Pull-ups v chin-ups

[|D_J^B_J|]

Can any knowledgeable dude out there give me info on the primary and secondary muscle groups trained by underhand v overhand and close grip v wide pull-ups?

What I have been told it that wider grips work more of your lats and narrower grips work more of your arms. Also that overhand grip works more of your triceps as a secondary muscle and underhand grips work more of your biceps... can anyone elaborate on this?

Also, if you could post your back/pull-up workout that would be helpful as well.

 

[blut wump]

I used to think of a general rule of thumb: wide for back width; close for back depth.

Grip-wise, I can feel my biceps working more with an underhand grip. Recently, I've been using a mixed grip for pulldowns to help me get accustomed to the idea for deadlifts which I had been doing with a double-overhand.

 

[powerhouse972]

Out of the arnold encyclopedia

Wide Grip chins to the front - To widen the upper back and create a full sweep in the lats.

Close Grip chins - To work the back muscles, widen the lower lats and develop the serratus.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Do you guys find it easier to alternate grips within the same workout (i.e. one set wide overhand, 1 set close underhand, etc) or alternate grips each week?

 

[anthrax]

Close Grip chins are easier on the shoulders

 

[araiber]

Chin-ups are more on the biceps, I also feel my (the other side of the elbow, you know the part you work out when you do hammer curls) when you go up and down, and also i find my grip strength to be a huge factor. I also feel my shoulders have more strain on them..
For pullups its a heck of alot more on your back, forearms, a little bit of biceps too... But i think i feel my forearms alot more after doing pullups (last time when i went for my most reps and did 30 they were shot). So i dont know...

 

[psychedout]

Close Grip chins are easier on the shoulders

IMO, depends on body structure. I do wide grips chins at full hang with no shoulder problems, but close grip chins really hurt my shoulders alot.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Thanks for all the info, however in case anyone is interested, I did a little bit of research into Ian King's 'The Book of Muscle,' and in summary, this is what I came up with:

The Pull-up/Chin-up:
- Pulling your body up from a dead hang is a great way to develop upper body strength and works every muscle from your fingers to your glutes.
Free chin-ups/pull-ups are much better than assisted chin-ups and the lat pulldown machine because in the latter two, your lower body is locked into place and you aren't hanging into space, so it mainly involves pulling with the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Chin-ups v Pull-ups:
- Chin-ups (underhand grip) should be easier than pull-ups (overhand grip) because your biceps are in a stronger position.
Chin-ups work more of your lower lats and lower traps, whereas pull-ups work more of your upper lats, rear delts and middle traps.

Wide grip v Close grip:
Wide grip chin-ups/pull-ups are harder because the wider you extend your grip, the weaker position your arms are in, meaning your lats would be doing most of the work with little assistance from your arms.

- Neutral grip pull-ups (with a triangular handle) place both your back AND your arms in the most powerful position, so you should be able to handle maximum loads with this grip.

I hope this info helped some peeps.

 

[USMC fighter]

Iwish i could do chins but my shoulder wont allow it

 

[Chi town]

Even tho it's tough w/ my bodyweight, I started doing widegrip, palms down pullups a few months ago. I've gotten stronger AND added a little more girth to my chest measurement. A couple buddies at the gym even commented on how much wider my back looks now!!!