Chin-Up vs Pull-Up: Does One Beat the Other?

Pull-ups and chin-ups, some people think they are the same thing while others know the difference. With these two compound exercises, is one better than the other?

Do you prefer one over the other or do you use both to complete your upper-body workout? 

Today we battle it out with pull-ups vs chin-ups to see which is best for bodybuilders and athletes. Then, we’ll see what beginners should focus on first.

After that, we’ll provide some variations for both and offer some tips on how to avoid common mistakes that’ll prevent injury.

Chin-up vs Pull-up: Aren’t They the Same Thing?

This is a common misconception that the chin-up and pull-up are the same movements. Some argue that the chin-up is just a variation of the pull-up. Regardless if you agree or not, they aren’t the same.

While they look similar, there are some key differences between these two exercises. 

Grip

The main difference when comparing the chin-up vs pull-up is the grip used.

• Chin-up: uses a supinated, or underhand, grip where the palms face you when gripping the bar. Most often, the hands are gripped at shoulder-width apart on the bar.
• Pull-up: uses a pronated, or overhand, grip where the palms face away from you when gripping the bar. The bar is most often gripped right past shoulder-width apart during this exercise.

Certain variations of each exercise (discussed in a later section) can use other grip types. Semi-supinated, or neutral, grip is when the palms face each other. You will usually use this when gripping a handle or towel rather than the bar itself.

Muscles Worked

In comparing the muscles worked in pull-ups vs chin-ups, you’ll find them to be the same. The difference here is how those muscles activate during each exercise.

The primary muscles used for these exercises are the latissimus dorsi (lats), biceps, and trapezius (traps). Here is a list of all the remaining muscles that are worked:

As you can see, almost every upper body muscle is called on to help pull up your body weight in both exercises. These exercises can help improve upper body strength a great deal, and grip strength.

How then, are the muscles activated to differentiate each exercise?

Muscles Activated

To determine the different ways the chin-up vs pull-up exercise activates muscles, we check the research.

In this study, Electromyographic (EMG) signals are used to examine muscle activation patterns and kinematic differences in three exercises:

• Conventional pull-up
• Conventional chin-up
• Perfect Pull-up with twisting handles

Average EMG muscle activation was as follows for each muscle group:

• Latissimus dorsi (117-130%)
• Biceps brachii (78-96%)
• Infraspinatus (71-79%)
• Lower trapezius (45-56%)
• Pectoralis major (44-57%) 
• Erector spinae (39-41%)
• External oblique (31-35%)

During the chin-up exercise, the pectoralis major and biceps brachii had the highest activation. When it came time for the pull-up, the lower trapezius was significantly more active. 

For this test, they found that the Perfect Pull-up device had no differences compared to pull-up vs chin-up.

Chin-up vs Pull-up to Build Muscle

If you have a bodybuilding goal, would you rather do chin-up vs pull-up? Do you think one is better than the other to help you meet your goals?

When it comes down to the battle of pull-ups vs chin-ups and what’s best for bodybuilding, it depends on your goals. Both exercises will help you build grip strength. Even the most muscular weightlifter can sometimes improve on their grip strength.

Whichever day is back day for you, make sure you incorporate pull-ups, chin-ups or both. If you want to focus on your traps and lower lats, focus more on pull-ups. Working the upper lats, pecs, and biceps means you want to focus on chin-ups.

If you want to really define your upper back while also working your core, do both. It really comes down to what your goals are and what muscles you want to work that day. 

And it’s not just for bodybuilders; athletes can use pull-ups and chin-ups to help improve their sport. Improving grip strength is important for certain sports that require a solid grip like:

• Hockey
• Tennis
• Football
• Baseball

Chin-ups can also improve speed for baseball pitchers and tennis pros. Pull-ups and chin-ups will also help build core strength and improve posture on anyone who does them regularly. These exercises are essential for people in contact sports, including martial arts.

You can’t go wrong with adding these compound exercises into your workout routine. The advantages are great and will help most athletes and weightlifters build a solid foundation to improve their craft.

Chin-up vs Pull-up for Beginners

If you’re just starting out with these exercises, you’ll want to start with the easier of the two. For most people, the chin-up will be easier to do with an underhand grip.

This grip style and exercise allows your arms to go through the entire range of motion, which is limited with the pull-up. If you struggle with even doing a chin-up, there are some things you can do.

Flexed Arm Hang

This move is a popular military testing exercise, but also helps improve grip strength.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand on a box, bench or chair until your chin is above the bar.
2. With a pronated grip, grab the bar. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and above the bar throughout the hold.
3. Step off the platform and hold your legs rigid. Don’t let them touch the platform, but know that it’s there to step down when you become too fatigued to hold on.
4. Keep your elbows bent the entire time to activate the biceps and forearm muscles.
5. Hold this pose for as long as you can.

Have a timer going so you know how long you could hold. Keep working on this technique until you’ve been able to hold the flexed arm hang for at least one minute.

Assisted Chin-ups

Another way to improve your chin-ups for beginners is to do an assisted chin-up. This move allows you to do the chin-up move without having to hold up all your body weight.

You have a few different options for this move:

• Band-assisted chin-up
• Partner-assisted chin-up
• Self-assisted chin-up
• Machine-assisted chin-up

Do one or more of these assisted chin-ups for a few weeks until you get the hang of doing them. Then, once you’ve got your grip strength ready and think you can handle all your body weight, go for it.

Once you’re ready to do a pull-up, you can do some of the same assisted movements. They can help you build up to do an unassisted pull-up. When you’ve got that down, there are several different variations you can try.

As with most exercises, have a spotter when you do a traditional chin-up or pull-up. They can help make sure your form is correct and also be there to catch you if you slip.

Chin-up vs Pull-up: Which is Harder

Like we discussed in the beginner section, most people will find the pull-up to be harder than the chin-up. However, if you have great grip and upper body strength, you may not find that to be true.

Experimenting with different variations and grip styles can challenge you, and you may find one more comfortable. Some will be harder than others and what’s hard for you may not be for someone else.

Body composition and muscular endurance also come into play when determining how many reps you can do per exercise. Take this study, for example. Both men and women performed different exercises as different 1-repetition maximums. They each performed lat pulls and pull-ups.

When comparing the differences, here is what they found:

• Both men and women could perform more weighted reps of pull-up maxs to lat pull maxs.
• Women could complete significantly more 80% 1RM pull-ups than men, but were equivalent in 80% 1RM lat pulls.
• Men could perform more 80% 1RM lat pulls than 80% 1RM pull-ups but women were close to the same in both.

Also noted was that differences in body composition affected numbers in men more than women. Though this isn’t a comparison of lat pull-downs vs pull-ups, it shows that improving endurance and composition helps with reps.

Now, if you’re bored with traditional pull-ups and chin-ups, there are variations of both you can do. If you’re ready to challenge yourself and try something new, consider some of these variations.

Chin-up Variations

Here are some different variations of the chin-up you can try.

Narrow Grip Chin-up

You would perform the chin-up the same way but change your grip style.

Here, you can choose to either:

• Place your hand close together on the bar
• Use a handle with hands facing each other (neutral grip)
• Use a towel with semi-supinated, neutral, or mixed grip

The narrow grip will focus your efforts on your shoulder muscles. To really work your muscles, pull up until your chest is at the handles or near your grip.

The towel chin-up will help build up grip strength as well. Change your grip style to increase the challenge and find one that is most comfortable for you.

Sternum Chinup

The Golden Era’s own Iron Guru, Vince Gironda created this technique. This is a more advanced exercise and will target the entire back to really give your muscles a workout.

You’ll begin by performing a traditional chin-up. Once you move in the upward phase, you’ll move your head away from the bar and arch your back. Keep moving until your hips and legs are about a 45-degree angle to the floor. 

Continue pulling yourself up until your collarbone passes the bar and your chest touches the bar. This is a true power move and will provide quite the challenge if you attempt it!

Weighted Chin-ups

Once you’re able to breeze through at least 10 reps of chin-ups with perfect form, you’re ready for weighted chin-ups.

You’ll perform the chin-up that’s most comfortable for you, but with added weight. Don’t go too wild when you’re just starting out. Even an extra 10 pounds can create enough resistance to provide a challenge.

You can add weights a couple of different ways:

• Strap on a weight belt
• Use ankle weights
• Use a belt with attached weight plates

Once you’ve been able to do 10 of those, add more at 5 or 10-pound increments. 

Super Slow Chin-Ups

With this variation, you perform the chin-up you like best. The difference here is to do both the upward and downward phases in slow motion.

While it doesn’t sound difficult, it increases the time under tension for your muscles. This extra time will help improve muscle gains, even if you’ve reached a plateau with traditional chin-ups.

Try it out and see what you think. During each phase of the chin-up, count so you take at least five more seconds on the upward phase. Then, add on a few more seconds in the downward phase.

Compare this chin-up variation to the traditional and see if you can beat your max reps and sets. We bet you won’t be able to at first.

1.5 Rep Chin-up

Here, you’ll do your preferred chin-ups but add in a half rep on either phase. So you’ll either go all the way up and then half-way down then back up again before coming back down. Or, you’ll go up then down and half-way back up before coming back down again.

If you struggle with the upward phase, then add the half rep on the downward phase. If it’s the other way around, add the half rep on the upward phase. 

Pull-up Variations

If you liked the variations for the chin-ups, you’ll find some good ones here for pull-ups.

Sliding Floor Pull-up

Beginners and bodybuilders alike can do this move. The sliding floor pull-up is done on the floor. Get into position just like you’d be using the bar.

To increase the challenge and resistance, leave your feet on the floor. To make it easier, lift your feet up. Pull yourself forward as if you were performing the upward phase of the pull-up, then back to the starting position.

Hockey-Grip Pull-up

To do this variation, grab the bar like you would a hockey stick and keep your hands close together. When you pull yourself up, start with your head on the outside of the bar. 

You can either alternate where your head goes (if there’s room behind the bar) or stick to the outside. This move can also help with grip strength.

Plyometric Pull-up

Try this one with caution and consider having a spotter in case you miss the bar. If you have sweaty palms, rethink this move.

Complete a traditional pull-up and as your head comes over the bar, let go of the bar. Grasp it again quickly to complete the downward phase of the pull-up. This move is meant to be done with more speed than you may be used to.

Close-Grip Pull-up

This pull-up is all about the grip style. Put your hands close together to perform this variation. 

This will focus on your upper lats if you choose this grip type. Perform a different variation or use the traditional pull-up. You may find this grip type fits you better than shoulder-width apart.

Crossover Pull-up

If you want to give your external obliques a workout, consider trying this variation. You’ll do a traditional pull-up but with a twist. 

As you complete the upward phase of the pull-up, lift up your leg and bend the knee towards the opposite oblique. On the next upward phase, change legs and complete the crossover to the other oblique. This is a simple move that can engage your core differently.

Common Mistakes

Regardless if you’ve done pull-ups or chin-ups before, you may make some of these common mistakes. If you do any type of exercise at the gym, you need to do it right to reap the benefits.

Creating Momentum

The most common mistake people make when doing a chin-up or pull-up is trying to create momentum. Pulling up your own body weight can be difficult for some. This is one reason that many people avoid these types of compound exercises. 

Some people create a shortcut by providing momentum in the pull and swinging their legs to help them up. You may think this is harmless cheating but in fact, you could risk injury by doing this.

The momentum caused by swinging your legs can make you lose your grip on the bar. A sure way to cause yourself injury (and embarrassment) is to crash to the ground when exercising.

Instead, do these two things no matter if you are performing a chin-up or pull-up:

• Engage your core and stabilize your spine. This can assist you when performing the exercise, plus reduce the risk of injury.
• Cross your ankles and keep your legs close together. This stiffness will help keep your body steady while your upper body does the work to complete the exercise.

Grip Too Wide

Another common mistake that people make is widening their grip too much. The thought here is that the wider the grip, the wider the lats. This thought process is not only wrong, it can cause shoulder injury when done with either exercise.

The other thing to consider is that the wider the grip, the less range of motion you have to complete the exercise. Regardless if you are doing chin-ups or pull-ups, you want to limit your grip width. Stick to no farther apart than just outside shoulder-width to reduce the likelihood of injury.

In comparing pull-ups vs chin-ups, experiment with different grip types. You may find that a semi-supinated grip using a handle or towel gives you a better workout than a traditional pull-up. Or you might like a mixed grip (one hand facing you, the other away) works best for your chin-up.

The best thing about these two exercises is that there are several variations you can do. So don’t be afraid to mix it up and try out the variations we’ve provided. 

These were just a few of the variations you can try that will provide a new challenge to your workout routine.

The Bottom Line

So, was there a winner in the battle of pull-up vs chin-up? Depending on your goals, there should be.

If you’re a beginner who’s just getting started with these exercises, you want to focus on chin-ups first. Once you build up your grip strength and confidence, you can work on pull-ups. From there, add in different variations to really mix it up.

For bodybuilders, pull-ups will target your traps and lower lats. If you’d rather focus on your upper lats or biceps, then add chin-ups to that day’s workout routine. To get an all-around upper body workout, incorporate both into your back day.

While pull-ups are more of a challenge than chin-ups, they are both quality exercise for any workout routine. Make sure your form is perfect to prevent injury and don’t be afraid to mix it up!

Do you prefer pull-ups vs chin-ups? Have you tried some of the variations listed or have one you’d like to share? Let us know what works best for you in the comments below.