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Struggling [ Chin-ups]

dare to dream!  honestly I'll be happy just to survive BMQ without having to go to WFT
 
lol You can't think like that, think positive. Just work hard at it and you can accomplish it. If you work hard on your chin-ups till you go to basic in June, I bet you will be able to do at LEAST 5.
 
yeah I know.  once I get one, I'll be able to do 2 etc.  The whole thing is pretty daunting though.  I'm eager to get started, but I'm also scared.  Fortunately I almost always surpass my own expectations.
 
door-gym-chin-up-bar.jpg


See the type of chinups the woman is doing in this pic? These are MUCH easier to start off with, Lil_T.
If you have any of these "hammer curl style" chinup bars in the gym you go to then go ahead and use them. This style of bar engages the bicep's more and allows them to assist the Lat's much more when you do chinups. You'll notice the difference when you try them, trust me.
Some other pointers..
-The closer your hands are together on the bar, the easier the chinups will be.
-Underhand grip is ALWAYS easier then overhand grip.

If you can only squeeze out one, even of these ones, then awesome. Next time you hit the gym, go for 2. This is exactly how I started doing them and can pump out 20 easily now. I only started into the chinups seriously about 2 months ago. Which, is kind of sad considering I've been going to the gym seriously for over 18 months now.

I hope this helps. I am no personal trainer but this is what's worked for me.
Luke.
 
Although I agree with 99% of LukerB's post, I have to add that a 'overhand' grip is considered a pull-up and not a chin-up.

When I first started doing chin-ups I was lucky to get more than 1, what helped me was assisted chin-ups. I took a regular chin-up bar, put it in my kitchen doorway and attached two bungie cords together and then to it. When you step onto the cord and stretch it to the ground it will help push your body up, reducing the weight and the amount of strength needed to do a chin-up.

As an alternative assisted chin-up (if you are tall or have shorter than 7' doorways) you can use a chair to put your feet on and again resulting in lessened body weight. It works very much like doing a push-up with your knees as the contact point instead of your feet.
 
As was mentioned it is much easier with your hands closer together, I would recommend keeping them 2-3" apart to start till you can bang out 5 than start moving them further apart until they line up with your shoulders.

 
daftandbarmy said:
I suggest trying a workout or two per week at a climbing gym (or on real rock). You don't even need to rope up, just 'boulder' around a couple of feet off of the ground. It's hard going at first, but much more fun than dangling helplessly from an unforgiving overhead bar.

The added plus is that this will also help you build overall core and leg strength, as well as increase your caffeine levels (if the gym also has an espresso bar onsite).

Speaking from personal experience, climbing is a great workout, not just for chinups but for overall arm and core strength. And if, like me, anyone has a healthy fear of boring gym workouts, this is a great way to get some exercise and work on your muscles without feeling like you're actually working out.
The one thing I disagree with is the bouldering. I've tried it and I've found that because the problems are usually quite short, it's a little intimidating for a beginner and doesn't quite give the same workout as "roping up" does. The endurance that you need to push through some of the longer climbs is what really makes you feel your muscles the next day. And, for all of us ladies on this thread, if you bring a good climbing partner, you can gossip socialize and workout at the same time!  ;)
 
Luckily my chin-ups improved amazingly and I quickly went onto wide-grips. (PS in the picture I would not reccomend doing what the guy is doing (behind the back) at least not often. If you want to improve quickly go to depletion then have someone lift you by your feet and crank out another 5. At this point the person picking you up may actually be lifting a large portion of your weight which is ok. Another thing that I found out to help me was lawn mower and intercostels.
 
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