The chinup is a bodyweight exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) and also works the bicep and forearms. It involves pulling your body up towards a bar with an underhand grip until your chin clears the bar.
Also Works
BicepsForearms
How to Perform
1
Hang from a pullup bar with your palms facing towards you and your hands shoulder-width apart.
2
Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
3
Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
4
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Initiate the pull by driving your elbows down and back rather than curling with your biceps first.
•Cross your ankles behind you and squeeze your glutes to prevent swinging and maintain a straight body line.
•Aim to get your chin clearly above the bar and hold for a brief pause before lowering with control.
Common Mistakes
•Using a kipping motion or swinging the legs to get the chin over the bar instead of pulling with the back and arms.
•Only performing half reps by not fully extending the arms at the bottom, which limits lat stretch.
•Craning the neck forward to get the chin over the bar rather than actually pulling the body higher.