Chin-Up

A chin-up is a bodyweight vertical pull where you hang from a bar and pull yourself up until your chin is near the bar. It mainly trains your lats and biceps, with your core and upper back working to keep you steady.

Grab the bar with an underhand grip, palms facing you, hands about shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms fully straight, shoulders settled, core tight, and legs either straight down or slightly bent so your feet clear the floor.

Start each rep from a dead hang. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, then drive your elbows toward the floor as you lift your chin toward the bar. Keep your body from swinging. Lower yourself back to the starting position under control, straightening your arms fully at the bottom.

Brace your midsection at the start of the rep. Exhale as you pull yourself up, then inhale as you lower. If chin-ups are too hard right now, use a resistance band looped over the bar for assistance or a machine-assisted pull-up station. If you need more challenge, add a brief pause at the top, slow down the lowering phase, or hold a small weight between your feet or on a belt.

Fault: Swinging or kipping the legs to get up. Fix: Keep your body in a straight line from shoulders to hips to feet, squeeze your glutes and abs, and only move your arms and shoulder blades.

Fault: Stopping short at the bottom or the top. Fix: Begin each rep from a full dead hang with straight arms, then pull until your chin is at or above the bar before lowering with control.

Fault: Pulling only with the arms and shrugging the shoulders. Fix: Start the pull by driving your shoulder blades down and back, then bend your elbows, thinking about pulling your chest to the bar rather than your chin.