Does anyone know what other exercises can be incorporated with CHINS. My back needs a lot of work!!! I try to do CHINS, but they make me feel like the biggest pussy in the gym. Yeah, I’ve resorted pulling the stupid Lat bar when a nice sweaty girl walks by. Can ANYONE suggest a way for me to either avoid the CHINS or add/change something else in the CHINS to get some better results??? I want to look DEISEL for a trip to CALI. hook up me up with some solutions. Does ANYONE got a routine I could try out? I also need to know how often the BACK should be trained. I seem to recover from the soreness pretty fast, about 2-3 days and I feel like pumping some more blood into my back.
T-mag has a couple of dozen articles and columns that deal with this subject. Do some research. Use the search engine. In short, you’ll need to be using a horizontal pulling movement along with the chins. That meams variations of the row- barbell, dumbbell, etc. Do a search for back training and read all the stuff by Poliquin and King. And BTW, feeling like a pussy by doing chins is better than being a pussy for not doing them.
This is a much less professional answer than Chris’, I know, but I cannot overestimate how much mass, width, thickness and strength underhand-grip bent over barbell rows have added to my back (Dorian Yates-style). Look on the Web or in the mags for articles on it. Essentially, though, bend over about 70 degrees (not TOO far – certainly not close to being parallel to the floor), arch your back, KEEP it arched, and pull the bar into your WAIST. Once you teach yourself to do this right and really feel it in the lats, you can get phenomenal results.
Try something that I’m doing. I’ve suffered a shoulder injury due to a muscle imbalance in my chest and back. After going the NHB Seminar in Orlando, I realized that I have always trained chest first. And I’ve also done more chinning exercises than rowing exercises. So now, my first workout of the week focuses on rowing movements (seated rows, barbell rows, bent over rows, dumbbell rows) and shoulders. My last day of the week focuses on chinning exercises (various grips) and some chest work. I can already tell the difference.
Definitely stick with the chin ups over the lat pulldown. Read the recent article on the extended gymnasts routine. It uses the rest-pause method to work your back from a variety of grips. Try that workout for a few weeks, and you will make good gains! Also, do as Chris Shugart said and read some of the past articles on T-mag by Poliquin and King. Good luck and get Diesel!!!
what about doing them on a counter balance chin station for those that arent strong enough to chin their weight. its better than pulldowns for sure and you can work up to doing a free bar chin
You can try the reverse pushup. Set the bar of a smith machine 3 to 4 feet, lie directly under it making sure your chest is in line with the bar, grab the bar, then pull yourself up.
I have done both weighted chins and heavier than body wieght pull downs (on a very good low friction machine). i find weighted chins easier to perform, although i am strong in pulling exercises. i am about 6’4’', i know this helps my pulling leverage, but does it explain chins being easier than pulldowns (both performed in a slow deliberate style)?