Pull-ups and chin-ups are performed using a fixed, elevated bar, and both exercises are good for building strength in your hands, forearms, upper arms, shoulders, back and abdominals, according to the U.K. Fire Service Resources website. They are intense exercises, so to improve your performance, do fewer repetitions more often, rather than a high number of repetitions less frequently.
Pull-Ups Vs. Chin-Ups
While both exercises work similar parts of your body, there is one subtle difference. Pull-ups are performed with your hands wrapped over the bar and your palms facing away from you, says BodyBuilding.com. The grip for chin-ups is with your palms facing toward you, or facing in toward each other, which makes them slightly easier to perform, says the U.K. Fire Service Resources website.
Getting Started
To assess the optimum number of repetitions for your ability, the U.K. Fire Service Resources website recommends performing as many pull-ups or chin-ups as you can in a single set, while still maintaining your form. This will give you the ideal number of reps per set that you should begin with. When you're just starting out, aim to do around 60 reps a week, taking as many sessions as you need to complete them. Regular workouts with fewer reps will build your strength quicker than less frequent sessions of higher reps.
Increasing Intensity
Once you can comfortably do 60 repetitions a week, increase the number, and continue to do so every time you notice your strength improving, says the U.K. Fire Service Resources website. You can also measure your improvement by going back to the original test -- doing as many reps in a single set as you can. You should be able to do more than you could the first time.
Maintaining Your Form
Throughout your pull-up and chin-up training program, maintain proper form. Start a pull-up by gripping the bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, says the U.K. Fire Service Resources website. Hang from the bar with straight arms, then pull yourself up slowly so you use only the strength in your torso, rather than momentum.
To do a chin-up, start with the easiest grip, palms facing you, and hang from the bar with your arms extended, as instructed by BodyBulding.com. Use your back and shoulder muscles to pull you up, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides as you bend them. Once your chin has passed the height of the bar, inhale and slowly lower your body back down to the starting position before doing another rep. Your torso and legs should remain in line throughout each chin-up.
Member Comments