Pullups/Chinups

[kenny57028]

So ever since goin sly I've definetly started getting alot of strength by going to the gym. (Probably subconsicsouly(?) to  match my bald head.) I usually do weighted machines at the gym such as chest press, and pull downs that work my back. (It's a circut based equipment sorry don't know the names.) I recently started running on the treadmil and just bought a pullup bar for my house that hangs in the door way. Theres bars to do wide pullups/chinups , parallel pullups, and close pullups/chinups. I was wondering thought what muscles do the chinups/pullups workout?

[Razor X]

Chin-ups (palms facing you) target the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back, as well as the biceps and posterior deltoids.  Pull-ups (palms facing away from you) target the  latissimus dorsi and the trapezius which extends from the thoracic vertebrae to the scapula region in your back.

[timetobeme]

When I was competing I always went for the widest "palm facing you grip"  The belief is the wider your grip, the wider your back will develop.  It takes a while to work up the strength so what I used to do was have a stool underneath where I could cheat and support some of my weight when I was fatigued.  This works well to get your max number up.  Good luck.

[ozzie]

When I was competing I always went for the widest "palm facing you grip"  The belief is the wider your grip, the wider your back will develop.  It takes a while to work up the strength so what I used to do was have a stool underneath where I could cheat and support some of my weight when I was fatigued.  This works well to get your max number up.  Good luck.

A great suggestion! The stability ball is another tool that will help develop success in this exercise as well: http://bit.ly/9AR2X7

[kenny57028]

It's becoming a bit more time consuming to go to the gym, especially with no car. Is this a good workout for overall body strength: pushups (different types) , pullups/chinups, different ab workouts, and running a few miles here and there?

[timetobeme]

I love the gym, but I always suggest to people that with a set of dumbells for resistance training and using your own body weight for exercises like chin ups and push ups you can have a pretty good work out.  Keep up the cardio and eat clean.  Good luck.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

eat clean.  Good luck.

Yeah, the gym's great, and the other stuff works, but, damn, "eat clean" that's tough , especially here in South Louisiana, Cajun and Creole food is delicious, but it ain't clean by a long shot.

[tomgallagher]

I don't even know what "eat clean" means..duh

[The Noggin]

 

[ozzie]

I don't even know what "eat clean" means..duh

It means to do as your mother always told you ...... wash your hands! 

[TGB1]

Make it a point to use both a palms in and palm out grip and vary the width of your hands as frequently as possible. Never, ever lock onto any one style or system.

[FightFan]

Pullups are a great exercise but I would be careful doing wide grip pull ups or lat pull downs as The wider the grip, the less stretch is placed on the lats as the arms are not fully adducted towards the midline of the body. It can also be potentially very risky on the shoulders when performing very wide grip chins because the shoulder joint is a ball and socket and at best has 40 % contact point so by opening the shoulder joint by reaching really wide and stretching the ligaments and tendons across the shoulder and then lifting a heavy weight in this position you increase your risk injury. Imagine you're falling off a cliff and you see a branch, reach up and grab it, that's generally a good hand width to use. Its a complete myth the wider your hands the wider your back will grow. Hope this helps.

[texanron]

Hey Kenny, whats the deal with holding up a shoe in you pic?

[kenny57028]

Hey Kenny, whats the deal with holding up a shoe in you pic?

My new shoes I got yesterday, lol.  Definetly not advertisment... 

[texanron]

Are those the new style of Van's or something?

I should've put a pic up of me with my new Ariat work boots when I got them!