The Cornerstone of Upper Body Strength: The Pullup

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  • xxthoroughbred
    xxthoroughbred Posts: 346 Member
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    Can you explain the difference between chin-ups and pull-ups? :)
    Is it just what muscles you use? Don't they essentially look the same?

    Chin-ups:
    Main Muscle Worked: Biceps
    Other Muscles Worked: Forearms, Lats
    Equipment: BodyOnly
    Mechanics Type: Compound

    Pull-ups:
    Main Muscle Worked: Lats
    Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
    Equipment: BodyOnly
    Mechanics Type: Compound

    If you've ever tried chin-ups for one month, and pull-ups in another month, you will know the difference. Chins hit the biceps harder and more directly as 50-70% of the movement utilizes the biceps, it isn't until the last 30% where you start contracting your lats which really makes it a back exercise.

    Pull-ups on the other hand, almost instantly requires the lats to pull you up. After about 10% of the movement, your laterals become predominant.

    Thanks! Is hip drive a safe technique for both of these or just the pullup?
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Can you explain the difference between chin-ups and pull-ups? :)
    Is it just what muscles you use? Don't they essentially look the same?

    Chin-ups:
    Main Muscle Worked: Biceps
    Other Muscles Worked: Forearms, Lats
    Equipment: BodyOnly
    Mechanics Type: Compound

    Pull-ups:
    Main Muscle Worked: Lats
    Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
    Equipment: BodyOnly
    Mechanics Type: Compound

    If you've ever tried chin-ups for one month, and pull-ups in another month, you will know the difference. Chins hit the biceps harder and more directly as 50-70% of the movement utilizes the biceps, it isn't until the last 30% where you start contracting your lats which really makes it a back exercise.

    Pull-ups on the other hand, almost instantly requires the lats to pull you up. After about 10% of the movement, your laterals become predominant.

    Thanks! Is hip drive a safe technique for both of these or just the pullup?

    Mmm...I don't know if I would do hip drive on a chinup because of the direct bicep involvement.
  • Giraffe33991
    Giraffe33991 Posts: 434 Member
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    Thanks Joe! I'm tired of falling off those monkey bars in my mud runs! I NEED to conquer them!
  • Ambrogio1
    Ambrogio1 Posts: 518 Member
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    I mean......................Opinions can vary on this. Chinups and Pullups are a mans exercise no doubt.
    But for me to call it the best its hard to overlook things such as bench, squats, deads. Chinups/Pullups are right there though.
    The information and quality of the post is there and many will learn from it so thats a gret job by you

    But in the scenario below I will take the dealifter
    And I will use PHRAK the guy who posted above

    Phrak. Who can deadlift 800 lbs but onlyp ullup his wiehgt 4 times
    vs
    SUPER HUMAN 10000 PULLUP GUY

    PHRAK=WINNER



    FACT

    Chinups/Pullups don't involve your legs. The biggest muscle on the human body
    Squats/Deads/Bench do.
  • HLeAnn
    HLeAnn Posts: 261 Member
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    This is awesome info! I used to NEVER be able to do a pullup. Now I can do 2 in a row! I can do 4 with palms facing me :) It just takes a lot of practice and time. Now I can't wait til I can do more!!
  • WEB3
    WEB3 Posts: 121 Member
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    Pullups are awesome!
    As a female, there is nothing more satisfying when finishing a workout to be able to bang out 10 chinups and 6 pullups!
    It took me 2 months and I could barely do one of each.
    Pullups are def more challenging but I can do the chinups from deadweight start and spot on form.
    Love em!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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    This DEFINITELY needs to be stickied, this is so helpful!

    Stickying this to my profile page. Thanx Joe!
  • brismom070897
    brismom070897 Posts: 178 Member
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    bump
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
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    Thanks! Bump!
  • bratleen
    bratleen Posts: 60 Member
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    Something to work towards, thanks for the info, Joe.
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,353 Member
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    Great info. Thanks!
  • deninevi
    deninevi Posts: 934 Member
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    Great info! Thanks!
    Pull ups are way harder, but working on them!
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Good post, but I have to disagree on the difference b/w pull-ups and chin-ups.

    Pull-ups don't have anymore back involvement than chin-ups. Just think about where the muscles attach. They dont' attach to your forearm! The reason chin-ups are easier is b/c you have more biceps activation. So you're just using more muscles, which is why the chin-up is the real king of upper body exercises and has been proven to activate more upper-body muscles to exercise levels than any other upper body exercise.

    You couldn't be more wrong.
    .

    The difference b/w them has been beaten to death pretty much everywhere. Bottom line is that they aren't much different, except that the chin-up includes more biceps activation which is why they're "easier" and probably more bang for your buck. Yes there are other slight nuances such as forearms likely being worked more with pull-ups. But if you want the details:
    A study about the differences between pull-ups and chin-ups, using EMG analysis, was published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The researchers found that both variations of the exercise were initiated by the lower trapezius and pectoralis major, and then completed by the biceps brachii and latissimus. The major differences are that chin-ups more strongly activated the pectoralis major and biceps brachii than the pull-up, whereas the pull-up more strongly activated the lower trapezius than the chin-up. To this I would add that pull-ups work the forearm muscles more and tend to put less stress on the wrists and elbows.

    Further, the study found that both variations were initiated by the lower trapezius and pectoralis major, and then completed by the biceps brachii and latissimus. However, consider that because the lats are internal rotators of the shoulders, chin-ups are not a good exercise to reverse round shoulders.
    http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/856/Chin-ups_vs_Pull-ups.aspx

    Link to the study:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20664364
  • Ambrogio1
    Ambrogio1 Posts: 518 Member
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    Good post, but I have to disagree on the difference b/w pull-ups and chin-ups.

    Pull-ups don't have anymore back involvement than chin-ups. Just think about where the muscles attach. They dont' attach to your forearm! The reason chin-ups are easier is b/c you have more biceps activation. So you're just using more muscles, which is why the chin-up is the real king of upper body exercises and has been proven to activate more upper-body muscles to exercise levels than any other upper body exercise.

    You couldn't be more wrong.
    .

    The difference b/w them has been beaten to death pretty much everywhere. Bottom line is that they aren't much different, except that the chin-up includes more biceps activation which is why they're "easier" and probably more bang for your buck. Yes there are other slight nuances such as forearms likely being worked more with pull-ups. But if you want the details:
    A study about the differences between pull-ups and chin-ups, using EMG analysis, was published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The researchers found that both variations of the exercise were initiated by the lower trapezius and pectoralis major, and then completed by the biceps brachii and latissimus. The major differences are that chin-ups more strongly activated the pectoralis major and biceps brachii than the pull-up, whereas the pull-up more strongly activated the lower trapezius than the chin-up. To this I would add that pull-ups work the forearm muscles more and tend to put less stress on the wrists and elbows.

    Further, the study found that both variations were initiated by the lower trapezius and pectoralis major, and then completed by the biceps brachii and latissimus. However, consider that because the lats are internal rotators of the shoulders, chin-ups are not a good exercise to reverse round shoulders.
    http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/856/Chin-ups_vs_Pull-ups.aspx

    Link to the study:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20664364

    Vanilla and Chocolate. Mix it up and you will be alright.

    It is a great post
  • wood2415
    wood2415 Posts: 53 Member
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    Bump
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    great info!
  • Cathy7794
    Cathy7794 Posts: 223 Member
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    If my surviving a zombie apocalypse is dependent on me being able to do pull ups, I'm so dead. :tongue:
  • lemonadem
    lemonadem Posts: 398 Member
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    Thanks for posting Joe!
  • _Khaleesi_
    _Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
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    Thanks Joe!! We actually just got a pull up bar thinnger last night!! The Boy will be happy to have this info too!!
  • shesquats
    shesquats Posts: 91 Member
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    Excellent read Joe. I am using the assisted machine so I guess from your post I should NOT be. ;o) I will search out the appropriate machine at the gym and get on this.

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