Chin-up

LatsPull-up BarIntermediate

A pull-up's friendlier cousin. Same back, more bicep, easier to own your first rep.

Muscle worked

Lats, Biceps

Equipment

Pull-up Bar, Bodyweight

Difficulty

Intermediate

Time per set

20-40s

How to perform

Step by step, every rep

Grip the bar

Palms facing you (underhand), hands about shoulder width apart. Full grip, thumbs wrapped.

Hang with tension

Arms straight, shoulders packed down. Core tight so you're not swinging.

Pull up

Drive the elbows down toward your ribs. Squeeze the biceps and feel the lats working at the same time.

Clear the bar

Go until your chin is over the bar and chest lifts toward it.

Lower under control

Slow negative, full extension at the bottom without losing shoulder tension.

Common mistakes

Avoid these

Using momentum to kick up

Takes the back and biceps out of the lift. Fix: Strict reps only. If you need help, use a band.

Stopping before the chin clears

Missing the top kills the peak contraction. Fix: Full range every rep. If you can't hit range, add band assistance.

Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears

Traps take over from the lats. Fix: Think chest up, shoulders down and back. Lead with the elbows.

Elbow pain

Usually a grip issue. Narrow grip stresses the elbow joint. Fix: Shoulder width grip, palms fully supinated. Avoid going too narrow.

Progressions

Scale it up or down

−

Make it easier

Band assisted chin up: great for building strength fast
Inverted row with a barbell in a rack
Negative only: jump to top, lower slowly

Make it harder

Weighted chin up: add a dipping belt
Archer chin up: shift weight to one arm
Tempo chin: 3 second up, 3 second down

How to program it

Sets, reps, rest

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest	Load
💪Build Strength	4-6	3-6	2 min	Weighted once you can do 8+ strict.
🏋️Build Muscle	3-5	6-10	90s	Bodyweight or added weight.
🔥Build Endurance	3-4	Max reps	60s	Bodyweight. Stop 1 shy of failure.

Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?

Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.

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