Topic: chinups?

[riskysix]

Hey guys,
 
Stole my brother's Iron Gym, and I've been trying to up my chin-ups quota (almost every time I go into my room i do a few, except if I'm in a hurry to get to work...). my question is, are these just as effective as pullups for increasing upper body strength? I mean obviously it's two different muscles that you're working, but I just want to know if doing chinups will help with PK movements, or if I should start mixing in pullups. Thanks!

[Chris Salvato]

It's all pretty much the same unless you are doing heavy weighted or can barely do 5.  In that case, the biceps are more involved in a chin, typically, whereas the pull uses less bicep due to an inefficient length they are placed in by the pronation of the hands.

[Sat Santokh]

i think neurologically it makes more sense to do pullups just so that you get used to having your arms forwards

[Chris Salvato]

That's one school of thought, yes.

Another is that chinups work the biceps more thoroughly so, if you are interested in muscle gains, chins are a good movement to load as opposed to pulls.

Even so, in both of these cases the effects are minimal after you have a basis of strength behind you, imho.

[Shae Perkins]

i think neurologically it makes more sense to do pullups just so that you get used to having your arms forwards

I think what Sat is saying , is that pull ups may be more beneficial for functions sake. A pronated grip will probably be more common i.e climb-ups, muscle-ups, ect.

[riskysix]

tanks all 

[Chris Salvato]

i think neurologically it makes more sense to do pullups just so that you get used to having your arms forwards

I think what Sat is saying , is that pull ups may be more beneficial for functions sake. A pronated grip will probably be more common i.e climb-ups, muscle-ups, ect.

Yup, I knew what he meant.  In my experience and opinion I don't really think the difference is that stark, though, once you can do 15 of each and can add weight to your pulls/chins.  To be clear, my main assertion is that its a matter of preference, at that point.

[Shae Perkins]

i think neurologically it makes more sense to do pullups just so that you get used to having your arms forwards

I think what Sat is saying , is that pull ups may be more beneficial for functions sake. A pronated grip will probably be more common i.e climb-ups, muscle-ups, ect.

Yup, I knew what he meant.  In my experience and opinion I don't really think the difference is that stark, though, once you can do 15 of each and can add weight to your pulls/chins.  To be clear, my main assertion is that its a matter of preference, at that point.

Haha that was actually directed at riskysix, but that is an interesting view. You don't think there is much of a difference between supinated and pronated?

[Sat Santokh]

It seems like it also might be safer on your arms to kip with a forehand grip, but its all just speculation

[riskysix]

sorry... kip with forehand grip? catchy, but I don't know what that is!

[Steven Low]

If you're flaring  your arms out to the side there is a difference in biceps and lat recruitment.

However, if you're keeping your elbows oriented forward (which you should be), there is pretty much no difference in pullups vs. chinups so therefore it will not matter.

[Shae Perkins]

If you're flaring  your arms out to the side there is a difference in biceps and lat recruitment.

However, if you're keeping your elbows oriented forward (which you should be), there is pretty much no difference in pullups vs. chinups so therefore it will not matter.

Why should I be?

[Spencer B]

If you're flaring  your arms out to the side there is a difference in biceps and lat recruitment.

However, if you're keeping your elbows oriented forward (which you should be), there is pretty much no difference in pullups vs. chinups so therefore it will not matter.

Why should I be?

Yes Steve, what's wrong with wide grip pullups?

[TraceuseDS]

If you're flaring  your arms out to the side there is a difference in biceps and lat recruitment.

However, if you're keeping your elbows oriented forward (which you should be), there is pretty much no difference in pullups vs. chinups so therefore it will not matter.

Why should I be?

Yes Steve, what's wrong with wide grip pullups?

I don't think he's talking about wide grip/narrow grip. If you go and try to do a pullup, you'll notice that your elbows can point in different directions when you bend them, no matter which grip you're using.

Sounds like he's saying to make sure the elbows point/track forward and back when you're pulling yourself up, rather than letting them bend so that they point off to the sides.

Steve, correct me if I'm wrong...

[Steven Low]

1. Flared out elbows is not used in Parkour (at least in any efficient technique).

2. Flared out elbows in pullups as well as bench, pushups, shoulder press, etc. all have high incidences of injury (at least anecdotally), and they are incorrect technique (bench/pushups are better 45 degrees to more tucked)... generally speaking of course. Press is elbows forward

3. Only reason for doing wide grip pullups with elbows out is for lat development.. and there's better exercises for lat development... like back lever, front lever, etc.

[riskysix]

Okay... elbows forward, got it. 

[Spencer B]

1. Flared out elbows is not used in Parkour (at least in any efficient technique).

2. Flared out elbows in pullups as well as bench, pushups, shoulder press, etc. all have high incidences of injury (at least anecdotally), and they are incorrect technique (bench/pushups are better 45 degrees to more tucked)... generally speaking of course. Press is elbows forward

3. Only reason for doing wide grip pullups with elbows out is for lat development.. and there's better exercises for lat development... like back lever, front lever, etc.

Hmmm... I didn't really know about the second one, and the first one seems like common sense... The third one..

I must be doing something wrong in my levers then... I can hold a OLFL for about a second or two and a full back lever for a few solid seconds, but my lats definately aren't the weak link in them... So either I'm doing them wrong or my OAC training has made them that strong... Hmmm... Now I'm worried about my form on my levers... 

[Steven Low]

1. Flared out elbows is not used in Parkour (at least in any efficient technique).

2. Flared out elbows in pullups as well as bench, pushups, shoulder press, etc. all have high incidences of injury (at least anecdotally), and they are incorrect technique (bench/pushups are better 45 degrees to more tucked)... generally speaking of course. Press is elbows forward

3. Only reason for doing wide grip pullups with elbows out is for lat development.. and there's better exercises for lat development... like back lever, front lever, etc.

Hmmm... I didn't really know about the second one, and the first one seems like common sense... The third one..

I must be doing something wrong in my levers then... I can hold a OLFL for about a second or two and a full back lever for a few solid seconds, but my lats definately aren't the weak link in them... So either I'm doing them wrong or my OAC training has made them that strong... Hmmm... Now I'm worried about my form on my levers... 

Second is def true.

OAC definitely builds lats very strong.. after  I got like 3-4 OAC it gave me the strength again for an iron cross + able to do front and back lever no problems

[Spencer B]

1. Flared out elbows is not used in Parkour (at least in any efficient technique).

2. Flared out elbows in pullups as well as bench, pushups, shoulder press, etc. all have high incidences of injury (at least anecdotally), and they are incorrect technique (bench/pushups are better 45 degrees to more tucked)... generally speaking of course. Press is elbows forward

3. Only reason for doing wide grip pullups with elbows out is for lat development.. and there's better exercises for lat development... like back lever, front lever, etc.

Hmmm... I didn't really know about the second one, and the first one seems like common sense... The third one..

I must be doing something wrong in my levers then... I can hold a OLFL for about a second or two and a full back lever for a few solid seconds, but my lats definately aren't the weak link in them... So either I'm doing them wrong or my OAC training has made them that strong... Hmmm... Now I'm worried about my form on my levers... 

Second is def true.

OAC definitely builds lats very strong.. after  I got like 3-4 OAC it gave me the strength again for an iron cross + able to do front and back lever no problems

Hmmm... So the levers are very much lat based? I know it's the largest muscle in the upper body, but I still wouldn't have suspected that. I generally feel strain from the front lever in my shoulder muscles particularly the Deltoids, I think it is.

[Steven Low]

There's some on the delts, but all of the levers, cross, etc. are primarily pecs & lats