- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternPull
- Reps3 to 15 reps
- Joint loadShoulder
Hang from a bar with an underhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight.
First cueKeep your chest up toward the bar.
How to do the Chin-Up
Set up. Hang from a bar with an underhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight.
- Set your shoulders down and back.
- Pull yourself up, keeping your elbows in front of you.
- Bring your chin over the bar.
- Lower slowly to a full hang.
Form cues
- Keep your chest up toward the bar.
- Keep your legs still.
- Control the lowering.
Common mistakes
- Craning the neck to get the chin over the bar.
- Dropping quickly from the top.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lats. The latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back, running from the lower spine and pelvis up under the arm to the upper arm bone. It pulls the arm down and back: pull-ups, pulldowns and the start of a deadlift.
On the way: Biceps.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Side delts and Triceps, in the overhead press and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Chin-Up, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Upright Row Superset partner: it trains the other side of the overhead press and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Inverted Row Same pull session: it trains the upper back.
- Prone T-Raise Same pull session: it trains the rear delts.
- Barbell Shrug Often left out: it trains the traps, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
5 movements, the Chin-Up first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Chin-Up 3 × 3 to 15 reps
- Upright Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Inverted Row 3 × 6 to 20 reps
- Prone T-Raise 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Barbell Shrug 3 × 8 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Band-Assisted Pull-Up
Band
Gym or cable swap
Lat Pulldown
Cable
Less load on the shoulder
Lat Pulldown
The Chin-Up loads the shoulder by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Pull-Up.
Other variations of the Pull-Up: Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up, Negative Pull-Up and Scapular Pull-Up.
Do before it: Scapular Pull-Up (shoulder blades), Band-Assisted Pull-Up (same movement, lighter), Inverted Row (same movement, lighter) and Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Chin-Up is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Chin-Up?
Set up: Hang from a bar with an underhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight. Steps: 1. Set your shoulders down and back. 2. Pull yourself up, keeping your elbows in front of you. 3. Bring your chin over the bar. 4. Lower slowly to a full hang. Form cues: Keep your chest up toward the bar. Keep your legs still. Control the lowering. Common mistakes: Craning the neck to get the chin over the bar. Dropping quickly from the top.
What muscles does the Chin-Up work?
It trains the lats as its main target and works the biceps on the way.
What can I do instead of the Chin-Up?
At home: Band-Assisted Pull-Up. In a gym: Lat Pulldown. With less load on the shoulder: Lat Pulldown. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Chin-Up with?
Good partners in the same workout are Upright Row, Inverted Row, Prone T-Raise and Barbell Shrug.