Pull Up – Chin Up Workout
When I first started doing pull ups I didn’t like them at all. Probably because I couldn’t do that many. I wasn’t even sure exactly which muscles were being worked.
As I got better at them I started to come around. I can’t imagine not doing them now. With the variety of hand positions you can get a tremendous upper body workout plus develop strength.
Before going into the hand positions let’s differentiate between a pull up and a chin up. A pull up is when your palms are facing away from you. Chin ups are when your palms are facing you.
Each one works your muscles in a different way. Pulls ups work more of your back and forearms while chin ups concentrate on your biceps.
I use a doorway pull up bar which allows for a few different hand placements. Some offer more positions and then there’s the standard straight bar which offers the fewest.
For the basic pull up place your hands on the bar around shoulder width apart, palms facing away.
Your feet should not be touching the ground. Pull up until your head is above the bar and chest nearly touches it. Lower yourself back down. That’s one.
Placing your hands further apart will focus more on your lats. Brining them in closer to approximately six to eight inches apart will work the lower lats. Both of these with palms facing away.
Switching to a reverse grip or palms facing you will work your biceps more. You can vary your hand placement just as with a pull up. Narrow, shoulder width and wide. Some pull up bars will let have your palms facing each other, also working the lats.
Depending on the day I will do two or three sets of 8 to 10 reps. Or I will just keep going until I can’t do anymore.
Those are the basic techniques.
Once you get comfortable with those try a few others. What’s been called a combat grip is when one palm is facing you and the other is away.
Putt a towel over the bar and holding that with one hand and your other on the bar. Since one hand is lower than the other , it makes the one on the bar work harder. And then of course there is the one handed pull up.
You can get some ab work in as well. Hang from the bar palms facing away or each other. Then raise your legs in front of you forming your body into an ‘L’ shape and hold. See how high you can raise them.
Gregg Carter is passionate about helping others transform their bodies and their lives through physical fitness. His website The Fit Pros concentrates on fitness programs and exercises that can be done at home. He also provides free motivation and support.
Fitness instructor Danielle explains and demonstrates the differences between chin ups and pull ups. This is the seventh video in the series produced by www.DoorwayPullupBars.com.
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