Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBodyweight
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePull (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back
Target Muscle Group
Lats
Close Grip Chin Up Overview
The close grip chin up is a variation of the chin up and an exercise used to target the muscles of the back. In particular, the close grip chin up works the lats, but also indirectly hits the muscles of the upper back, biceps, and core.
The close grip chin up will encourage slightly more involvement from the biceps than other chin up variations. Thus, the close grip chin up is best used as an exercise to overload the biceps when attempting to maximize bicep muscle growth.
Close Grip Chin Up Instructions
- Using a supinated grip, grasp the bar with a narrow grip.
- Take a deep breath, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Depress the shoulder blades and then drive the elbows straight down to the floor while activating the lats.
- Pull your chin towards the bar until the lats are fully contracted, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.
Close Grip Chin Up Tips
- To decrease bicep involvement, use a false (thumbless grip).
- Try to keep a neutral head position (looking straight ahead or slightly up) as hyperextending the neck can lead to compensations throughout the spine.
- If the bar is high enough, keep the legs straight and in front of the body.
- Avoid falling into overextension of the lumbar spine by squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs.
- The chin-up is completed when the lats are fully flexed, don’t continue pulling and compensate with the pecs.
- Imagine you’re trying to drive the elbows down as you pull.
- Keep your shoulders down and back, if they round forward at the top then you’ve pulled too far.
- A lifter’s segment length will determine whether or not they can actually get their chin over the bar, it’s not an absolute for everyone.
- Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely as this can place excessive strain on the ligamentous structures within the elbow and shoulder.
- If you can’t complete a single bodyweight chin up, start with slow negatives or flexed arm hangs at the top position.
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