Wide grip pull-ups vs narrow vs chin-ups

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Slacker16
Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm curious, I love to do bodyweight exercises and pull ups are my favourite. I do three variants: chin-ups (palms away from me), narrow grip (palms towards me, hands the width of shoulders) and wide grip.

Wide grip pull-ups are easier than narrow but I've started avoiding them because they seem to strain my elbows. I do mostly narrow grip pull-ups and switch to chin-ups when I start to get tired because the movement is easier to initiate.

Are there major differences between the three? I know chin-ups hit the arms more, but is that difference big?
Also, how do the risks of injury compare? Thanks

Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    They generally all activate the same set of muscle groups, but in different intensities. A wide grip pull up will activate your posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and lats to a greater degree. While narrow grip chin ups will activate your biceps to a greater degree.

    In terms of elbow sheer, I'm not really certain as I haven't looked at any studies regarding them. But I generally advise a mixture of different grips and widths for the pull/chin-up variations.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    there's no reason not to mix all of them into your workouts in order to stress different sets of muscles. AFAIK, they are all around the same as to stress on the elbow, but YMMV. the only variant i would avoid is behind the neck pull ups (or lat pull downs) as they run a greater risk to the shoulders.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    there's no reason not to mix all of them into your workouts in order to stress different sets of muscles. AFAIK, they are all around the same as to stress on the elbow, but YMMV. the only variant i would avoid is behind the neck pull ups (or lat pull downs) as they run a greater risk to the shoulders.

    Are the behind the back variations mainly due to a lack of shoulder mobility?
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    I suffer from a autoimmune disease that attacks my joints as well as tendons & organs.

    When I do wide grip, it affects my elbows too. It irritates the tendon on the side of my elbow. Its basically the feeling of tendonitis or the slang tennis/golfer's elbow depending which tendon it is flaring.

    Its not unusual for this to happen to someone who is more considered a novice lifter as well.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    there's no reason not to mix all of them into your workouts in order to stress different sets of muscles. AFAIK, they are all around the same as to stress on the elbow, but YMMV. the only variant i would avoid is behind the neck pull ups (or lat pull downs) as they run a greater risk to the shoulders.

    Are the behind the back variations mainly due to a lack of shoulder mobility?

    puts them at risk for impingement issues. improving shoulder flexibility *and using proper form* helps all things and honestly, lots of people can do behind the neck pull ups and behind the neck presses forever and never have a problem. someone else will do them for a few months and partially tear a rotator cuff. if you can do them and never have any pain or discomfort, go ahead, just be prepared to bail on them at the first time of trouble.

    honestly, i don't know if any of that is true. i did behind the neck presses all my life with no issues, but now i'm a broken down old man that's scared to get hurt, so i've let all the newfangled warnings scare me off my game. oh well, better safe than sorry, i guess.

    *kicks rocks*
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I have started doing more narrow grip for my wide grip due to the stress on my elbows....

    There was a study I read a while back talking about the various grip positions.....and the benefit of the various grips was negligible...
    So pick the grip that works best for you and go with it.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
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    When I do wide grip, it affects my elbows too. It irritates the tendon on the side of my elbow. Its basically the feeling of tendonitis or the slang tennis/golfer's elbow depending which tendon it is flaring.
    This is exactly what I'm talking about.
    I feel like a d-bag saying this, but I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem. I was afraid it was a sign of bad form.

    Since the general consensus seems to be that there's very little difference between them, I'll stick to mostly narrow grip and chin-ups. No sense causing myself pain for nothing. Thanks.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    I'm curious, I love to do bodyweight exercises and pull ups are my favourite. I do three variants: chin-ups (palms away from me), narrow grip (palms towards me, hands the width of shoulders) and wide grip.

    Not to split hairs, but chin-ups are the ones with a supinated grip (palms towards you) and pull-ups are the pronated grip (palms away). Wide grip pull-ups are a little more lat-focused, as would be any wide-grip pulling, and chin-ups bring in a little more bicep, but aside from that they're using mostly the same muscles and joint comfort is definitely more important. Most people find chin-ups easier than pull-ups.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I'm curious, I love to do bodyweight exercises and pull ups are my favourite. I do three variants: chin-ups (palms away from me), narrow grip (palms towards me, hands the width of shoulders) and wide grip.

    Not to split hairs, but chin-ups are the ones with a supinated grip (palms towards you) and pull-ups are the pronated grip (palms away). Wide grip pull-ups are a little more lat-focused, as would be any wide-grip pulling, and chin-ups bring in a little more bicep, but aside from that they're using mostly the same muscles and joint comfort is definitely more important. Most people find chin-ups easier than pull-ups.

    yeah- i was absolutely going to say it.

    Chins/Chin-Ups- are palms in... palms away are actual pull ups.

    nuetral grip (palms facing each other) or palm IN- are all very bicep driven- I believe they are actually a far more efficient bang for your buck bicep workout than actual curls.

    Essentially it's a body weight curl- I've done them on a TRX- brutal. But great.

    Huff covered everything else I would have said as well.
  • FrustratedYoYoer
    FrustratedYoYoer Posts: 274 Member
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    Thanks for this post. I want to start incorporating these sorts of exercises but wasn't sure where to start and now I do :-)
  • marclife
    marclife Posts: 7
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    Elbow tendinitis from wide grip pull-ups has forced me to only do close grip pull ups. I have long arms for my body and I suspect that has something to do with it. like someone has already said, the difference in wide and close is negligible. Do the movements that don't aggravate your body.

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