1. Starting Position
To get in the starting position for a chin up popper, first find a bar that will work to hang on. The bar needs to be high enough so that you're hanging, and strong enough to hold your weight. Grab the bar with your palms facing towards your body, your arms shoulder width apart. You should be at a dead hang, with arms straight. The only difference between chin ups and pull ups are that with chin ups your palms face towards you, and with pull ups they face away from you. You are now ready to begin chin up poppers.
2. Pop Up Properly
From the starting position, pull yourself up quickly until your chin clears the top of the bar. Touching your nose or forehead to the bar is an incomplete chin up. Incomplete chin ups are common for beginners who aren't strong enough to fully pull their body weight up. After reaching your chin to the top of the bar, lower yourself slowly back down to the starting position.
3. Flex Those Fingers
The key to chin up poppers is pulling yourself up quickly from the starting position and clearing your chin over the bar. Of course, proper form is absolutely necessary. Hold the bar with your fingers, not your palm. Holding it this way prevents callus formation on the hands. Take a deep breath in at the bottom, before beginning the chin up. Keep your chest up and look up towards the ceiling. Focus on keeping your elbows pointed towards the floor to engage more muscles, specifically in your back. Keep your knees bent at all times and your feet crossed. Squeeze in your glutes on the way up.
4. Common Mistakes
The most common mistake while doing chin up poppers is failing to do a whole chin up. Every repetition you must return to the dead hang position and pop yourself over the bar. Remember to keep your legs in line with your torso. As you get tired, they will want to come forward, but avoid letting them do so. Don't use your hips to propel yourself up over the bar.
5. Warnings
Chin up poppers are an explosive strength exercise. To avoid injury, be able to do a regular chin up before attempting a chin up popper. In order to get the form and technique right, have a personal trainer or other experienced lifter spot you the first few times you attempt a chin up popper.
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