T Nation

Chin-ups and Soreness

Beginners
#1

I’m doing Starting Strength (5th week in) and I do chin-ups every workout. Thing is, when I first started doing them (first 2 weeks or so), my biceps and back were sore.

Now, the only thing that gets sore is my under-forearm (I have no clue what muscle that is, muscle that is between elbow and hand that is on the side of you palm, not back of hand). It gets really worked while im doing the chins, but thats the only muscle that does.

It isn’t sore the next day, but does this just mean my grip strength is not strong enough to do a chin-up? (im unable to do chin-ups without assistance)

#2

What grip are u using?

#3

do heavier deadlifts it you want to improve your chinup grip strength

#4

[quote]cyph31 wrote:
do heavier deadlifts it you want to improve your chinup grip strength[/quote]

um if he has troubles holding on when he does chins, unless he is like 300+lbs i doubt he will be able to do “heavy” deads

as for chinups just keep doing them, and make sure you do full range of motion.

i couldnt do a single chinup when i started, and after 2-3 training sessions of my friend assisting me i was able to do around 1-3 and now afew months later i can do around 10-15,

make sure you do the full ROM, and go as hard as you can dont half ass it and you should be doing them yourself really soon (unless you are obese) then it takes longer

#5

If you are experiencing pain/tenderness on the ulna side (pincky side) of your arm by your palm from using a chin-up grip, that is not a muscle. I tore cartlidge in my rest years ago, had surgery, from climbing. May be something else, I don’t know, but I would seriously watch it. If you dont get the same pain doing deadlifts, regular grip pull-ups, neutral grip stuff, etc. I would be careful. Do you get the same pain when doing heavy BB curls?

#6

No one can even give you a guess with some sort of certainity. You didn’t say how much you weigh nor how much assistance you are getting!

If you want to know if you have the grip strength to do a chinup, go test your grip by hanging from a chinup bar!

#7

I deadlift 275 1x5 with a mixed grip (weight goes up 10-20 pounds per week, doing Starting Strength). Im not strong enough to do a chin up unassisted, but I really don’t have a good way to assist myself with chin ups, so I just put my feet on the safety bars in the power rack and try to use them as little as possible. I’m 6ft 195 pounds right now, for those of you that are asking.

#8

try negatives instead maybe

#9

What it sounds like is that you’re squeezing your hands too much. Try thinking of your hands as hooks- just allowing you to hold on- pull with your BACK. I like doing chin-ups because I get a real good mind muscle connection with them. Also- you’re not getting sore because your body is getting used to take exercise as well as being used to working out in general.

Try changing to pull-ups for a while to give your body something new to do. Soreness doesn’t mean growth. Don’t worry about not being able to do a chin-up by yourself. As long as you’re getting more reps with the same assistance or reducing the amount of assistance- you’re getting stronger.

#10

[quote]Evolv wrote:
If you are experiencing pain/tenderness on the ulna side (pincky side) of your arm by your palm from using a chin-up grip, that is not a muscle. I tore cartlidge in my rest years ago, had surgery, from climbing. May be something else, I don’t know, but I would seriously watch it. If you dont get the same pain doing deadlifts, regular grip pull-ups, neutral grip stuff, etc. I would be careful. Do you get the same pain when doing heavy BB curls? [/quote]

Not to derail this, but I have this EXACT problem. Can you tell me where I can find more info about it or what it is exactly. I figured it might be like shin splints but in the arm and seems to be ok with alot of massaging.

#11

Used to have exact same pain, as well as when I was doing bb curls. Trained, got stronger and the pain is now completely gone.

#12

[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Not to derail this, but I have this EXACT problem. Can you tell me where I can find more info about it or what it is exactly. I figured it might be like shin splints but in the arm and seems to be ok with alot of massaging.[/quote]

Yea, look up TFCC tear or repair. You, and the other guy, may have a totally seperate issue. But none the less, I started to experience a very minor sensation and I kept climbing thinking it was nothing major, and a year later I couldn’t even do a pushup or pronate and supnate my hand. Anyway, I had surgery on it, lot of atrophy, and lost a ton of weight, so if I can maybe help someone not go through that…
Here’s one link I found on it to get you started: http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/handwristsurgery/g/tfcc.htm

Wouldn’t fret too much, Doc told me if I had seen a doctor when it started that simple PT would have fixed it. I was stubborn and learned my lesson.