Wide Chin Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand under the pull-up bar and grasp it with an underhand (supinated) grip, palms facing toward you.
2. Position your hands approximately 4-6 inches wider than shoulder-width on each side.
3. Hang with arms fully extended, cross your ankles, and engage your core to stabilize your lower body.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you pull your body upward by driving your elbows down and back toward your hips.
2. Continue the pull until your chin clears the bar, keeping your chest lifted and shoulders retracted.
3. Inhale as you lower yourself back to the starting position using a controlled 3-second eccentric tempo.
4. Maintain a slight arch in the upper back throughout the entire range of motion.

Form checklist

• Avoid 'shrugging' by keeping your shoulders depressed away from your ears.
• Eliminate momentum or leg swinging; the movement should be strictly from the upper body.
• Ensure full elbow extension at the bottom of every rep without losing tension in the lats.
• Keep your elbows tucked slightly forward rather than allowing them to flare excessively wide.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'mind-muscle connection' by imagining you are pulling the bar down to your chest rather than pulling your body up.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the peak of the movement to maximize trapezius and rhomboid activation.

Make it harder

• Attach a weight belt with plates to increase the resistance once you can complete 10-12 bodyweight reps with perfect form.
• Implement a 5-second slow eccentric (lowering phase) to increase time under tension and muscle fiber recruitment.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the wide chin up work?

The wide chin up primarily targets the biceps, lats, and trapezius, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the wide chin up?

The wide chin up uses pull up bar.

Is the wide chin up good for beginners?

The wide chin up is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Band Assisted Chin Up From KneeIntermediate · biceps, lats, and trapezius
• Band Bent Over One Arm KickbackBeginner · biceps, lats, rhomboids, and trapezius
• Chin-UpIntermediate · biceps, lats, and trapezius
• Chin-Up Isometric And NegativeIntermediate · biceps, lats, and trapezius