Chinups VS Pullups

[Progress]

Hey, I just wanted to clarify the differences between chinups and pullups....

I'd always heard that pullups were where its at for lat development, particularly concentrating on using the back to do the lifting and not using the biceps too much.

Wide grip pullups especially seem to hit the lats for me, and I'm getting reasonable progress there so far I suppose. I haven't yet done much with close grip pullups, like with that angled closegrip handle thing slung over the pullup bar... but I am meaning to.

Chinups I have totally neglected since getting into working out regularly, but do think I should start doing them too. From memory they seemed to be much more about bicep than pullups right?

I do see "chins" recommended in several threads here for lat development and other things? So still a solid back exercise too, but less so than pullups?

I'd be really interested to hear some thoughts from you lot on the real world benefits gained from closegrip/widegrip pullups compared with close/wide chinups. Cheers

[gazza]

i always thought that the biomechanics were the same? just different names for the same exercise various widths and grips but the same thing? :?

[Progress]

I *think* there are a lot of similarities between, but the arms facing towards or away puts different emphasis on the bicep power? As a result the pullup loads up the lats more as the bicep takes a backseat?

[Luigi]

if your worried about it just do a few sets of them both :nod:

[Progress]

Oh yeah I intend to. As I said, just interested to hear some thoughts on the benefits of both from people more experienced in this workout game than me

[vegas_warrior_nz]

I like wide grip overhand grip pullups as I need width and im not so worried about depth.

[deeepsouth_nz]

Chins = Overhand grip = focus on lats, Pullups = underhand grip = focus on biceps.

Personally I would leave the dumbells and barbells for biceps I dont need to do a heap of pullups to get my ego stoked, they arent that hard....but see how many people out there can do a decent number of chins properly - that is of more relevance and more impressive / functional I feel....

[Progress]

Chins = Overhand grip = focus on lats, Pullups = underhand grip = focus on biceps.

Personally I would leave the dumbells and barbells for biceps I dont need to do a heap of pullups to get my ego stoked, they arent that hard....but see how many people out there can do a decent number of chins properly - that is of more relevance and more impressive / functional I feel....

Oh, wait, are you saying that chins are overhand grip? I thought that was a pullup? This is what I've been doing lots of... (from the wikipedia pullup page)

This is weird haha, I never realized that some people call the "palms-facing-away" method chins, and others call it a pullup.

Is it a regional thing or something? I've been watching a stack of youtube videos from the US talking about all the various "pullup" methods (and using overhand grip).

Ok, so now I know why people keep recommending chins for lats :clap:

[teamfatboy]

I thought the video was a wide-grip chin-up - arms in line with shoulder, works more lats...and the close-grip, arms at right angles to shoulders, was more about biceps.

I agree with Deepsouth - even I can knock out unassisted biceps pull-ups, but wide-grip chins take a lot more out, especially if you try to take it slow, smooth, not herky-jerky style.

[Progress]

Yeah absolutely, they're pretty vicious alright. I have no idea what sort of reps are advised, but as they kick my ass with only bodyweight involved (86kg), I normally call it quits about 25 reps of those widegrip chins... particularly if I reduce the rest time OUCH. 6,5,5,4,4 or something usually.

Great start to my back workout though - the dumbbell bent over rows soon afterwards hurt the lats so much better once I've done those widegrip chins

[AlBundy]

Chins have always been the supinated(palms facing towards me) grip for me whereas pullups are wider using a pronated(facing away) grip. People reverse the terms though and it confuses people.

[Progress]

Yeah tell me about it Al! I always knew them by the same terms as you. But now that I know people do actually call em different things, I'll know to keep that in mind But yeah, it is kinda confusing, particularly for people starting out I guess

[1day]

i thought it was the same thing, some people just use the term chin up as that is the objective(to get chin up over the bar) and others just use pull up (self explained, pulling them selves up), the 2 are just told apart by either using 'widegrip' or 'closegrip' in front of them

'closegrip chinup'

'closegrip pullup'

'widegrip chinup'

'widegrip pullup'

IMO :shifty:

[Progress]

So if this is called both a widegrip chinup and a widegrip pullup, depending on who you talk to lol

And below is a closegrip chinup/pullup, again depending on who you talk to...

What is this? (With palms facing you?)

I know its all semantics, but its just a little confusing when reading about various techniques, discovering that some people call them one thing, and others call them by another name.

I'm glad I picked this up now, and not years down the track haha!

[AlBundy]

Technically speaking im pretty sure that a pullup is done with the palms facing away from you and a chinup is performed with palms facing towards you. the bottem picture is what I think of when I imagine a chinup. People can call it whatever they want but chinups and pullups are different exercises.

[1day]

i would still think that when doing close grip pulls or chins , besides fact your hands are different grips, u shud still be working the same targeted area (lats/back) as it is still pretty much the same initial movement so it would come down to more a comfort thing for the individual? :shifty:

[Flamer]

IMO - bottom pic is a chin. Top pic is a pullup - grip width can be varied for both. Chin up, although they work lats, definitely work biceps. Pullups - less bicep, more lat.

[Progress]

Yep I'm inclined to agree Flamer. I know I always get way more bicep pump from doing the chinups (bottom pic), whereas I get quite a bit more lat-awareness when I do widegrip pullups (top pic), and not much bicep at all.

Don't think I've ever really tried wide grip version of the bottom pic - wouldn't feel right would it? Elbow joints would get all graunched around.

[deeepsouth_nz]

i would still think that when doing close grip pulls or chins , besides fact your hands are different grips, u shud still be working the same targeted area (lats/back) as it is still pretty much the same initial movement :shifty:

No, due to the angle of insertion of the muscles and angle / line of pull being altered when you change your hand position, they work back and biceps to a greater or lesser degree respectively.

[ohjoshua]

Chins = Overhand grip = focus on lats, Pullups = underhand grip = focus on biceps.

Personally I would leave the dumbells and barbells for biceps I dont need to do a heap of pullups to get my ego stoked, they arent that hard....but see how many people out there can do a decent number of chins properly - that is of more relevance and more impressive / functional I feel....

agree but you have chin-ups and pull-ups confused.

[deeepsouth_nz]

Not according to Strength Training Anatomy by Delavier or Serious Strength Training by Bompa.

[deeepsouth_nz]

Also Arnie's encyclopedia....mind you he also calls an underhand grip a reverse chin I think....

[startinfromscratch]

Also Arnie's encyclopedia....mind you he also calls an underhand grip a reverse chin I think....

yep i have this, it follows the general consensus - palms toward body is a chin up, palms away is a pullup...

[deeepsouth_nz]

No no no, chins away and towards (pullups) is reverse chins in his book. BUT really I think at the end of the day - knowing which does what is te crucial thing....

[startinfromscratch]

No no no, chins away and towards (pullups) is reverse chins in his book. BUT really I think at the end of the day - knowing which does what is te crucial thing....

agreed! i think that comment answers it all, well put man!