The chin-up (also known as a chin or chinup) is a strength training exercise. People frequently do this exercise with the intention of strengthening muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and biceps, which extend the shoulder and flex the elbow, respectively. In this maneuver, the palms are faced towards the body. [1]
It is a form of pull-up in which the range of motion is established in relation to a person's chin.
In the 1970s [2] and 1980s, the term chin-up not only included an overhand/pronated ("palms away") grip, [3] [4] but some authors used it as the default meaning of the term, [5] with an underhand/supinated ("palms toward") grip called a "reverse" grip. [6] [7] Even in the 2020s "chin-up" still includes palms-away lifting. [8] The term "chin-up" is still regularly used to refer to pulling using an overhand-grip. [9] [10] [11]
A chin-up is named by bringing the chin up through space, specifically in relation to its position with the bar or other hand grips. This can be either touching the bar (more easily done by extending the neck, though that could be considered cheating) or by bringing the chin over the bar. This exercise is easier for males than females because of the male tendency to have stronger and larger biceps and a higher centre of gravity.
This is usually achieved most easily with vertical forearms that are close to the body. For most, bringing the chin this high is most easily achieved with a supinated (underhanded, palms-toward) grip. Due to this, the phrase "chin-up" has become associated with pulling with this type of grip. Some have delegated the term pull-up to refer to the pronated (overhanded, palms-away) grip. In spite of this, many refer to pull-ups with a pronated grip also as chin-ups, and the supine grip is still regularly called a pull-up.
Some organizations such as the American Council on Exercise have adopted this new terminology, issuing statements such as: "a chin-up differs from a pull-up in that the puller's hands are facing towards him or her in a chin-up, and away in a pull-up." [12] [ failed verification ] Organizations such as the United States Marine Corps, however, use the term pull-up interchangeably to refer to both the overhand and underhand grips. [13]
A chin-up has a variety of different forms. [14]
The movement begins with the arms extended above the head, gripping a hold. It may be fixed, such as a chin-up bar or moving, such as gymnastic rings or rotating handles.
The body is pulled up, with the bar approaching or touching the upper chest. A chin-up is considered complete based on a variety of criteria in relation to where the chin should be in respect to the bar, or in respect to the hand grips.
The body is then lowered until the arms are straight but not in a lockout, and the exercise is generally repeated.
Like any pull-up, chin-ups can be performed with a kip, where the legs and back flop around to aid the exercise, or from a dead hang, where the body is kept still. Performing the chin-up correctly can be tricky with a supinated grip, because of the natural tendency to do most of the work with the elbow flexors (largely bicepses) rather than the shoulder extensors (largely lats).
Initiating the pulling action with scapular depression may help avoid this problem. The exercise is most effective in stretching the working muscles when the body is lowered down to a full extension.[ citation needed ]
Chin-ups, like most pull-ups, target the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back as a shoulder extensor, scapular downward rotator and scapular depressor, in bringing the spine to the humerus. This is assisted by elbow flexors (brachialis, brachioradialis, biceps brachii) which bring the humerus to the forearm. Chin-ups, unlike pull-ups, also highly target the biceps. That is one of the main differences between pull-ups and chin-ups.
The lat's functions are also assisted, both by shoulder extensors (teres major, posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor), scapular downward rotators (rhomboids, levator scapulae), and scapular depressors (lower trapezius and pectoralis muscles).
Pulling higher with a narrow grip puts the focus on extension rather than adduction of the shoulder.
If one leans back at the top of the movement, the focus is shifted somewhat towards scapular retraction and hyperextension.
The weight of the legs and pelvis are borne by spinal ligaments and various muscles that flex or extend the spine. If the pelvis is tilted anterior and the legs brought behind, the erector spinae (with aid from the lats) bears more weight. If the pelvis is tilted posterior and the legs brought in front, the rectus abdominis (with aid from the psoas) bears more.
Specific training is needed in order to increase chin-ups performance.
The performance can be measured in various ways:
Various organizations like Guinness World Records maintain lists of world records for chin-ups and pull-ups. [15] Both recordholders.org and Guinness World Records maintain that pull-ups use a pronated grip, while chin-ups use a supinated grip.
The chin-up exercise is used by uniformed services around the world to assess the physical fitness of its members. In order to be accepted into and remain in a particular service, a candidate may need to carry out a certain number of chin-ups to a prescribed technique. This number may vary with age and gender.
Chin-up bars are playground equipment that were once ubiquitous on children's playgrounds. They are still important in the adult equivalent of a playground, the parcourse. A chin-up bar is simply a smooth horizontal metal bar, often a pipe, held solidly above ground by a wooden or metal frame. Typical installations include 2 or 3 different heights of bars for people of different heights. Chin up bars are also a part of a home gym setup. Types of chin-up bars include doorway-mounted, wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted and freestanding.
Calisthenics or callisthenics (/ˌkælɪsˈθɛnɪks/) is a form of strength training that utilizes an individual's body weight as resistance to perform multi-joint, compound movements with little or no equipment.
The biceps or biceps brachii is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm. While the biceps crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, its main function is at the elbow where it flexes the forearm and supinates the forearm. Both these movements are used when opening a bottle with a corkscrew: first biceps screws in the cork (supination), then it pulls the cork out (flexion).
The brachioradialis is a muscle of the forearm that flexes the forearm at the elbow. It is also capable of both pronation and supination, depending on the position of the forearm. It is attached to the distal styloid process of the radius by way of the brachioradialis tendon, and to the lateral supracondylar ridge of the humerus.
The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectoralis major, the anterior deltoids, and the triceps, among other stabilizing muscles. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.
The upper limbs or upper extremities are the forelimbs of an upright-postured tetrapod vertebrate, extending from the scapulae and clavicles down to and including the digits, including all the musculatures and ligaments involved with the shoulder, elbow, wrist and knuckle joints. In humans, each upper limb is divided into the arm, forearm and hand, and is primarily used for climbing, lifting and manipulating objects.
Bicep curls are a group of weight training exercises in which a person bends their arm towards their body at the elbow in order to make their biceps stronger.
The deadlift is a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, as well as a frequent lift in strongman.
In weight training, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or cast-steel ball with a handle attached to the top. It is used to perform many types of exercises, including ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. Kettlebells are the primary equipment used in the weight-lifting sport of kettlebell lifting.
A bent-over row is a weight training exercise that targets a variety of back muscles. Which ones are targeted varies on form. The bent over row is often used for both bodybuilding and powerlifting.
The pull-down exercise is a strength training exercise designed to develop the latissimus dorsi muscle. It performs the functions of downward rotation and depression of the scapulae combined with adduction and extension of the shoulder joint.
The United States Marine Corps requires that all Marines perform a Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and a Combat Fitness Test (CFT) once each calendar year. Each test must be held at an interval of six months. The same standards apply for reservists. The PFT ensures that Marines are keeping physically fit and in a state of physical readiness. It consists of pull-ups or push-ups, planks, and a 3-mile run.
The wrist roller is a device designed for strengthening the forearm muscles together in a rolling-pulling motion. It consists of a bar of varying lengths, with a cord or rope attached, which the user rolls and unrolls. This is resisted by the weight of a mass at the bottom of the cord. Rolled and unrolled, it has a concentric and eccentric proportion. Different forearm muscles, specifically the flexors and extensors can be targeted by rolling the bar in opposite directions; that is by having the rope either on your side or on the opposite one respectively. It can even be performed manipulated by the fingertips to develop dexterity.
Hook grip is a method of gripping a barbell used in many strength-related sports such as Olympic weightlifting, Crossfit, and powerlifting by overlapping the index and middle finger over the thumb. This method of gripping the bar provides a secure bar grip while performing pulling motion with the barbell such as the clean and jerk, snatch, and deadlift. To perform a hook grip one must first wrap their thumb around the bar placing it parallel to the barbell and then wrap their index, and middle finger around the outside of the thumb. The pinky and ring finger typically ends up resting on the barbell. It is important to actively hooking on to the thumb with the index and middle finger while performing Hook grip compared to providing direct pressure on to the thumb.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to exercise:
A pull-up is an upper-body strength exercise. The pull-up is a closed-chain movement where the body is suspended by the hands, gripping a bar or other implement at a distance typically wider than shoulder-width, and pulled up. As this happens, the elbows flex and the shoulders adduct and extend to bring the elbows to the torso.
The muscle-up is an advanced strength training exercise, within the domain of calisthenics. It is a combination routine of a radial pull-up followed by a dip. Variations exist for the rings as well as the bar.
The inverted row is an exercise in calisthenics. It primarily works the muscles of the upper back—the trapezius and latissimus dorsi—as well as the biceps as a secondary muscle group. The supine row is normally carried out in three to five sets, but repetitions depend on the type of training a lifter is using to make their required gains. This exercise is lighter on the joints compared to weighted rows. The exercise can also be performed with mixed, underhand, or overhand grips with either wide or narrow hand placement. The exercise is also known under various names such as supine row, bodyweight row, Australian pull up or "horizontal pull-up".
A power tower, also known as a knee raise station, and as a captain's chair, is a piece of exercise equipment that allows one to build upper body and abdominal muscle strength. When only the forearm pads alone are used for performing abdominal exercises, the power tower requires minimal arm strength as it is stable and movement occurs in the hips and torso. The equipment commonly has a backrest and forearm rests that form the chair, with vertical handles at the ends of the arm rests. The word "power" comes from the addition of other powerful arm exercises such as parallel horizontal handles for performing dips, a pull-up bar attached to the top for chin-ups and pull-ups, and push-up handles that are usually found on the bottom for Atlas ("deep") push-ups.
The rear delt raise, also known as the rear deltoid raise, or rear shoulder raise is an exercise in weight training. This exercise is an isolation exercise that heavily works the posterior deltoid muscle. The movement is primarily limited to the two shoulder joints: the glenohumeral joint and the scapulothoracic joint. Scapular movement will also cause movement in the sternoclavicular joint and acromioclavicular joint. If the elbow bends during the extension exercises, it gravitates into a rowing motion.
During a Pull-Up the muscles that are mainly worked are those of the upper body and the arms.
14. Chinning The Bar (illus 15) Hang .. with your hands over the bar
45 Bodybuilding, Self-defense Courses .. Tensile Contraction - by mail .. The Bodybuilding Center, P.O. Box 146-PS-6 Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Behind neck chin up: .. Use an overhand grip.
Take a wide overhand grip on the chinning bar and slowly hoist your body up until your chin is just above the bar.
Natural-Hands Grip: .. palms of your hands turned to the front .. Reverse-Hands Grip: .. palms of your hands facing your body .. The Neck Chin .. a wide natural-hands grip(paper edition, ISBN changes to 0-668-05625-8 for cloth edition)
Chin Ups: Take a fairly wide grip on a chinning bar, palms away from you .. Close-Grip Chin-Ups: Hands are close together on the chinning bar, palms away from you .. Reverse Grip Chin-Ups: Use a curling grip (palms toward you)2 photographs depicting an overhand (palms forward, pronated) grip and captions:
More Difficult: Use a wide-grip with .. your palms facing away from your body.
grasp bar with overhand wide grip
grasp bar with overhand wide grip
grasp bar with wide overhand grip
a command will not mandate that Marines must use the overhand grip when executing pull-ups or flexed-arm hang