Chin ups: Overhand or Underhand?

[Chubrock]

Yeah it does matter. Chin-ups and pull-ups work different muscles. Pull-ups are also about twice as hard. If you are going to say the grip doesn't matter than everyone would be doing chin-ups because they could lift much more that way.

No, it doesn't. If your goal is to build a bigger, stronger back, it isn't going to matter.

[OGROK]

No, it doesn't. If your goal is to build a bigger, stronger back, it isn't going to matter.

Yeah it is, unless you are taking steroids or some ****. Changing the grip makes the exercises different enough that the name changes -- the muscles worked are also different.

[Chubrock]

Yeah it is, unless you are taking steroids or some ****. Changing the grip makes the exercises different enough that the name changes.

On the contrary. If you're at the appropriate level to cycle, you're may or may not be at a point where you need to worry about the small stuff. Judging by your comment, I'd say you're far from that level. To quote several of the more astute members, who hardly post anymore, worrying about your grip or OMGZZZ a 30 degree incline as opposed to 35 degree incline is like focusing on painting the house before the foundation has been laid.

[Anthony]

Yeah it does matter. Chin-ups and pull-ups work different muscles. Pull-ups are also about twice as hard. If the grip didn't matter than everyone would be doing chin-ups because they could lift much more that way, which would theoretically lead to better gains, which isn't the case.

Once you achieve respectable numbers with one grip, your other grips are going to be comparable to the point that it just doesn't matter.

Btw, how many chinups do you have?

[LouPac]

Once you achieve respectable numbers with one grip, your other grips are going to be comparable to the point that it just doesn't matter.

Good point. With chins I can probably do 10lbs more, but I tire out with just as many chins as I do with pull-ups.

[Negi]

mmm i was doing 50kg (3 sets of 10) with pullups (palm facing me) but when i tried palms facing the other way i couldn't lift that haha

[OGROK]

mmm i was doing 50kg (3 sets of 10) with pullups (palm facing me) but when i tried palms facing the other way i couldn't lift that haha

When the palms are facing you, that is a chin-up, not a pull-up.

[smalls]

Yeah it is, unless you are taking steroids or some ****. Changing the grip makes the exercises different enough that the name changes -- the muscles worked are also different.

Go ahead and give us some actuall proof of this. And not just your uneducated, biased opinion.

The best part is that the EMG studes have actually been done (although there are problems with such studies) that show the different emphasis placed on different muscles, but overall the same muscles are being used. But something tells me you dont have the ability to research them, and you would obviously interpret them incorrectly.

No, it doesn't. If your goal is to build a bigger, stronger back, it isn't going to matter.

This man is correct.

[piff]

Why is it that some people have such an easier time with chin ups rather than pull ups if its all the same muscles? Just from my own experience, I find chin ups easier so that's why I've been focusing on wide grip pull ups

[smalls]

It puts the bicep in a much stronger postition. Which is going to be the main muscle difference as the bicep isnt activated very well unless it is fully supinated. But as far as your back is concerned hand position changed very little. Just make progress at whatever movment you choose to do.

[Brad263]

I do overhand on my back day because it concentrates more of the work on your lats and I do underhand on arm day because it concentrates more on your bi's. So it matters what you want to work. Back overhand arms underhand, while both grips will work both these muscles the concentration of which muscle is taking the most heat changes from grip to grip. Just like doing a wide grip bench press or a narrow grip bench press, wide does chest narrow does tri's.

[smalls]

I hope the original poster got the message that it's not going to matter. Do both, do one, do mixed. Just get stronger at them and eat more calories than you burn.

[tyciol]

technically a chinup would be palms facing towards you and a pullup would be palms facing away/overhand

Bumping thread to criticize this silly new-age technicality.

Who started this pullup = pronated and chinup = supinated crap?

This must have began in the late 90s or something because I have about 6 bodybuilding books produced in the 80s which use the terms pretty interchangeably.

If anyone's interested, I will find and scan pages which show it being called 'chins' or 'chinups' when people are using an overhand grip.

Even browsing Google Books I found a good example of this:


This image is from a 1952 manual by the US army on physical reconditioning which can be freely read here:

https://play.google.com/store/books/...AAAYAAJ&rdot=1

I'm sure there are numerous other examples. Chinning has included overhand grips for a long time. The move to exclude overhand grips and call them 'pull ups' is a new movement, and one that seems incredibly lame.

Chin-ups and pull-ups work different muscles.

I tire out with just as many chins as I do with pull-ups.

Give it up, you're doing it wrong

Here's a book from 1884 (which you can also get for free at http://books.google.ca/books?id=dKACAAAAYAAJ&num=16 ) which uses the term "pulling up" (obvious predecessor to pull-up) to describe underhand grips:

[tom183]

Why is it a 'silly' technicality?

[Iplan]

I can feel a difference ----- as a lot of people have already mentioned palms out (pullup) is much more back/lat ordeal. Palms facing you (chinup) hits biceps/ lats.

A better question is "What is the difference between a Romanian Deadlift and a Straight leg Deadlift?"

[Alex.V]

Not much difference in level of lat engagement. The main difference is that pronated puts the elbow flexors in a much weaker position, as well as puts the lats in a less effective position. It's more challenging not because it's a better exercise, but because it's less natural, anatomically.

[cphafner]

Why is it a 'silly' technicality?

That was a random bump. Guessing someone voted in the poll

[chris mason]

I would do both. Each are unique movements that will hit the body differently.

[Texas Ranger]

Do them both for complete back & bicep development.

[tmor6]

Do them both for complete back & bicep development.

Yes, do them both and you will have "complete" back and bicep development. No deadlifts, rows, pull downs, curls or anything else needed...

I'm assuming that's not exactly what you meant, right?

[pavnick]

I do both, they are just great.

[FearFactory]

It is a trick question...

Neutral is the best. Overhand = weakest position = your back most likely won't fatigue first. Underhand = stronger position, so you are giving your back a better chance to fatigue first. Neutral = strongest position for your biceps and forearms = back gets the most work through the ability to do more "work".

[tyciol]

Why is it a 'silly' technicality?

To clarify: it's not distinguishing the grips that is wrong, just the names that've been chosen for them. Overhand/underhand is better since that's how people would describe lat pulldowns or rows or curls anyway.

A better question is "What is the difference between a Romanian Deadlift and a Straight leg Deadlift?"

Stiff-legged means keeping a fixed knee angle, I figure (in that case we should probably call them stiff-kneed, since the hip joint's part of the leg too I thought).

Romanian shouldn't even be called a deadlift, it should be called a Vladlift, after Nicu Vlad, the Romanian who popularized the lift. It begins at the top, with the eccentric, so it's not a dead lift. It's an undead lift.

Neutral is the best. Overhand = weakest position = your back most likely won't fatigue first. Underhand = stronger position, so you are giving your back a better chance to fatigue first. Neutral = strongest position for your biceps and forearms = back gets the most work through the ability to do more "work".

Another great thing about neutral grip is I find when I do them on the gym grips that at the top, you can pull the top of your shoulders/traps into the other bars.

Maybe that limits the peak contraction or something but I find it feels great since you can pull as hard as you want without moving (like added isometric resistance) since the grips stop you from going up further.

[Yosh86]

I've trained solely on overhand chin ups (pull ups) for a while so overhand is way easier for me. I've noticed that doing underhand chin ups now really stresses my wrists and shoulders. I'm thinking that it is a shoulder girdle flexibility issue from only doing pull ups for years. To hold the horizontal bar, my arms and shoulders have to rotate inwards for chin ups and it is very uncomfortable. Does anybody else have that pain?

[r2473]

It's an undead lift.