Chin-ups vs. Pull-ups

[Ikefis]

behind the head are not healthy for your shoulders, but if it works for you...

[darrinclement]

for 95% of people, pullups are slightly harder than chin-ups; for some, they are much harder but for most people, it's just a little harder; for example maybe you could do 6 chinups but only 5 pullups.

[kit9999999]

which is harder for you?

[irushhhh]

is that the powerline ppr200x rack i see?

[darrinclement]

@irushhhh - honestly, I do not know. Sorry!

[ljw4445]

Thanks a lot sir. It helped a lot :)

[MetaIhead89]

so which one is better?

[wubs23]

they target different supporting muscles.

[Sebastian198004]

None. They simply target muscles differently. They also "feel" different.

[MetaIhead89]

@Sebastian198004

I see. Which one is better for building thickness? chin-ups?

[Sebastian198004]

@MetaIhead89 Thickness? As in muscular hypertrophy (I.E. Muscle growth)? The answer is again none. Chin-ups (Supinated palms) work more the biceps, while pull-ups (pronated palms) work more the latissimus dorsi. If you want muscular growth, you can do either. But do them very slowly and control the motion.

[MetaIhead89]

@Sebastian198004 ahh I see. well thanks for the reply

[altroval]

Great video.

There's a million videos floating around on Youtube with dudes doing 30+ chinups with their nose barely above the bar and the elbows still cocked 30 degrees (or more) at the end of the negative.

These chinups are the genuine article.

[sparwood8]

@altroval

Even if you only do them eyes to the bar; you are still working the lats

[heshtech]

@altroval Yeah i'm on a program to try and achieve 20 pull ups. Half way through the program i've realized that pull ups are a bit dodgy in the sense that as you say you can do them to different heights, lower your body less. You can also get that hip swing into it (some call it kipping but thats where you actually jump off the ground). I think if you are to do a strict pull up with no hip swing you actually aren't working your lats only your arms

[Morain42]

keep doing them everyday and do negetives aswell an you'll be able to do more

[NorwegicusOnAstick]

.... Im ready to collapse after 5 chin ups. :/

[Cutufrum]

will pull doing pull ups get rid of man boobs? Or at least strength the upper chest muscles?

[darrinclement]

nope - not the right exercise for that. best thing for man-boobs is fat loss through eating better (while also lifting weights of course). But just adding muscle under the flab won't improve appearance.

[spartan1893]

o its ok mate, umm im thinking maybe i wrote,sumtin..i think one of your comments said u pulled a lower back muscle, and i asked howd you do it maybe or maybe i asked do you ever do weighted pullups, and one handed pullups, or mayeb both idk :) keep up the training tc

[darrinclement]

hey spartan1893 - I found the original question - you asked if shoulder presses increase chest mass. short answer - no. shoulder presses, depending on form and variation, might activate a little of your pecs, but not enough to "add mass". Horizontal presses (bench press, pushups, flyes, etc.) are much better for chest mass.

[sparwood8]

@darrinclement

Dips = hard, but they make you work ... elbows out for chest, closer in for tri's, Look up for triceps (arch the back a bit), lean forward for chest. If you go low enough to get a right angle bend on the elbows, you don't need to go much lower... maybe another inch.

No spotter neded

[MATTUKA]

@darrinclement hey man u r pritty fit and have a good body im wondering ur age coz ur fit man anyways great vid

[darrinclement]

@MATTUKA - thanks. I'm in my 40s.

[MATTUKA]

@darrinclement man i would of said early 30s hahaha good man good on you cuz

[sparwood8]

@spartan1893

I seen a guy do 20 reps with a 45 lb plate tied aroung his waist. Scary strong

[soulrevolver908]

push ups man it works your chest and triceps

[tyciol]

I'm confused, if narrow emphasizes lats, what does wide emphasize?

[CertifiedPG]

wide works the whole lat muslce. close makes the lower muscle pull most of the weight making the lower lat stronger.

[darrinclement]

@flippinman2008 - That's cool. I've certainly heard some people say to not do them behind the head, but I've looked for scientific research to validate that view, and come up with nothing. In fact, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research recently had an article showing that behind the head pulldowns (e.g. nearly the same motion) did activate different muscles than doing them in front and didn't show any negative effects from behind the head. I'm always up for learning more though!

[TheTruthHurtsYup]

@darrinclement behind the head strains your shoulders more and you can risk a injury to your rotator cuff. Who cares about working your muscles ever so slightly different if you risk a injury which puts you out of commission?

[darcy30693]

dont do the one where you put it behind your neck. its an unatural body movement because it is on the limit of your range of motion.

[dankiller25]

so tru haha

[revrev0]

haha he does

[TheGibbousPhase]

You sound like Ray Romano, dude. :)

Thanks this really helped me. Appreciate it.

[gleny2472]

thanks i kept on doing it wrong in the gym but now it's alot easier and more rewrding thanks so much!

[williamxxog]

its HARD

[flemboy11]

im 14 i tryd ur chin up way wid my legs behind crossed nd it like pulls on my muscles

[jordanhowlett94]

im 14 and it shouldnt rely pull on ur muscles just do normal chin ups and if there to easy hold a weight inbetween ur legs while doing them

[Feddex123]

welcome to exercise...

[darrinclement]

By "front pull-up", I mean pulling so that the bar is in front of your head. In contrast, with a pronated grip (hand over bar) you *could* do them behind the head. Anyway, the comment sluegey asked about was mixed grip (one hand facing one way, one hand facing the other) which would be awkward to do behind so you should do mixed grip in front.

[zamorachristian1]

@darrinclement are you renting a place cause if so then this must be in ottawa with a family named walker im just guessing nice video btw

[sluegey]

What is the advantage of mixed grip pull ups? Does it work one particular muscle group over another?

[darrinclement]

I'm not sure there's much science to support the mixed grip being vastly different than a front pull-up, but many guys like it because it's a "blend" in terms of muscles worked. Also, some guys report that the mixed grip lets them handle heavier loads (added weight) without their grip failing. For me, I add them in a few times a year just to prevent boredom.

[Luggerful]

A mixed grip is used generally for dead lifts to allow you to grip more weight. I can't foresee any advantage with using a mixed grip for any type of pull ups.

[tyciol]

Usually when you mix grip in pulling it's when you want to shift more emphasis to the supinated side since it's usually stronger. You also have to work against rotational forces since it wants to neutralize you in a commando pull

[zixoxi]

which one is the beste for biceps?

[eckmilligano]

close grip chin ups... palms facing... you are best for biceps.

[batmanzerozeromatrix]

Good functional power many people only do part pull ups nice to see you do full pull ups.