# Wide Grip Chins



## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Now im looking to add these into my workout.

I understand, the only way to get good at these is too actually do them.

At the moment i can only do 2 reps in one go at the most.

Whats the best way to go about getting better at them ?

Doing 2 reps inbetween exercises and at the end of the session ?

Standing at the bar and doing 5 sets of 2 ?

Just wondering, thanks.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2008)

cable pulldowns i would of thought until you are pulling your weight then convert to pull-ups


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## Ashcrapper (Jul 3, 2008)

get a spotter to help you do a few reps, do low reps, high sets for a bit.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Mrdaveyk said:


> cable pulldowns i would of thought until you are pulling your weight then convert to pull-ups


Would that be classed as Lat Pulldowns ?

Or something diff ?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2008)

yeh sorry i tend to use different names for the same technique










when you do pull ups do your arms give out before your lats? if so try a finger grip with some straps, incredible bulk advised me on this and can get a hell of alot more reps in


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Id say its the lats.

It jus feels like theres nothing there to like push me.

hard to explain


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## Fabion Drivenne (Jul 20, 2008)

maybe if you like get yourself to the highest position of the movement without having to pull yourself there (ie stand on somethin or get somone to help you) and do really slow negatives for a week or somethin then give them a go after that?


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## Robsta (Oct 2, 2005)

Just keep doing as many as you can mate. It'll come with time as the muscle gets stronger. I do them every back workout as a warmup excercise


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## Lost Soul (Apr 5, 2008)

nathanlowe said:


> Now im looking to add these into my workout.
> 
> I understand, the only way to get good at these is too actually do them.
> 
> ...


What are you looking to do nathan?

1 build a big back

2 build a stronge back

3 be good at chin/pull ups

4 use them because they are deemed 'semi esstional' by folk

If its 1, no need to do them, especially if you are battering your CNS and doing 1-2 reps

If its 2, use some of the techniques the guys have said or work in that lower rep range on your other exercises on the vertical plane to build strength

3 have someone spot/aid you, do negatives, do cheat reps on a lat pull down ....etc etc

4 dont bother again, my back has come on no end since losing them... why you may ask when people say they are so good? because people happily either sacrafice form, work in the wrong rep range or cannot find ways of stimulating the back in a more efficient manner

No doubting chins are good and have their place but are not essential, especially for body builders

I have swapped them for unspported lat pull downs and doubt i will go back for a long while


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Lost Soul said:


> What are you looking to do nathan?
> 
> 1 build a big back
> 
> ...


Im looking for a combination of 1 and 2 but i also wouldnt mind being able to hit our 5 or 6 wide grip chins.


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## BabyYoYo (Mar 7, 2008)

Maybe use an assisted chin machine if your gym has one and gradually decrease the weight as you get stronger. So far I'm using a 25kg assist... not long before I get to do them bodyweight alone!

x


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## ghostdog (May 14, 2008)

I get my training partner to give my feet a little boost up as I start failing - few weeks ago I could manage 3 sets (6 reps, 4 reps, 1 rep) and now I'm making 8-10 reps and looking for a belt to hang a plate on. not saying it's essential, hell it might even be wrong for most; but a spot and a few negative reps have seemed to help me a lot.


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## oggy1992 (Aug 13, 2007)

i cant even do 1 lol, infact probs be able to push out 1 at the most lol

they are hard, can do pull ups but not wide grip chins too hard.


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## Robsta (Oct 2, 2005)

I did 5 sets of 10 reps earlier....


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## S_Soldier (Jun 25, 2008)

I like them. Didn't used to be able to do them and felt a bit of a tit when I started doing them especially as I'm packing a decent size and felt like the gym would be laughing at me. Utter nonsense of coure and totally psychological.

It was worth persisting with for a month or so and now I find I can get 4 sets of 10 reps out quite easily. My backs gone much bigger since I started doing them.

However, as LS said, they're not the be all and end all of a big back. It's about finding what stimulates the muscles to start growing. I reckon they worked for me because I'd neglected doing them over the years.

I'm finding that I don't get sore doing them now though so I just use them as a warm up like Robsta said.


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## Fabion Drivenne (Jul 20, 2008)

i used to be able to do like 20 a coupla years ago when i was 7.5stone lol, didnt keep doin them as i put weight on n now i can only do about 7 max : / wana get them upty a decent number again cause am joinin the marine reserves


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## Charno (Jan 18, 2008)

Yeah I'm in the same position as some you fellas, I can do maybe three or four with decent form before I start hoiking (a technical term) myself up with my arms and shoulders. I've never tried narrow grip chins since they incorporate the biceps more and I use the wide grips in my back workout.

I usually do about three or four, then two then...I go assisted just to feel like I've got some strength at all.

I've really progressed in the past few months at dips, but the wide grips are just at a standstill. They have been for as long as I can remember. I might do some lateral pull downs as suggested, never thought to try them to to improve my wide grip chins.

I do watch some people do a good few reps but they hardly seem to be moving at all, doing partials at best, really fast. I try to go all the way down and all the way up. It's a killer. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.


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## leebo (Jul 8, 2008)

I love wide grip chins, I have been training with a guy who could not do 1 a year ago now he can do 10 perfect with extra weight! just keep at it- i started with doing 4 then 10 then 12 then 15 then added weights for resistance! :bounce:


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## Lost Soul (Apr 5, 2008)

nathanlowe said:


> Im looking for a combination of 1 and 2 but i also wouldnt mind being able to hit our 5 or 6 wide grip chins.


Feel free to decide which of the 3 goals you want in that statement as I was kinda hoping you would not say all 3 as this is the reason you will not really ever do it at this stage

They all are very different skills/outcomes with a different protocol to boot, the closest being strength and the 5 reps.

The size doesnt really fit in there


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## JackStewart (Jul 22, 2008)

say u can do 2 today try doing them most days durring a week as 2

then the next week try and do 3

and keep increasing , your body will get use to it.

i would say slowy build wont take long for you to get more 8-10

if i can do 8 you can! xD


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## Guest (Jul 26, 2008)

i did them yesterday, forgot i put on weight could do 7 on perfect form, last 3 i kept lifting my knees lol


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## paulo (Feb 17, 2007)

Robsta said:


> I did 5 sets of 10 reps earlier....


thats what i do -or 3x8 with 20k on belt and lats are good also hits arms

then seated rows -back knackrd after that


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

Robsta said:


> I did 5 sets of 10 reps earlier....


But you're 'ard innit??!! 

How heavy are you Robsta?

I'm 17st and can manage about 20 on the first set,10-12 on the second etc til i drop to about 6reps.

Maybe i should hold back and just do 10,10,10,10,10??(if i can obviously:whistling


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## ANABOLIC-EDGE (Apr 28, 2008)

I do 3 X 6 reps with 40KG but as people have said its hard to feel the back with chins.

Just keep trying them twice a week, try with close arm aswell etc.


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## Inggasson (Jul 13, 2008)

I started doing these 2 weeks ago in place of lat pulldowns as I was assured it's a better mass-builder for the upper back. I'm not surprised! I was steadily and easily lat-pulling 80k for reps, and i weigh 92k, so it was a very hard switch. The first week, I only managed 6-5-4 and then last week I managed a full 3 x 8, which was awesome.

The trick is to pull yourself up by squeezing your back rather than torquing through your arms. It sounds so much easier than it is!

Good luck with your quest for a broader, more detailed back with this awesome exercise!


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## Robsta (Oct 2, 2005)

BLUE(UK) said:


> But you're 'ard innit??!!
> 
> How heavy are you Robsta?
> 
> ...


I'm 220 lbs at the moment......Doubt if I could do 20 reps in one go, not strictly long arm to top anyway.....


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

20 is some going but i am almost fark'd after doing that set hence just 10-12 for the second set.

Still it's some pulls at 220lb 5x10.

Ohh,mine are always right down and right up.....or at least it feels like that when i do them. 

I must also add,that in my years of training,i have seen very few people doing chins,dips,etc but i regularly used to see the usual 'yank as hard as you can on the pull downs,but it dont matter that you're lying down....and squeeeeeeeeeeeeeze' types.


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## Five-O (May 21, 2006)

It is sad to see how ppl cannot do basic bodyweight exercises these days, assisted chin up machines....wtf is that all about...??

Dipping and chins are some of the basic movements everyone should do, I even had my missus doing sets of 10 the other year, she put most fellas in the gym to shame, now Im not saying I can do them for hours...but they do increase strength in other exercises IMO.


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## JawD (Sep 15, 2004)

I do chins and they have been my nemesis for ages. Best thing I done firstly was loose the assist. I think that was stopping my progress. I used to blame my bf% but when it came to it, it was strength. So, I changed from the machine to te cable machine that happens to have high grips (higher than the actually chin station - go figure). I do four sets. When I first started I was doing something like 3-3-2-2. I done these today and done 6-4-3-3. For me, I just try to make sure I add one extra rep onto one of the sets each week. Its tough like, very. A mixture of sore hands (Ive done deadlifts before these), and generally tired. But, I keep going back for more. I kinda enjoy the challenge now. Oh, these are close grip palms facing though, not sure if there is benefit over wide / narrow grip or overhand / underhand grip.


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

Couldn't agree more Five-O.


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## dru0111 (Aug 28, 2007)

I don't like chins. I can't do dips either because of elbow trouble. I agree with LS on this, great exercise but not essential. Ive done ok without.


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## Five-O (May 21, 2006)

Liquid chalk works great for adding reps on chins IMO, try it fellas.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Five-O said:


> It is sad to see how ppl cannot do basic bodyweight exercises these days, assisted chin up machines....wtf is that all about...??
> 
> Dipping and chins are some of the basic movements everyone should do, I even had my missus doing sets of 10 the other year, she put most fellas in the gym to shame, now Im not saying I can do them for hours...but they do increase strength in other exercises IMO.


I can do most bodyweight exersises but this one.

I can do pressups

underhand pullups narrow width

overhand chins but not to wide

supine rows

and only 1 or 2 wide grip chins.


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## Five-O (May 21, 2006)

nathanlowe said:


> I can do most bodyweight exersises but this one.
> 
> I can do pressups
> 
> ...


Wide grip chins are going to be harder than a narrower stance tbh mate, the movement of the muscle being worked is also reduced, I actually use a slightly wider than shoulder width one when I do mine, I actually feel it works the back more, but thats me.

You will or should hit the side of the lats with wide grip more, and a bit more of the lower/mid trapezius with a narrower one....all IMO.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Yeh ino pal. I was just stating that its not as if i cant manage other easier bodyweight exersises.

As if i couldnt manage underhand pullups or supine rows, then im probably not going to be able to do wide grip chins.


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## Five-O (May 21, 2006)

nathanlowe said:


> Yeh ino pal. I was just stating that its not as if i cant manage other easier bodyweight exersises.
> 
> As if i couldnt manage underhand pullups or supine rows, then im probably not going to be able to do wide grip chins.


yeh ino aswell pal.. :whistling:

I think you thought my "ppl don't do bodyweight exercises" was directed at you, it wasn't in particular bud. 

Props for wqanting to rep out more on them and do them. :thumbup1:


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## Incredible Bulk (Sep 19, 2007)

i love chins, weighted or bodyweight.

some exercises work for some, some they dont...all personal preferance


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

Five-O said:


> Liquid chalk works great for adding reps on chins IMO, try it fellas.


Yeah right!! :cursing:

Only last week or the week before i was using chalk on my power rack chin up bar-which is very knurled-and it gripped my skin to the point it felt like it was being stretched/ripped/twisted/etc....needless to say i perservered with such pain in the hands.

....best bit was,i had a mate here also and he was suffering too so it made it a laugh!! :lol: :lol:

I tend to use these....


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## Five-O (May 21, 2006)

BLUE(UK) said:


> Yeah right!! :cursing:
> 
> Only last week or the week before i was using chalk on my power rack chin up bar-which is very knurled-and it gripped my skin to the point it felt like it was being stretched/ripped/twisted/etc....needless to say i perservered with such pain in the hands.
> 
> ...


lol...it does tend to do that, ive got permanent callouses from doing them with chalk...lol

Those type of gloves tend to make me concentrate too much on grip instead of "feeling" the exercise, but if they work for you and others mate thats all that matters :thumbup1:


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## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

Five-O said:


> It is sad to see how ppl cannot do basic bodyweight exercises these days, assisted chin up machines....wtf is that all about...??
> 
> Dipping and chins are some of the basic movements everyone should do, I even had my missus doing sets of 10 the other year, she put most fellas in the gym to shame, now Im not saying I can do them for hours...but they do increase strength in other exercises IMO.


Too right. :thumbup1:

If your pretty serious about training then you should be *able* to do at the very least half a dozen (more i personally think) of ANY bodyweight exercise, even if you dont use them as a staple mass builder


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## BLUE(UK) (Jan 9, 2008)

Five-O said:


> lol...it does tend to do that, ive got permanent callouses from doing them with chalk...lol
> 
> Those type of gloves tend to make me concentrate too much on grip instead of "feeling" the exercise, but if they work for you and others mate thats all that matters :thumbup1:


Yes,i try and do the first few sets without the grabbers and if my grip is fading i use the grabbers.

I'll give the chalk a try again on Friday cos i'll be doing my back but this time i'll use a bar(non knurled) on my punch bag bracket(yes its heavy duty!!). 

Ohhh,i dont have a weights stack for any cable work so i have very little choice....unless i just did 'rows' one week and chins the next but instead i try and do both.


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