Pull-ups vs Chin-ups are two of the most effective exercises for building upper body strength. Both are compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and joints, which is why one must have reasonable upper body strength to perform them effectively.
While they generally offer the same benefits, there are several key differences between the two in terms of technique, difficulty, and target muscle groups.
Here is a quick comparison to help you determine which exercise is right for you:
Contents
- Pull-Ups vs Chin-Ups Infographic
- What Muscles Do Pull Ups Work
- Pull Up Technique
- How to Do Pull Ups for Beginners
- Pull Ups Grip Width
- What Muscles Do Chin Ups Work
- Chin Up Technique
- Difference Between Pull Ups And Chin Ups
- Pull Up and Chin Up Technique (Part 2)
- What Pull Up Variation Should You Use?
- Keep Your Chin Up
Pull-Ups vs Chin-Ups Infographic
What Muscles Do Pull Ups Work
The pull up is done with the hands in a “pronated” or overhand position, that is when your palms are facing away from you.
The pull up works the following muscles:
- Latissimus dorsi: 117-130%
- Biceps brachii: 78%
- Infraspinatus: 79%
- Lower trapezius: 56%
- Pectoralis major: 44%
- Erector spinae: 39%
- External oblique: 31%
The latissimus dorsi activation for the pull up is between 117-130% (117% for the chin up and 130% for the Perfect Pullup, which functions like the gymnastic rings).
The pull ups has been known and used as the primary back builder by many of the best bodybuilders.
It is also a must-do exercise for all athletes, as having a strong back means being good at your sport – as well as reducing injuries.
It is no wonder so many military and LEO fitness tests include the pull up: they are a great predictor of upper body strength and if you can do a good number of them, I can almost guarantee that you are at an optimal body weight.
The back and grip work from pull ups translate nicely to a variety of other movements: the deadlift, the overhead press, the bent-over row and even the bench.
Pull ups use shoulder adduction, which means that your arms and elbows will move from the sides.
This makes it easier to activate the upper back. An extreme variation would be a Gironda pull up, which is a mix between a pull up and a row. You pull the bar down to your sternum while arching your back. Here’s how:
Pull Up Technique
- Start with a hang on a bar. Ideally, you should be able to keep your legs straight, as that will allow you to be straight during the pull up, minimizing any swing.
- From a relaxed hang with straight arms, pull your shoulders down and back as you bend your arms.
- To activate your lats, imagine putting your elbows in your back pocket.
- Keep your shoulders back and down at the top and squeeze them together, while pulling the elbows back. Pause for a moment and return slowly to the hang position.
- Repeat until you can’t no more.
Tips: You should use pull up gloves or hand grips to protect your hands & improve your grip.
How to Do Pull Ups for Beginners
Many gym goers can’t do pull ups and are stuck with the lat pulldown machine.
It’s true: pull-ups are a damn hard exercise, especially for a beginner. If you are not yet strong enough to do a pull up, follow this progression to get there:
Zero-to-five Pull Ups Progression
- Bodyweight rows (on rings, bar or TRX) 5 x 10
- Pull up top hang 3 x 30
- Negative pull up 5 x 5
The rows are a horizontal pulling movement that work much the same muscles as the pull up while reducing the weight you need to pull.
The hangs will prepare you for the force of your whole body weight as well as act therapeutically for your elbows (I still use them for that purpose).
And finally, the negative pull up is performed by jumping up to top hang position and slowly lowering yourself to a relaxed hang. The slower you can go, the better – aim for a ten second descend.
After completing the last step, you should be able to do 3-4 nice, full range pull ups. Of course, the same progression can also be used for chin ups: once you can do a few of one you will be able to do a few of the other.
Pull Ups Grip Width
While chin ups are usually done with a close grip, pull ups are done with a variety of them: from hands together to twice shoulder width.
But is there really any benefits from going wider or narrower?
The classic bodybuilding logic tells us that the wider grip makes your lats wider due to greater activation.
But a 2014 study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the activation of the lats is similar for all grip widths and that we are stronger in a medium position, allowing us to lift more weight.
Ultimately, using a medium grip means more stress on the muscles, greater possible loading and both greater stregth and hypertrophy.
What Muscles Do Chin Ups Work
The chin up is done with the hands in a “supinated” or underhand position, that is when your palms are facing you.
The chin up works the following muscles:
- Latissimus dorsi: 117%
- Biceps brachii: 96%
- Infraspinatus: 71-79%
- Lower trapezius: 45%
- Pectoralis major: 57%
- Erector spinae: 41%
- External oblique: 35%
The infraspinatus activation for the chin up is between 71-79% (71% for the Perfect Pullup and 79% for the pull up).
Chin ups are a favorite exercise of many lifters. They are easier than pull ups and just as effective at building a strong grip, arms, and back.
Often, lifters will learn it first and progress to pull ups later. This is completely fine – as long as you do progress and get all the pull up benefits too.
There is some truth to the adage that chin ups build your bicep more than pull ups, especially during the “up” phase of the exercise. However, the difference is pretty much negligible (we’re talking about a few percent here).
Chin ups use shoulder extension, which means that your arms and elbows will move from the front. They are more effective for targeting the upper back and the upper fibers of the trapezius compared to pull ups and wide grip pull ups.
Chin Up Technique
The chin up technique is very similar to the pull up one.
- Start with a hang on a bar. Ideally, you should be able to keep your legs straight, as that will allow you to be straight during the pull up, minimizing any swing.
- From a relaxed hang with straight arms, pull your shoulders down and back as you bend your arms.
- To activate your lats, imagine putting your elbows in your back pocket.
- Keep your shoulders back and down at the top and squeeze them together, while pulling the elbows back. Pause for a moment and return slowly to the hang position.
- Repeat until you can’t no more.
Note that there will be a greater tendency to only do half reps with the chin up. Some people may lack the ability to fully straighten their arms in a chin up hang. They will need to spend some time stretching and should stick to pull ups or previous progressions for the time being.
Difference Between Pull Ups And Chin Ups
So finally, what is the difference between pull ups and chin ups?
Both exercises work the same muscles, but there are a few differences. According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,
“The pectoralis major and biceps brachii had significantly higher EMG activation during the chin-up than during the pull-up, whereas the lower trapezius was significantly more active during the pull-up.”
Science confirms that there is some truth to the chin up being better for your biceps. If you have limited time in the gym and want to hit the back and biceps in one move, the chin up is the best choice.
An interesting fact is that the chin ups also work the pectoralis major more. If you want to further increase this, lift you legs to an L position and keep them parallel to the floor during the chin up. You’ll find that pulling from the bottom with straight arms (as you should be doing) gets a lot harder when using this technique.
Pull Up and Chin Up Technique (Part 2)
Ultimately, your technique also matters a lot for activation. There are two general ways to finish a chin up or pull up: with your shoulders or with your arms.
- If you want to get more lat and upper back activation, pull your shoulder blades back and down at the top of the pull up while keeping your chest tall. Note that you may not get completely “chin-over-bar” with this version, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it incorrectly. This is the recommended technique for pull ups.
- The other version is called the fighter’s pull up by Pavel Tsatsouline. It resembles a fighter’s position with a slightly hunched back. In this variation, you’ll get your chin over the bar with your arms more than your back. This is also the technique you will resort to when you start to get tired.
The two variations work different muscles and one is not necessarily better. For general strength and muscle building, I recommend the first variation, but, if you want to learn the slow muscle up, you’ll have to do the second version as well.
What Pull Up Variation Should You Use?
So far we have different grip variations, different widths and now different forms. What then should you use?
What if you have limited gym time and you can’t do all the variations?
I suggest a third option: the neutral grip pull up.
The neutral grip pull up is done with palms facing each other.
This way, you get the benefits of both pull-up and chin up while adding additional work to your brachialis (the muscle that makes your biceps “pop”).
If however, you have more time, you should mix it up and do a bit of each variation. A good routine you can do two to three times per week would look like this:
5 sets total:
- 1 set of pull ups, medium grip
- 1 set of pull ups, narrow grip
- 1 set of chin ups, medium grip
- 1 set of neutral grip pull ups, medium grip
- 1 set of pull ups, wide grip
In that way, you will hit all the muscles with all the variations. Additionally, this may result in faster progress due to the increased neurological difficulty and the resulting adaptation.
Keep Your Chin Up
In the end, whatever variation of the movement you choose, getting to 5 pull ups for women and 10 for men should be a goal in practically everyone’s fitness routine.
It shows great relative strength, you need a low fat percentage to do it, and they are just plainly awesome.
While it may take some time to get there, and you may feel stuck at a plateau, keep at it. You’ll get there eventually.
Now that we have dismantled the pull ups vs chin ups debate, we can get back to our training (which will include pull ups, of course).
