Chin-ups are one of the best exercises for packing on muscle and testing relative strength.
However, most people suck at them and never do them. Or, they think they are better than they actually are at performing the exercise and never truly reap the benefits.
I’m here to give you for quick tips on how to not suck at chin-ups anymore!
Aren’t you all damn lucky!
So, here we go!
1. Lose some body fat: If you aren’t great at chins or can’t do any, get your diet in check and drop some L-B’s. Fat is non-functional tissue that will slow you down in more ways than one. Chin-ups are one. So ditch the snickers and grab some broccoli.
2. Don’t go to failure: If your last rep looks like you are a 14 year old having his first orgasm, you are going to fry yourself out and actually lose strength. Always keep one CLEAN rep in the tank so your Central Nervous System can actually recover from the set. Remember quality, not quantity.
3. Use eccentric reps: If you can only do a few reps (1-5) use eccentrics to help build some lat strength and body control. The eccentric phase is the part of the rep that the muscle is lengthening, in this case, the way down. Grab the bar and hop to the top position so your chest is at the bar. From that point, begin slowly lowering yourself to full extension for a count of 3-5 seconds to get down. Do a few sets of 3-8 reps to start. If you cannot control yourself down for a slow count try using a band to help assist you.
4. Complete full repetitions: So many people destroy the chin-up. They usually jump to the bar on the first rep, lower themselves 1/2 way down and just bring the chin back up over the bar in the top position. That does nothing. Start by grabbing the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart. Start in a dead hang position (full extension of the shoulders and elbows) with legs straight or bent at the knees. Pull your shoulders down while keeping your back arched as you begin to pull, your chest should come all the way up and touch the bar in the top. With control (about 2 seconds) lower yourself back down to the starting position and repeat. Most people that say they can do 37 Chin-ups try them this way and only get about 4. Check your ego at the door and start doing them right. Then watch your results and progress sky rocket.
I Hope this helps guys. If you liked this post please hook a brother up and share on social media. It will truly mean the world to me.
Until next time friends,
Keep training hard!