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pullcompoundintermediatepull-up bar

Chin-Up

A supinated-grip vertical pull that builds the lats and gives the biceps more work than a pull-up. A great benchmark of relative upper-body strength.

Muscle activation

  • Lats40%
  • Biceps25%
  • Rhomboids10%
  • Traps10%
  • Forearms10%
  • Rear delts5%

Approximate share of work; varies with grip, stance and tempo.

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Step by step

  1. 1. Start position

    Grip the bar palms-facing-you, hands about shoulder width apart.

  2. 2. Mid-rep

    Drive your elbows down toward your ribs until your chin clears the bar.

  3. 3. End of the movement

    Pause briefly with your chest close to the bar.

  4. 4. Common mistake

    Kicking or swinging to finish reps

Ways to do it

Vertical pull on 6 different setups — pick whatever is free in your gym. Progress is tracked separately for each.

How to do it

Setup

  1. 1Grip the bar palms-facing-you, hands about shoulder width apart.
  2. 2Hang with arms straight and legs together or knees slightly bent.
  3. 3Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so your ribs stay down.

Execution

  1. 1Start by pulling your shoulder blades down and back.
  2. 2Drive your elbows down toward your ribs until your chin clears the bar.
  3. 3Pause briefly with your chest close to the bar.
  4. 4Lower under control all the way to a full hang.

Breathing

Breathe in at the bottom, brace, pull up, and breathe out near the top or on the way down.

Tempo

3-0-1-1 (eccentric-pause-concentric-pause)

Muscles worked

Primary

Lats, Biceps

Secondary

Rhomboids, Traps, Forearms, Rear delts

Key form cues

  • Elbows to your pockets
  • Chest to the bar
  • Ribs down
  • Full hang every rep

Common mistakes

  • Kicking or swinging to finish reps

    Keep the body still with glutes and abs tight; use assistance if you can't finish cleanly.

  • Half reps that stop short of a straight-arm hang

    Lower until your elbows are straight before starting the next rep.

  • Reaching the chin forward to clear the bar

    Keep the neck neutral and pull the chest toward the bar instead.

Range of motion

From a full dead hang with straight elbows to the chin clearly above the bar.

Variations

  • Easier

    Band-assisted chin-up or slow negatives

  • Harder

    Weighted chin-up

  • At home

    Doorframe-bar chin-up

  • Machine / cable

    Assisted pull-up machine with an underhand grip

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