How to Do Chin-Up: Muscles Worked & Proper Form

Muscles Worked in Chin-Ups

Primary muscles worked:

• Lats

Secondary muscles worked:

• Biceps
• Rear Deltoids
• Forearm Flexors
• Rotator Cuffs

How to Do Chin-Ups

1. Grip the bar with a supinated grip (palms facing you), about shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your chest up, and look up at the bar.
3. Inhale and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, or the bar touches your upper chest.
4. Exhale and lower yourself with control until your arms are fully extended.

Commentary

Chin-ups train both your lats and arm flexors effectively. With a supinated grip like in this exercise, you make it possible to focus even more on your arm flexors, if you want to.

You can make the exercise heavier by adding extra weight, i.e. in a weight belt, or make it easier by slinging a rubber band around the bar and under your feet.

Many people are slightly stronger in this variation than in regular pull-ups (with a pronated grip), which makes this a good step on the way, or entry-level exercise, for you who are training to do your first pull-up.