Chins or Lat-Pulldown

[David]

Hey, fellas - I find chins to be very hard.
I've been doing Lat-pulldowns since I have started working out...my question is should I continue doing the Lat-pulldowns till I can pulldown my own bodyweight, and then switch to the chins...or should I just drop the pulldowns and work more on the chins...or should I do both???
Thanks in advance, guys!

[The Canadian Oak]

im just doing bent over bb rows and lat pull downs to strengthen my upper back because i cant do a full chin only several half chins,i do all three in hopes to be able to do full chins someday

[David]

Hey, dude - thanks for the post...but you didnt answer my question! LOL

Anyone else?

[Scotty the Body]

I get a better workout on my back doing chins over pulldowns, not sure why but I'd try doing the chins.

Try doing 50 chins, doesn't matter how many sets you do, just do 50 total.
I also found once I could do 8 in a row, adding some weight realy helped to get my reps up.
I still use pulldowns to warm up on.

[Maki Riddington]

Ther really is no corelation between lat pull downs,and chins.One is a closed chain while the other is a open chain exercise.

[chris mason]

I would recommend you do the chins. Doing chin-ups always seemed to be more effective for me. They definitely work the back differently than pulldowns. I believe you work more of the musculature of the back because your lower body is not held in a fixed position. Similar to the difference between free weights and machines. More involvement to stabilize the body.

[Chris Rodgers]

I used to use pulldowns before I could do chins, but once I built up some strength I started doing chins. If you can do them then screw the pulldowns.

[degsta]

Whats the deal with the 50 reps total on chins? I've seen many people talk about them including LP, i just dont know why you wouldnt use a regular set scheme (3x8)??

And another thing is: why not do every other exercise just based on reps and not on given number of total sets? I already know the answer, I just wanna see some replies.

[Joe Black]

I would stick with chins..

Even though I too cannot to very many I still have noticed a difference in my lats form this exercise, and this is why I am sticking with them and trying to go heavier..

Do you have a spotter when doing these ? If you can get a few extra forced reps out then this may well help you get more each week..

Just stick with them and start your workout with them so you are fresh and strong..

[Anthony]

Chins, without a doubt.

[gino]

I agree with hulk. When I first started doing chins regularly a couple years ago, I could only do very few reps on my own, so I would have my workout partner spot me. I'd get 5-6 reps on my own and a few more with some help. I can now do about 15 super strict reps without any help. I would try doing pullups once in a while, but would always become discouraged when I could only do a few. Only when I started doing them regularly, did my reps start increasing and my lats start growing.

[Smokey1856]

I am actually starting to put these in my back workout. Just like Gino, I would do them every once in a while and get very discouraged cause I could only get a few out. But plan on sticking with them this time around and hopefully get the reps higher and higher.

Just be sure to warm up before doing them. Cause figure if you weigh 180, when was the last time you sat down and started right off with lat pulldowns at 180lbs. But that is basically what you are doing if you don't warm up and stretch before doing chin-ups.

Smokey

[Paul Stagg]

The 50 number is one of those arbitrary things, kinda like 20 rep squats. 19 and 21 work just as well, right?

The point is that if your pullup/chin has stalled, the 50's allow you to change your progression a bit, and force your body to adapt.

Normally, we are trying to add one rep, or add weight. REducing the number of sets is another perfectly good way to progress, and 50 reps gives you a nice round number to shoot for, with a reasonable amount of sets.

Now, if you can't do 6 reps or so on your first set, I wouldn't go with that approach. I would try negatives first.

[gino]

And as smokey said, warm up before your working sets. I like to do 2 or 3 LIGHT warm ups on the pulldown machine. I put the pin on only 50 or 60 and do a slow controlled set of 15. I'll then increase the weight up to 90-100 and do 10 reps. Remember, these are EASY warmups with weights I could do 50 times. NOW I'm ready for my 3 sets to failure.

[IBLiftin]

The correct answer is both, don't just stick with one excersize, switch it up. I do chins when I'm lean cause I can do 3 sets of 15-20 reps. When I'm nice and plump from bulking I would barely do 10 reps for 3 sets so I do lat pulldowns.

If I had to choose one it would be chins though.

[gino]

Agreed. I actually do them every other week. I do them on weeks that I don't do deadlifts, which I have restricted to every other week. Deadlifts take so much out of me that I find pulldowns to be a better option, since pull ups are so taxing. Sometimes I'll do both deads and pullups, but more often than not I don't do both in the same workout.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

What a wuss...;)

[gino]

I know, I know...:)

[kat]

Well, hey, if you guys couldnt do very many chins before, then I dont feel so bad now :D I cant do pulldowns (home), so my pathetic chin reps have to suffice for now.

[David]

Alright, guys - thanks for the info.

I will start my back workout with 2 light sets of pulldowns, followed by 3 sets of chin ups. At my gym we have this machine that you place your knees on, and it helps you do chins if you have trouble with them, it's really neat.
I'll keep you guys posted on how the chins go.

[Maki Riddington]

Triple P I beleive your reffering to the Gravatron.