Chin-ups are a common strength training exercise that involves lifting yourself with the help of a bar or other horizontal plane. According to a 2008 study by R. J. Sekerak and K. P. Zimmermann published in "The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness," while there are a number of factors determining the success of executing a chin-up, individuals who are shorter and of small stature have a slight advantage over taller exercisers. Although you may only feel sore in one or two places following a set of chin-up exercises, the muscles you use in completing a chin-up span a large portion of your body.
Primary Muscles
The latissimus dorsi, or "lats," are the primary muscles you use to lift your body during chin-up exercises. Starting just above the hips and extending to the posterior of the arm muscles, lats are the broadest muscle of the back and are characterized by their large, flat, dorso-lateral shape. Traditional chin-ups require that the palms face toward you as you lift yourself on the bar, yet switching the position of your hands so that your palms face away from you can provide a more intensive exercise to the outside portion of your lats.
Secondary Muscles
According to the Great Workout web resource, a complete chin-up utilizes no fewer than 12 secondary muscles ranging from the pectoralis minor chest muscle to the teres major muscles in the outer back. Additional secondary muscles utilized by the chin-up include: the brachialis and brachioradialis in the lower biceps and forearms, the posterior deltoid, the infraspinatus and teres minor rotary cuff muscles, rhomboids, lower and middle trapezius muscles, levator scapulae and biceps brachii.
Stabilizer Muscles
While the lats are primarily responsible for the burst strength required to lift and lower the body from the chin-up pole, the long head portion of the triceps are considered stabilizer muscles. These muscles are responsible for keeping your body suspended before, during and after the lats provide the strength for the lifting exercise.
Chin-Up Technique
In order to make sure you are accessing all of the muscle groups used in the chin-up, you must make sure you are performing each repetition using the proper technique. Bodybuilding Magazine recommends beginning your chin-ups by grasping the bar with your palms facing towards you and hands shoulder-width apart. Let yourself hang from the bar with your arms fully straightened in an extended position before slowly raising your chin to the bar and slowly returning. In order to fully complete the exercise, make sure you return fully to the starting position with your arms fully extended so that your upper arms and scapulae adductors are stretched during each repetition.
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