Pull Ups vs Chin Ups: What's The Distinction? What Muscles Are Worked?
If you asked any smart fitness instructor or strength coach to note the top 5 workouts most of the population should be doing, pull ups and/or chin ups (or lat pull-downs) will usually be on every list.
It's just generally considered among the very best exercise variations for building muscle and increasing strength in the back and biceps. It's likewise a common "test" exercise used to show you're at a particular level of strength and physical condition.
I of course agree with this entirely, which is why every workout regular I ever create will ALWAYS contain some kind of pull up, chin up, or lat pull-down motion.
The problem nevertheless is that lots of people don't appear to realize that pull ups and chin ups are NOT the very same thing. They're similar workouts for sure, but using their names interchangeably is just flat out wrong.
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In fact, there are actually several differences and pros/cons in between them, and you 'd require to know them all to determine which one genuinely is finest for you.
So, here now is a break down of the significant distinctions between bring up and chin ups ...
( * KEEP IN MIND * Whatever in this post likewise applies to lat pull-downs just the same.).
Distinctions In Grip.
The first and most apparent distinction in between a pull up and a chin up is the type of grip being used.
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Pull Ups = A pronated (overhand) grip where your palms point outwards so that they are dealing with away from you. The most common grip width is simply somewhat broader than shoulder width.
Chin Ups = A supinated (underhand) grip where your palms point inwards so that they are facing you. The most common grip width is shoulder width.
There are a few other less typical variations of these exercises that include other kinds of grips, but I believe the only other one genuinely worth pointing out now is the neutral grip.
Neutral Grip = A "semi-supinated" grip where your palms are facing each other.
Distinctions In Movement.
While both exercises take place in the vertical pulling movement airplane, and they both mostly target the back (specifically the lats) and biceps, the way they do it is slightly various.
Bring up usually use shoulder adduction, where the elbows come down and back from the sides.
Chin ups on the other hand usage shoulder extension, where the elbows boil down and back from the front (neutral grip suits this classification too).
The distinction isn't substantial and it does not make one workout much better or worse than the other.
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It just indicates that both workouts train the lats in a somewhat different method, and if your goal is to construct muscle/get more powerful (and avoid overuse injuries), it would most likely be a great concept to avoid constantly ignoring one kind of motion in favor of the other.
Differences In Strength.
Chin ups put the biceps in a stronger line of pull, so many people will normally be more powerful at chin ups than they are at pull ups.
For example, if you can usually do 10 chin ups, you might just have the ability to do 6 bring up. And if you're utilizing a lat pull-down device with these grips or doing pull ups/chin ups with included weight, you'll frequently find that you can use more weight with chin ups than you can with pull ups.
Similarly, most beginners to either workout (or simply beginners in general) will generally discover that they're able to do a chin up before they can do a pull up.
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For me though it's in fact the other way around, which is definitely unusual and kinda unusual. Because pull ups were the only vertical pulling exercise I did during my very first few years of training, it's most likely. For many people however, chin ups will be your more powerful exercise.
Distinctions In Which Muscles Get Worked.
Again, both exercises will mainly train your back/lats and biceps no matter what. Nevertheless, there are some small distinctions in the degree in which those muscles get worked.
Since chin ups put your biceps in a more powerful line of pull, they'll typically hit your biceps a bit harder than pull ups will.
Alternatively, pull ups might hit your lats a bit harder, mainly as a result of your biceps remaining in a somewhat weaker position.
Grip width also contributes here too. The narrower your grip is, the more it will train your biceps. The broader the grip, the less it will train your biceps.
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Now, it was always thought that the distinction in lat/biceps usage in between bring up vs chin ups was quite substantial. Current EMG testing reveals that, while these distinctions absolutely do exist, it's not that considerable and certainly not deserving of being the sole choosing aspect in choosing one workout over the other.
I will mention though that if you tend to have an issue in fact feeling and utilizing your back throughout back works out instead of your biceps, you might benefit from utilizing pull ups instead of chin ups when trying to remedy this issue, a minimum of initially.
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Differences In Safety & Comfort.
Like ANY weight training workout, both chin ups and pull ups are perfectly safe ... unless you do something incorrectly. There's simply way a lot of dumb things I've seen people do during these exercises to cover them all here, so I'll just simply state to utilize correct form constantly.
However, there are some other general suggestions to keep in mind with these workouts.
For beginners, any type of pull up, chin up or lat pull-down done behind the neck is possibly one of the worst things you can do for shoulder health. Some individuals can do it this way for years with no problem ever, but many people will usually develop issues in time. I do not advise it.
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At the same time, a VERY large bring up grip is another typical cause of shoulder injuries. Individuals (typically dumbasses and clueless bodybuilders) tend to think a VERY wide grip equates to VERY large lats. Um, no.
A VERY wide grip just means a VERY lowered range of movement and a VERY high danger of shoulder issues. I personally don't suggest utilizing a grip any broader than simply a little beyond shoulder width.
Beyond that, people with a pre-existing history of shoulder problems might discover that a chin up grip is a little less demanding on their shoulders than a bring up grip. On the other hand, some individuals might discover that a pull up grip is a lot more comfy for their wrists and forearms than a chin up grip.
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And in regards to being the most general comfy and possibly safe grip for people with one or both of the above problems ... it's probably the less-often-available neutral grip. Once again, that's just a generality.
A great deal of individuals will never ever have a problem with any kind of grip. And the ones that do will just need to experiment and figure out which one feels best for them.
Which Do I Advise and use? Which Is Best For You?
I honestly like and utilize both exercises, but if you put a gun to my head (and why would you ever do such a thing?), I 'd state that I personally like pull ups made with a somewhat broader than shoulder width grip more than any other kind of chin up or lat pull-down variation.
My current personal record with this grip is my body weight plus an extra 65lbs for a solid 6-8 representatives (UPDATE: presently at 80lbs for 6-8 reps). It is among my all time favorite (and strongest) exercises.
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This is nothing more than pull ups chin ups a personal choice. I do not think this grip will work any much better or faster than anything else ... I just personally feel greatest and most comfy with it.
So then, which will work better and much faster for you? Which would I most often advise?
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Well, putting the true finest answer of "do what's finest for you" to the side for a second, I have actually found that the best (and safest) results originated from utilizing a mix of various grips.
Maybe do pull ups for lower representatives one day, and after that chin ups for greater associates another day (like I suggest in The Muscle Building Workout Regimen).
Maybe do chin ups for 8 weeks, then pull ups for the next 8 weeks. If your health club has neutral grip manages offered, perhaps consider that a shot for the 8 weeks after that and after that begin the cycle over again with chin ups.
Obviously, if you find that a specific grip feels more or less ideal for you, you need to make the obvious wise choice of using that grip more or less frequently. (And if you're presently unable to do any with your own body weight, here are some alternative exercises to consider.).