Chin ups sets

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Can manage about 8 to ten chin ups door frame home bar
But can’t do much more without coming off
What is a good amount in a set and how much rest should be in between thanks
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  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    8 - 10 is a decent amount of reps. Try pull ups as well or neutral grip to see how the difficulty changes. A minute or two of rest is fine. Taking a ten minute coffee break between sets is probably too much. Once you get to ten reps or higher you should consider getting a dip belt to add weight.
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    What’s neutral grip please
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    With the palms facing each other. Some doorway pull up bars have extensions that allow for a neutral grip.

    Chin ups use a supinated grip, palms facing inwards. Pull ups use a pronated grip, palms facing away.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Since the Marine Corps P.T. Test maxes out pull ups at 20, I'd say that would be a goal number of reps is a set. But... I'm still struggling with assisted pull ups so it's going to take a while for me.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    When you say coming off are you losing your grip?

    Spartan Race has a good program to improving your pull ups/chin ups:

    https://life.spartan.com/post/how-to-do-pull-ups
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    Can’t do pull ups yet can do about 8 chin ups then have to come off because exertion
    Then second go around it’s 5 max it’s like decline every time leave the bar and start again
    Doing negatives and lat pull downs but it’s very hard
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Can’t do pull ups yet can do about 8 chin ups then have to come off because exertion
    Then second go around it’s 5 max it’s like decline every time leave the bar and start again
    Doing negatives and lat pull downs but it’s very hard

    You can’t do a pull-up but you can do 10 chins? That makes no sense. Pull-ups are harder but not so much that you shouldn’t be able to do any. What’s your range of motion on these chin-ups you are doing?
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    Can’t do pull ups yet can do about 8 chin ups then have to come off because exertion
    Then second go around it’s 5 max it’s like decline every time leave the bar and start again
    Doing negatives and lat pull downs but it’s very hard

    You can’t do a pull-up but you can do 10 chins? That makes no sense. Pull-ups are harder but not so much that you shouldn’t be able to do any. What’s your range of motion on these chin-ups you are doing?

    Yeah, that's kind of puzzling. I would think you should be able to knock out at least 3-4 pullups if you can do 8 chins.
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    Sorry gave pull ups a go and got sore as so just quit them but tried them again can do three more with bands
    It’s was a lot easier now can do ten negatives without to much exertion
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    8 chin-ups is a good set. When you can pull off 8-10 from a full dead hang, I'd say start to add weight to it. Try to always do chin ups or pull ups from a dead hang when you can. However, when you are first building up its ok to go to 3/4. I used to do 3 sets of 10 pull ups, at 3/4 then started doing dead hangs I could only get six. I slowly built from there and a year later I do 4 sets of 6 with 25lbs around my waist. So I think its ok to cheat at first so you get used the level of exertion and also the grip strength, but once you start getting to 2 or 3 sets of 10 you should probably slow it down and do full range at a slow controlled pace. Idk maybe you are already doing that, but anyway just my thoughts. And way to go 8 chin ups even if they are not full range is more than a lot of people can do.
  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
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    Paul Wade's "Convict Conditioning" includes a great, gently progressive pull up regimen that will have you doing them one armed--eventually. There are ten steps to get you there. Sounds like you might be on step four or five already. The main reason I recommend checking it out is it will guide you forward from where are you are now but unsure how to progress.
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    Thanks for useful advice
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    I can do like 6 pull ups but then have to come off the issue is the soreness so intense get it’s different muscles to chin up and much harder
    What stretches are vital or beneficial so it don’t feel like backs been run over
    Thanks
  • Bobthedog3232
    Bobthedog3232 Posts: 54 Member
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    Also technique exhale on rise inhale descent
    Elbows 90 degrees hands over bar bringing chest to bar
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
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    Can manage about 8 to ten chin ups door frame home bar
    But can’t do much more without coming off
    What is a good amount in a set and how much rest should be in between thanks

    Do you have a goal in mind? Are you looking to be able to knock out x amount of chin up/pull up in a single set?

    Pondee629 had mentioned 20 reps and the Marine Corps, so were you thinking of going for that number?

    Adding weight on a dip belt helps a lot but isn't necessary. Be careful if that's the route you're taking because you said you were using one of those bars that hooks to the door frame and I would hate for that to come crashing down.

    Grip is often the limiting factor with hanging exercises. Hanging from the bar for extended hold periods can help but make sure to take care of your shoulders.

    I would say if you are having problems maintaining a consistent level of performance for reps on each set then it's necessary to do a few things:
    1) Don't take your sets to failure. So if you can do 8 all out to failure, try doing sets of 5 or 6. Keep your form in check.
    2) Try cluster sets.
    Instead of doing 8 all out, break it down to something like 2-2-2-2-2. Rest 20 to 30 seconds in between each set of 2 then after you hit all 10 reps, rest for a few minutes.
    3) Rest longer between sets. Against popular opinion, more rest will allow you to recover fully and be able to hit it hard again next set. You can take your first set to failure then rest 3 to 5 minutes before doing the next set.

    There's a lot that goes into program design but these tips helped me a lot to knock out 25 in a single set.

    Also, how often are you doing getting on the bar per week?
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
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    @MT1134 thank you for your sage training wisdom with pull-ups. I’m a pull-ups junkie and have tried all of your suggestions in my journey to improve pull-ups performance. It’s a perpetual work in progress and I’m currently chasing some pull-ups goals ad we speak.
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
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    @MT1134 thank you for your sage training wisdom with pull-ups. I’m a pull-ups junkie and have tried all of your suggestions in my journey to improve pull-ups performance. It’s a perpetual work in progress and I’m currently chasing some pull-ups goals ad we speak.

    Right on. I hope that helped others as well. Pull ups are an all time favorite of mine, so much that I have had to battle tennis elbow (or is it golfer's elbow?) for months. I wasn't following any program and had no goal in mind either. I was just putting them into my daily workouts at will. BAD IDEA.

    What are your current goals that you're chasing pull up wise?
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
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    @MT1134, one of my current goals is to complete 100 reps (alternating between pull-ups and chin-ups) in 20 minutes or less, I’m very close.

    I’d like to test and complete 10 wide-grip behind the neck pull-ups, something I’ve done in the past. I’d like to improve my load doing weighted pull-ups and chin-ups. About a dozen years ago, I was doing 80 lb. weighted singles for pull-ups and 100 lbs. for chin-ups.

    I’m 64 now so reclaiming what I’ve done in the past may or may not happen but I’ll have fun trying. Never had grip failure as an issue or elbow problems other than when I first began my pull-ups journey.

    Thanks for asking, train smart and be safe.
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
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    @MT1134, one of my current goals is to complete 100 reps (alternating between pull-ups and chin-ups) in 20 minutes or less, I’m very close.

    I’d like to test and complete 10 wide-grip behind the neck pull-ups, something I’ve done in the past. I’d like to improve my load doing weighted pull-ups and chin-ups. About a dozen years ago, I was doing 80 lb. weighted singles for pull-ups and 100 lbs. for chin-ups.

    I’m 64 now so reclaiming what I’ve done in the past may or may not happen but I’ll have fun trying. Never had grip failure as an issue or elbow problems other than when I first began my pull-ups journey.

    Thanks for asking, train smart and be safe.

    That's quite the feat at any age. Very impressive. Please keep us updated as you work towards your goal.