The CHIN-UP Thread

[Ex Coelis]

chins ups are an excellent exercise for the biceps and lats as well as a key component of overall health and fitness

in this thread share your max, strategies you use to get better, and any other pertinent comments/insight

using a full range of motion and without kipping I can pump out 25

I find doing sets of weighted chins during bicep workouts helps improve and that doing sets of only the top half of the movement for reps really isolates the biceps

chin ups are a lot of fun so don't miss out

[JOHN MATRIX]

yes they are one of the best overall exercises to do. i used to do a hundred in 5 sets. havent done them in a while now...first time doing them after time off my abs get ridiculously sore and last time i pulled something in my neck so havent bothered with them in a while.

[TacoBell]

Last time I did them the entire gym came crashing down twin tower style.  It took me an hour to climb out of the rubble, then 20 minutes to drive to the other gym and finish my back workout.
Many tiny tits were injured/killed.

[Cardfan]

Hell Yes!!!! Best back exercise since deadlifts. Maybe better. I keep it real; 4 sets to 15. First with bodyweight. The next 3 w/ a dumbell between my feet

[Coach is Back!]

chins ups are an excellent exercise for the biceps and lats as well as a key component of overall health and fitness

in this thread share your max, strategies you use to get better, and any other pertinent comments/insight

using a full range of motion and without kipping I can pump out 25

I find doing sets of weighted chins during bicep workouts helps improve and that doing sets of only the top half of the movement for reps really isolates the biceps

chin ups are a lot of fun so don't miss out

[FREAKgeek]

Figo approved

[TommyBoy]

Chins are a bread-n-butter for my back routine. Some days I just do body weight and others I will do weighted. That pic with the bands look REALLY interesting and neat to try though. Personal record Was two years ago knocking out 51 reps at a body weight of 182. Currently only able to do over 40 on a GOOD day (after my rest day and a cheat meal day). I was doing nothing BUT body weight chins for lat width at the time when I did over 50. Currently I alternate between body weight and weighted. I definitely notice my bodyweight reps go down when I swap back from weighted.

[dyslexic]

What is this  "chin" you speak of? Is he Asian?

[Ex Coelis]

Chins are a bread-n-butter for my back routine. Some days I just do body weight and others I will do weighted. That pic with the bands look REALLY interesting and neat to try though. Personal record Was two years ago knocking out 51 reps at a body weight of 182. Currently only able to do over 40 on a GOOD day (after my rest day and a cheat meal day). I was doing nothing BUT body weight chins for lat width at the time when I did over 50. Currently I alternate between body weight and weighted. I definitely notice my bodyweight reps go down when I swap back from weighted.

damn impressive

what worked best to get your numbers so high?

[TommyBoy]

damn impressive

what worked best to get your numbers so high?

Honestly? I just did chins as the very first back exercise with nothing but my body weight for about 5-6 sets. Every back workout. Followed with deads and then barbell rows. I have only been doing that for the last 4 years (was being lazy and just doing pull-downs), but I got in the high 30s and sometimes low 40s within the first few months. I would just go to failure every set. The funny thing is after I would do my first set to failure (anywhere from 35-40 average) my next set I would barely get 12-15. Once my failure reps were only 7-8 I would use the assisted-chin machine (if there was one) and keep going.

[noworries]

I started gymnastics in the 4th grade and did them up till 8th grade.  I won the So Cal Jr High Gymnastics Championships when I was in 8th grade.  I could hold an iron cross for almost 16 seconds.  I was doing giants since 5th grade.  I liked the rings and horizontal bar.  But, chinups were always something I had a hard time doing.  When I that age I could do maybe 15 to 20.  I know we had contests all the time and I never won or came close.  We had guys like Ralph Keskeys and Marty Warner or even Bill Burney (who later became Mr. LA I think) who could do 30+ chinups.  Once I got into high school and I gained a little weight I could barely do 10.  I would be lucky to hang onto a bar for more than 2 seconds right now

[Cardfan]

What is this  "chin" you speak of? Is he Asian?

Hahahahaha.....thread saved

[TommyBoy]

I started gymnastics in the 4th grade and did them up till 8th grade.  I won the So Cal Jr High Gymnastics Championships when I was in 8th grade.  I could hold an iron cross for almost 16 seconds.  I was doing giants since 5th grade.  I liked the rings and horizontal bar.  But, chinups were always something I had a hard time doing.  When I that age I could do maybe 15 to 20.  I know we had contests all the time and I never won or came close.  We had guys like Ralph Keskeys and Marty Warner or even Bill Burney (who later became Mr. LA I think) who could do 30+ chinups.  Once I got into high school and I gained a little weight I could barely do 10.  I would be lucky to hang onto a bar for more than 2 seconds right now

Maybe it's genetic because my 9 month old little girl was doing pull-ups in her play-pen at 6 months. She thinks this is hilarious.

[njflex]

every workout,lately following them up with reverse grip bent over rows.

[TommyBoy]

What is a Ronnie row? And why am I reading/seeing new shit tonight on GB I have never seen/heard of?

[The Abdominal Snoman]

There is a pathetic video floating around of Chris Cormier trying out for the Gladiators where he can barely do a full pull up. I say its pathetic because there is also a video floating around of a nearly 300 pound Brock Lesner doing countless full reps of pull ups...

[TommyBoy]

Be careful with these things they can hurt you.

I've always known these as T-Bar rows. Or just a variation.

[dj181]

Well, my PR is bodyweight plus 50 added lbs for 8 reps, but now I'm lucky if I can just do BW for 8 LOL

[Purple Aki]

Chin-ups are ace - I usually do them three times a week.

I like towel pull-ups; they're bit like climbing a rope, but without the "motivation" of having a sexually repressed PTI stood below threatening to skull fuck you and casting doubts upon your parent's marital status.

[JasonH]

I do chins at the start of my back routine as a sort of pre-exhaust exercise.

I tend to find that if I'm consistent with them then there is a noticeable difference in my back development and they also make me stronger on other back exercises too. Great basic movement that all beginners shouldn't live without.

[_bruce_]

I can do 3.

[Tombo]

Chin-ups are ace - I usually do them three times a week.

I like towel pull-ups; they're bit like climbing a rope, but without the "motivation" of having a sexually repressed PTI stood below threatening to skull fuck you and casting doubts upon your parent's marital status.

lolwut, i also like these, they burn the shit out of my forearms

[Stark]

I am doing most of the 4 days I am working out chinups and dips (I love dips) as assistant excersises- I am a little to heavy for chinups  (108 or so kilos) so I do small sets (around 5 -6 -10 reps) but I do a lot of sets.
I would agree chinups are much better to workout the bicep than curls or an other bicep excersise, took me a while to figure that out.

[Parker]

There is a pathetic video floating around of Chris Cormier trying out for the Gladiators where he can barely do a full pull up. I say its pathetic because there is also a video floating around of a nearly 300 pound Brock Lesner doing countless full reps of pull ups...

Ah, yes that vid. You failed to mention that he had a torn tricep and he had to do burpees as well. You also failed to mention he was doing a full training rep for him. Which means his mind was accustomed to the variation that puts more stress on the lats. Full reps or perfect form sometimes mean shit, look at Ronnie  Coleman or Bertil Fox (who was famous for bad form). Now imagine them in their prime and you walking up to them and chastising them for their "lack of full reps"

If we really want to question full reps, look at Phil Heath's first vid, he is training legs and it seems he is doing quarter reps on the leg press...now I can see someone WTFing on that.

[Stark]

Ah, yes that vid. You failed to mention that he had a torn tricep and he had to do burpees as well. You also failed to mention he was doing a full training rep for him. Which means his mind was accustomed to the variation that puts more stress on the lats. Full reps or perfect form sometimes mean shit, look at Ronnie  Coleman or Bertil Fox (who was famous for bad form). Now imagine them in their prime and you walking up to them and chastising them for their "lack of full reps"

If we really want to question full reps, look at Phil Heath's first vid, he is training legs and it seems he is doing quarter reps on the leg press...now I can see someone WTFing on that.

nice one parker