Chin-ups

Purpose

• excellent upper body pulling movement
• great bicep and lat builder
• high tension in muscles when fully stretched

Execution

Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand grip (palms facing you), hands approximately shoulder-width apart. Hang fully extended from the bar, shoulders packed down. Brace your trunk.

• initiate the movement by pulling your elbows down toward your ribs
• pull your body up until your chin clears the bar
• squeeze your lats and biceps at the top position
• lower yourself with control, fully extending your arms
• maintain tension throughout the movement

When you get stronger, add weight with a belt. When the weight gets heavy, use momentum to get up, focusing on controlled negatives to maximize the stretch stimulus.