Once you are strong enough to do lot of Australian pull-ups and negative pull-ups, you
will be ready to start working on chin-ups. As with the flex hang, it is easier for beginners
to start with an underhand grip first.
If you’ve gotten pretty good with Aussies but you still can’t manage a single pull-up,
here’s something to practice. Get under the bar with your feet resting on a step or bench
(or use a lower bar if you have access) so you can grab the bar overhead with your feet flat
and elbows slightly bent. From here, you can assist yourself by jumping into the pullup.
Jump as hard as you can and in time you will be able to initiate the movement with a
smaller jump and eventually without jumping at all.
Getting an Assist
Having a trainer or training partner to spot you can be very helpful while you are
learning to do pull-ups, just make sure they don’t do too much of the work for you. I
find it best to spot someone on their back rather than holding their feet as it allows me to
adjust how much help I am giving them.
You might need a little extra help initiating the movement as well as during the last few
inches, but the idea is for the spotter to make you really work for it. It is important to
discuss this with your workout partner to make sure you are on the same page. If they’re
giving you too much help, you’ll never build up the strength to do it on your own.
One more thing, steer clear of assisted pull-up machines that allow you to rest your
body on a platform. They provide too much stability and therefore do not require the
core strength needed for an actual pull-up. You’ll never build to the real deal with this
type of machine. Beginners who don’t have a spotter are better off practicing pull-ups
using a rubber exercise band.
PULL UP!
After you can do a dead hang chin-up, you may begin training for the classic pull-up
(overhand grip just wider than shoulder width). You may need to go back a step and
practice flex hangs and negatives with an overhand grip in order to prepare your body for
a pull-up, as you won’t be able to use your biceps as much as you do with the chin-up.
When you use an overhand grip, you’ll need to engage your lats as the
primary mover. It is for this reason that beginners who can do several
chin-ups will still often struggle with the pull-up. Though the lats can
potentially become bigger, stronger muscles than the biceps, deconditioned
individuals are more likely to have some bicep strength from everyday
activities, while their lats will be nowhere near their full potential.
The key to overcoming this is not to think of the pull-up simply as an arm exercise.
Your lats are doing the bulkof the work, followed by your shoulders, chest and abs.
Rather than simply focusing on pulling your chin past the bar, think
about squeezing your whole body tight and pulling your elbows into your sides while
keeping your chest up.
This will help you recruit more of your muscles. Remember the concept of total body tension discussed earlier. When you are performing a pull-up you must keep your body rigid.
The pull-up is actually one of the best abdominal exercises out there. Beginners are often surprised at how sore a day of pull-up training can leave their abs.
Here is video tip for improving your chin up skills.
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