When I'm training I set myself short term goals, like adding a bit more weight each week, and long term goals. One of the long term goals I set myself was to do a chin-up.
Getting there has been a long process. Us ladies are at a natural disadvantage when it comes to performing chin-ups and pull-ups. Women have up to 40% less muscle mass in their upper bodies than men[1], and if there's any exercise that's upper body dominant it's the chin up! The make-up of our muscle is different too, we have slightly less fast twitch muscle fibres in the upper body than men, and its fast twitch muscle fibres that generate the explosive force you need to get your chest level with the bar [2].
This isn't to say it can't be done. With the right training and determination it is possible! These are the exercises I found really helpful to build my strength:
Scapular Retractions
If you hang from the bar, you'll find that your shoulders are being pulled upwards out of their sockets, and your arms are fully extended. From there, pull your shoulder blades back, down and together, engaging your scapular muscles. Your body should rise an inch or so. Hold this position for 3-5 seconds and then lower yourself back down to full extension. I started by doing 3 sets of 5, and built up from there. This is the position your shoulders should be in through the whole range of the chin-up, so it's a good idea to get used to how it feels.
Banded Chin-ups
Using a resistance band to help you bounce up to the top is really useful when focussing on form. It allows you to get used to the correct position of your body, and the motion involved in the lift. Banded chin-ups aren't that great for building strength though. Try three sets of 8-10, and focus on feeling your lats.
Eccentric Chin-ups
These made the biggest difference in the world! The eccentric movement (going down from the top) is much stronger than the concentric (getting up there). Use your leg to push yourself up, make sure your lats are engaged with your shoulders back and down, then release your leg and lower yourself down slowly.
There are different variations of this depending on your strength levels. At first I'd leave my leg on the cushion to take some of my weight, and lower myself down for five seconds. As I got stronger I let both my legs hang and stuck to five seconds. I aimed to build up to a 30 second eccentric - that took some doing! I also found it helpful to wear a weight belt with a 5kg plate when doing shorter eccentrics.
Of course there are lots of other exercises that are useful, and the set and rep ranges will vary depending on strength - but this is how I got going.
Do you struggle with chin-ups? What did you find helped your strength?
Tiffany x
[1] Janssen, I. & Co. (2000). Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18–88 yr. Journal of Applied Physiology. 89 (1), p81-88.
[2] Wegner, H. (2007). Developing Upper Body Strength for Women in the Canadian Forces.
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