Performing chin ups in the gym will surely get looks of envy and admiration, especially if you are a woman. The chin up is the ultimate upper body exercise requiring exemplary strength from all the muscles of your arms and the ones attaching around your shoulders. Using heavy weights particularly for your back and biceps exercises
quickly improves your upper body strength, increasing the number of chin ups you can perform.
Hands and Forearms
Over 10 muscles in your hands and forearms flex to wrap your fingers and thumbs around the chin up bar. The primary muscles are your flexor digitorums that lie along the length of the palmar side of your forearms, inserting on the bones of your fingers. These muscles must concentrically contract throughout the upward and downward phases of the chin up, maintaining your grip so your hands do not slip off the bar. Concentric muscle contractions occur when your muscles contract and shorten.
Shoulders
The latissimus dorsi muscle of your back is one of the primary muscles engaged during chin ups. The rhomboids, trapezius, teres major, pectorals, deltoids and the long head of your triceps muscles assist because they cross your shoulders, drawing your shoulders toward your hands. Your back muscles, rear deltoids and triceps concentrically contract through the entire upward phase of the chin up. The pectoral muscles are concentrically activated only during the initial upward phase when you begin the chin up until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Upper Arms
The biceps brachii is the other primary muscle concentrically engaged during chin ups. The smaller brachialis muscle, lying under the biceps, is also engaged concentrically when you pull your body up during the chin up; both muscles eccentrically contract when you lower your body down. Eccentric muscle contractions occur when your muscles contract and lengthen. Normally, when you use your biceps to do dumbbell curls, you move your forearms, immobilizing your upper arm and shoulders. During chin ups, however, you immobilize your forearm, moving your shoulders and upper arms. The chin up is a closed-kinetic movement, which means your hands remain in a fixed position while your upper arm and move.
Considerations
Engaging in a regular strength training program for your entire body will make chin ups much easier. Though you should focus on heavy back and biceps exercises, strong chest, triceps and deltoid muscles will enhance your capacity to do chin ups. Vary the weight you lift so you can include multiple sets of one to five repetitions and multiple sets of six to 12 repetitions.
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