Exercise Tutorial: Chin Up

Published: July 22nd, 2020

1st Revision: April 3rd, 2023

Table Of Content

    What Is a Chin Up

    The chin up is a simple bodyweight exercise that is great for building upper body power and strength. The chin up is different from the pull up as it targets the more of the biceps, and uses a different grip (supination).

    You can perform the Chin Up at home (with the proper equipment), at the gym and possibly even at your local park! The Chin Up has a variation for every experience level, making it a versatile exercise for everyone.

    How to Do Chin Ups

    Chin ups are a simple exercise to learn and perform. Follow these simple steps to learn how to perform the chin up:

    1. Hold onto a bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your palms facing towards you. You may cross your feet if it feels comfortable.

    2. Engage the core and use your arms to pull your chest up towards the bar. At the top of the Chin Up, your chin should be above the bar and your biceps touching or almost touching the forearm.

    3. Slowly re-extend the arm to lower the body back to the starting position. Do not allow your feet to contact the floor.

    4. Repeat the movement.

    Chin Up Form

    To execute the chin up correctly, there are some key points to keep in mind while you are performing the movement. Follow these cues to achieve the proper form in the chin up

    It is easy to break form during the chin up when you become fatigued. Remember that a rep performed with proper form is more valuable and safer than pushing yourself beyond muscle failure.

    Chin Up

    Chin Up Benefits

    The chin up is a great exercise to include in your routine for many reasons. Not only is the chin upeffective in increasing upper body strength and power, it will also increase grip strength, improve core stability and posture and is a great movement for muscle hypertrophy.

    Additionally, if you do not have access to a gym, the chin up can be often be performed at a park using the monkey bars or another stable structure.

    Why Are Chin Ups Useful 

    Chin ups are useful for multiple reasons. They are great for both beginners and advanced athletes because they are not typically viewed as an intimidating exercise. Beginners can perform the chin up using bodyweight or an assistive chin up machine which will help them progress to performing a true bodyweight chin up.

    More advanced athletes can add weight to the chin up as a challenge and to increase muscular strength and power. As well, the chin up can be performed with different grips and variations, which can help to keep your exercise routine both exciting and challenging. 

    Chin Up Muscles Worked

    The chin up engages many muscles in the upper body. These muscles include,

    Chin Up Variations

    The chin up can be performed in many different ways:

    • Banded Chin Up

    • Narrow Grip Chin Up

    • Wide Grip Chin Up

    • Weighted Chin Ups

    Banded Chin Up

    Banded Chin Ups are a useful variation to help those who cannot perform many reps of the bodyweight Chin Up, or do not have access to an assistive machine. The Banded Chin Up helps to push the body up and make the Chin Up easier. 

    Loop one end of a resistance band around the bar, and place the other end of the band around your feet or your knees. Continue to perform the Chin Up as usual, using the band to help you pull yourself up.

    Narrow Grip Chin Up

    The Narrow Grip Chin Up uses a grip that is less than shoulder-width apart. This variation can be easier for some and will also allow for greater activation of the Pecs. Perform the Chin Up as usual, but using a narrow grip.

    Wide Grip Chin Up

    The Wide Grip Chin Up uses a grip that is wider than shoulder-width apart. This variation is useful for those who want to target the back (specifically the Lat’s) and shoulders more than the Pec’s. Perform the Chin Up as usual but using a wider grip.

    Weighted Chin Ups

    Once you have mastered the bodyweight Chin Up, the Weighted Chip Up is a great progression to try if you are looking to further increase strength and power in the upper body. The Weighted Chin Up is best performed using a weight belt with your desired weight attached. The plates will hang in-between the legs as you perform the movement.

    When you progress any exercise, it is best to start with a lower load and build from there to prevent injury and muscle strains.

    Revised by Stephanie Zaban


    Alexis Hlady

    My name is Alexis Hlady and I am a Kinesiology (BKin. Honours) graduate from Brock University with a Master of Professional Kinesiology (MPK) from the University of Toronto. I am very passionate about health and physical activity and hope to pursue a career in the high-performance sport & training aspect of kinesiology in the near future. 

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