especially if you have chalk or rosin on your hands.
If you use a fixed, high, overhead bar, arrange a box or platform of the appropriate height so that you only have to stand on your toes to grab the bar. During the exercise, bend your knees, or keep them straight.
Initially, hold the overhead bar with a supinated grip. Start with a shoulder-width grip, and fine-tune to find the spacing that feels best for your wrists and elbows. A hand spacing a little closer than shoulder-width may work best.
If you can’t find a workable supinated grip, try a pronated one. Take a pronated grip that’s two to three inches wider on each side than your shoulder-width grip, so that your forearms are vertical at the contracted position. Regardless of the grip you choose, never use a very wide spacing, and don’t pull to the rear of your head. Pulling to the front is safer for your shoulders and neck, and more effective.
A Smith machine has a bar that’s adjustable for height, and may be well-knurled. It may be ideal for chin-ups and pull-ups.
Some chinning units provide the option of using a parallel grip. This may be more comfortable than a supinated or a pronated grip on a single bar. The parallel handles may, however, be too close to produce a good training effect.
A possibility for chinning with a parallel grip is to use a power rack. If its uprights are appropriately spaced for you, position a bar on saddles on the front uprights, and another bar across the rear uprights at the same height. Set the height of the bars so that when your elbows are straight, your feet just touch the floor.
Top, chin-up (supinated grip). Above, pull-up (pronated grip).
Performance
Pull until you touch the bar to your collar bones, or lower on your chest. Comparing the same resistance and degree of effort, you’ll be able to pull your hands to a lower point on your chest with a supinated or pronated grip than with a parallel one. Fully contract your lats by pulling your shoulder blades down.
Your top position will depend, in part, on your grip spacing, forearm and arm lengths, and your strength and bodyweight. Don’t pull beyond what’s comfortable for your shoulders and elbows. Your back should be slightly arched at the top of the exercise. If you have to hump your back in order to finish a rep, the set is finished, you’re using too much resistance, or you’re not ready, yet, for this exercise.
Pause for a second at the top position, then smoothly lower yourself to an inch short of the bottommost position. Pause for a second at the bottom, then smoothly move into the next ascent. Never drop into the bottom position, or relax and stretch while you’re hanging. Keep your eyes looking up slightly, and don’t turn your head. Keep your shoulders tight, and your head tilted back, but don’t throw your head back.
Inhale as you lower yourself, and exhale during the ascent. Trying to catch your breath during a momentary pause at the bottom position is usually counterproductive unless you can briefly stand or kneel while you breathe.
Use of a parallel grip.
Other tips
Attach weight securely and comfortably. Use a shoulder harness or a belt designed for hanging weight from, wear a belt and put a dumbbell inside it by having the dumbbell vertical and the belt across the handle, or, use a strong piece of rope or chain to attach a dumbbell or weight plates securely to a belt. For the latter, the resistance can be hung from the front or the rear of the belt. Try both to find which is most comfortable for you.
Add weight slowly, in small increments. To work from one fixed-weight dumbbell to the next, gradually attach weight to the lighter dumbbell—most easily done by using small magnetic plates. Alternatively, use an adjustable dumbbell, or weight plates only.
Spotting
Though not essential, use a spotter if possible. When you grind to a halt short of completing a rep, get a spotter to assist. Enough pressure should be evenly applied to your back. The assistant should push you up in your regular groove, not push you forward and mar the pathway.
Three methods of attaching weight to a belt. These illustrations show use of a lifting belt. Use of a purpose-made weight belt would be better. And at least for small weights, a strong, leather belt normally used for trousers could substitute.
A shoulder harness isn’t illustrated, but is the preferred option—for safety, and comfort—if a substantial poundage is to be attached to a suspended body. A substantial poundage attached around the waist or hips may apply an unsafe load on the spine during the chin-up and pull-up because the body is suspended and the forces pulling on the vertebrae may be excessive.
The free-weight parallel bar dip—another exercise where the body is suspended—has a greater potential for additional weight to be attached than have the chin-up and pull-up. But a very strong person may build up to a large weight in the latter two exercises and thus should use a shoulder harness rather than a weight belt.