How to Do a Chin Up

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posted on 16 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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A chin-up is a bodyweight training exercise that primarily targets the latissimus dorsi muscles in the upper back, as well as the shoulders and the biceps muscles in the arms. It's very similar to a pull-up, with the exception of hand position: in a chin-up, the palms face the body, while pull-ups are performed with the palms facing away. The chin-up is a notoriously difficult move, but it's certainly possible to master with training and effort.

Steps

Performing a Chin-Up

Locate a chin-up bar. Every gym has a chin-up bar, which is a horizontal bar positioned above shoulder height. If you aren't a member of a gym, you can buy a chin-up bar and install it in your house. Place it in a tall doorway and make sure it's positioned above your shoulders.

Put your hands on the bar with your palms facing your body. Whereas a pull-up would begin with your palms facing away, a chin-up begins with your palms facing your body. This is called an underhand grip. Grip the bar comfortably but firmly, with your hands spaced shoulder-width apart.

Raise your body until your chin is above the bar. Use your upper arm strength to lift your body toward the bar, stopping when your chin is above the bar. Your elbows will be fully bent. Bend your knees or cross your feet to distribute your weight more evenly.

Lower yourself back down. Using a slow, controlled motion, lower yourself until your arms are straight. This is the complete range of motion for a chin-up.

Working up to a Chin-Up with Strength Training

Do isometric chin-ups. Stand on a chair and grip the bar as though you were going to do a chin-up. Bend your knees as much as you need to so that your chin is just above the bar. Move your feet off of the chair and hang in this position for 30 seconds or as long as you can. After 30 seconds, lower yourself back down until your arms are straight. Repeat this five times. It's important that when you lower yourself down it's slow and controlled. You use the same muscles on the way down that you use on the way up. This exercise will help to train your muscles to perform a chin-up without the help of a chair.

Start from slightly below the bar. This time, stand on the chair and position yourself so that your head is slightly below the bar. Your arms should be at a 90-degree angle. Starting from this position, pull yourself up so that your chin is past the bar. Repeat five times starting from the same position. Lower yourself halfway down in a slow and controlled manner. After a while you'll notice that you'll be able to start from lower and lower down.

Repeat these exercises for several weeks. Each time, try to start the exercises from a lower position. Eventually start from a full hang, with your arms completely straight. See how far you can pull yourself up five times in a row.

Increase your number of reps. When you can do a full chin-up, pull yourself up five times in a row, or as many times as possible. You can also do a combination of full chin-ups and half chin-ups. As your muscles gain strength, increase your reps. You should be able to increase your reps every other week or so. Don't overdo it. You don't want to tear a muscle or overexert yourself. Rest between sessions to give your muscles time to repair and get stronger.