Chin Up

Grip the bar underhand with your palms facing you, then hang from it. Pull your shoulders down, keep your chest open, and find a grip width that lets your forearms stay comfortable without bending your wrists.

Pull your body up by driving your elbows down toward your sides. Think about lifting your chest rather than simply getting your chin over the bar; this helps your back engage first even though your biceps work hard.

Pause briefly when your chest reaches bar height, then lower slowly. Resisting the descent makes the stretch through your back and arms easier to feel.

Feel the area behind your sides shorten as your elbows pull toward your torso. If your arms take over, slightly widen your grip and try sending your elbows farther back.

A grip that is too narrow or wrists that bend back can quickly overload your elbows and wrists. Leaning your upper body too far back creates more momentum and reduces the vertical pulling effect that defines the chin-up.

Exhale as you pull up and inhale as you lower. Keeping your breathing steady helps you maintain core tension and makes it easier to control your speed on the way down.

If you cannot feel your back in a chin-up, practice short reps of pulling your shoulders down while hanging. Even with the same chin-up, getting your back involved first changes the entire first pull.