— ARCHIVES —
Exercise of the Month - January/February 2008: “Chin Ups ”
Like the featured exercise from December, 2007 (Push-ups), the featured exercise for this edition is one that is called a “bodyweight exercise.” In other words, the resistance utilized is one’s own body weight. I love this exercise as it can induce incredible gains in relative strength and if performed correctly, can improve the health of the rotator cuff musculature. I also like it, and have essentially all of my clients perform a version of it, as it targets a broad range of muscles collectively. Simply put, muscles are meant to work in groups and not particularly in isolation. That being said, the muscles recruited during chin-ups include the following: lats, biceps, teres major, and lower trapezius.
Not to be confused with the more challenging and different-oriented grip “pull ups,” chin-ups are performed as follows:
- Place hands in a “supinated” (palms facing you) position at should-width distance
- From a hang position, pull your body upright high enough so your chin is above the level of your hands
- Inhale as you lower your body (descend) and exhale as you raise your body (ascend)
- 2-3 sets of 6-12 repetitions are an ideal start
Now if it were only that easy, right?!?! Most of you reading this probably can’t do one chin-up. At least the folks I regularly see at the gym I frequent near my house can’t. Thankfully there’s a solution to this dilemma:
Super Bands- Distributed by Perform Better, Super Bands are used to facilitate chin-ups by providing an elastic-like motion that will assist in the chin-ups. The idea is to use thinner bands as you get stronger so you are performing more of the work as your training sessions progress. Click here to check out the Super Bands: http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_3889_A_CategoryID_E_358
A better alternative to lat pulldowns, chin-ups recruit core muscles more since you aren’t sitting. Give them a shot and let me know how you do. I think it’s a safe bet that very few people at your gym can do them so why don’t you be the one who shows them the way to a stronger back and healthier shoulders—I did.