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Chin-up

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Muscles worked

High load
Lats
Medium load
Biceps
Low load
Core, Forearms · Flexors, and Upper back · Teres

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Grip the bar with the palms facing you at about shoulder width and hang with the shoulders engaged. Pull until the chin clears the bar without craning the neck, keeping the chest tall, then lower slowly to a full hang. The supinated grip loads the biceps more, so build up gradually — this is where elbow tendons get overloaded if you jump in with too much volume.

Form cues

  • Supinated grip loads the biceps more
  • Chin clears the bar without craning

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

ShoulderElbow

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Harder variants