# close grip chin ups



## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

hi, would you say that close grip chin ups ( hands about 6" apart ), are a good mass builder for biceps, thanks in advance.


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## Stewart14 (Dec 29, 2007)

absolutely....I feel they are to the biceps what dips are to the triceps


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## Witchblade (Dec 29, 2007)

Stewart20 said:


> absolutely....I feel they are to the biceps what dips are to the triceps


Stewart speaks the truth.


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## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

thanks for the replys, i asked becasues i am getting really bored from doing barbell, E-Z bar, dumbbell curls and really like doing chin ups. i am 150 pounds 5 6" but can only do about 7 full range chin ups, good form, nice and slow, Concentrating on the negative part of the exercise aswell. Could some of you guys tell me how much you weight and how many full range good form chin ups you can do. Also how much does the back get worked in close grip chin ups or is it just mainly the biceps doing all the work.


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## StanUk (Dec 29, 2007)

I struggle with chin ups, pull ups on the other hand i feel im quite strong with, but I can probably only manage around 7/8 chin-ups close grip. The back still gets worked well with close grip chins, but since there is a lot of emphasis put on the biceps, it doesnt get worked as well as wide grip chins (in my opinion anyway)


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## Biggly (Dec 29, 2007)

This is something that has often bugged me - what exactly is the difference between a pull up and a chin up?

Is a 'chin up' with the palms facing away, pull up with palms towards you?

Regarding the original question I am not so sure about biceps but would presume so, yes. I mostly noticed the difference on my back, even with close grip.


B.


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## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

chin up is palms faceing you, they are usally done close grip to work the biceps. pull ups are done palms facing away from you and are usally done wide grip to work the back.


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## Stewart14 (Dec 29, 2007)

I like to do them with my hands spaced about one foot apart.  I find that this is the grip that I can use to effectively target both my biceps and my back.  In fact, some will tell you that chinups will provide your lats with a greater stretch and range of motion than a pullup, with the added benefit of putting your biceps in the optimal pulling angle.

To answer your question, I am 5'10 and weigh about 215 pounds and I can probably do 15-20 full range chinups.  I usually do them with added weight however, and have done them with an added 75 pounds for about 6 reps as my best ever on them.


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## Stewart14 (Dec 29, 2007)

UFC rocks said:


> chin up is palms faceing you, they are usally done close grip to work the biceps. pull ups are done palms facing away from you and are usally done wide grip to work the back.



While the wide grip pullup is a useful variation, it is not necessary to use a wide grip to "work the back".  Like I mentioned, using one foot apart hand space on a chinup will work the lats equally, as well as a closer grip pullup.  In fact, if you want to be stronger on these exercises, I would use a closer grip as opposed to a wider grip.  You WILL still hit your back regardless, and you will be in a stronger pulling plane.


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## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

thank for all the help. 215 pounds for 15-20 reps and 6 reps with an exra 75 pounds that impressive. i know i am not too good at them and thats why i want to improve on them. i train my back and biceps on the same day.
what do you think off my work out for back and biceps.

Deadlifts - 4 sets.
Pull ups (a bit wider that shoulders grip) - 4 sets.
close grip (6"-8" apart) chin ups - 4 sets.
concentrated curls - 3 sets. 

do biceps get worked alot in wide grip pullups. if they do then does that mean that i am not as strong in my chin ups as i could be because they have been worked quiet alot in the pullups.


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## StanUk (Dec 29, 2007)

UFC rocks said:


> thank for all the help. 215 pounds for 15-20 reps and 6 reps with an exra 75 pounds that impressive. i know i am not too good at them and thats why i want to improve on them. i train my back and biceps on the same day.
> what do you think off my work out for back and biceps.
> 
> Deadlifts - 4 sets.
> ...



Your routine for back/biceps looks nice and simple, however with so few excersizes i would probably ditch the curls and stick in some bent over rows. There is nothing wrong with doing fewer excersizes providing volume/intensity is fine, however if you are only going to do 3 or 4 i would just stick to compounds and not bother with isolation, i think if you add some bent over rows then your biceps are going to get plenty of attention especially with the close grip chins.


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## Stewart14 (Dec 29, 2007)

UFC rocks said:


> thank for all the help. 215 pounds for 15-20 reps and 6 reps with an exra 75 pounds that impressive. i know i am not too good at them and thats why i want to improve on them. i train my back and biceps on the same day.
> what do you think off my work out for back and biceps.
> 
> Deadlifts - 4 sets.
> ...



I would take out either the pullups or the chinups and just do one or the other.  I also agree with the other poster who mentioned some form of a row in there.  Personally, I would do hammer curls instead of concentration curls, reason being, you can do bent over rows with an overhand grip, then do chinups with the underhand grip and then hammer curls with the neutral grip, so you are hitting your biceps from all three possible angles.

Then, for a switch up, you could change the routine to pullups, underhand rows, and hammer curls, or even overhand rows, neutral grip pullups and barbell curls.

Keep the deadlifts, but drop the volume on them, IMO


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## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

thanks for all the help, but i want to improve on both chin and pull ups. i am guessing that to improve on them both i need to do them both. also what exercises add thickness to the middle of the back, do pullups only work the lat, i think parallel grip chins work the back but not sure.


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## UFC rocks (Dec 29, 2007)

thanks for all the help, but i want to improve on both chin and pull ups. i am guessing that to improve on them both i need to do them both. also what exercises add thickness to the middle of the back, do pullups only work the lat, i think parallel grip chins work the     middle part     of the back but not sure.


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## Smoo_lord (Dec 29, 2007)

Yeah, simple is better. I just did my back workout about 30 mins ago.

Deadlifts, Bent Over barbell rows, and then wide grip pullups.
I like to mix it up, cos i just recently got myself a power rack with lat attachment, so do lat pulldowns and shit as well. 

After I have finished this, i couldnt really curl shit if i wanted too. Biceps take a pounding from the rows for me mainly.

I can only do about 4-5 pullups in a set so far, yeah weak I know. But only started doing them about 4 weeks ago and I could only do 2. Im 210lbs ATM tho.


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## UFC rocks (Dec 30, 2007)

do you have to keep on changing the exercises about every 6-8 weeks to shock the muscles and keep them gussing.

if so then most people have a lot of different exercise that they keeping changing to, here is a example for someones back bicep work out for 18 weeks.

1st 6 weeks.

deadlifts - 3 sets.
pulldowns - 4 sets.
dumbbell rows - 3 sets.
E-Z bar curls - 4 sets.
preacher pad 45 degree - 2 sets.
preacher pad 90 degree - 2 sets.

2nd 6 weeks.

pull ups - 3 sets.
barbell row - 4 sets.
dumbbell shrugs - 3 sets.
dumbbell curls - 4 sets.
concentrated curls - 3 sets.

3rd 6 weeks.

barbell rows - 2 sets.
dumbbell rows - 2 sets.
pulldowns - 2 sets.
barbell shrugs - 3 sets.
close grip chin ups - 3 sets.
barbell curls - 3 sets.
preacher pad 45 degree - 2 sets.
concentrated curls - 2 sets.

As you can see this is alot of different exercises, and i dont like doing many different exercises. so this is what i was think for me.

for 6-8 weeks

deadlifts - 3 sets.
pull ups - 3 sets.
barbell rows - 3 sets.
dumbbell curls - 4 sets.
concentrated curls - 3 sets.

then for the next 6-8 weeks.

dumbbell rows - 4 sets.
pull downs - 2 sets.
dumbbell shrugs - 3 sets.
close grip chin ups - 4 sets.
preacher pad 45 degree - 3 set.

if i just kept on changing back and forward from these two then will it still shock the muscle. i am gussing it would and that because i would not be doing the same exercise for more than 6-8 works the muscle will not get used to them. i personally think that there i so many different exercises just for varation and i think that you dont really need to do them all to get a muscle to grow sl long as you change the exercise once in a while, this is just what i think but can even one tell me if there is any turth to this.


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## jimmymonay (Mar 14, 2011)

Variety is definetly the key.  Mix it up!


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## x~factor (Mar 14, 2011)

jimmymonay said:


> Variety is definetly the key.  Mix it up!



Dude... umm... err... nevermind.


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