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Exercise Profile
  • Target Muscle Group
    Lats
  • Exercise TypeStrength
  • Equipment RequiredBodyweight
  • MechanicsCompound
  • Force TypePull (Bilateral)
  • Experience LevelBeginner
  • Secondary Muscles
    Abs, Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back
Target Muscle Group

Lats

Lats Muscle Anatomy Diagram

Mixed Grip Chin Up Overview

The mixed grip chin up is another variation of the traditional chin up used to build the pulling muscles of the back and arms.

By mixing your grip, you combine a pull up with a chin up and provide a different stimulus to each side of your body at the same time. You should make sure to alternate the mix grips every other set when performing mixed grip chin ups to maintain a balanced and symmetrical physique.

Mixed Grip Chin Up Instructions

  1. Using a mixed grip (one over/one under), grasp the bar with a shoulder width grip.
  2. Take a deep breath, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs. Depress the shoulder blades and then drive the elbows straight down to the floor while activating the lats.
  3. Pull your chin towards the bar until the lats are fully contracted, then slowly lower yourself back to the start position and repeat for the assigned number of repetitions.

Mixed Grip Chin Up Tips

  1. To decrease bicep involvement, use a false (thumbless grip).
  2. Try to keep a neutral head position (looking straight ahead or slightly up) as hyperextending the neck can lead to compensations throughout the spine.
  3. If the bar is high enough, keep the legs straight and in front of the body.
  4. Avoid falling into overextension of the lumbar spine by squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs.
  5. The chin-up is completed when the lats are fully flexed, don’t continue pulling and compensate with the pecs.
  6. Imagine you’re trying to drive the elbows down as you pull.
  7. Keep your shoulders down and back, if they round forward at the top then you’ve pulled too far.
  8. A lifter’s segment length will determine whether or not they can actually get their chin over the bar, it’s not an absolute for everyone.
  9. Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely as this can place excessive strain on the ligamentous structures within the elbow and shoulder.
  10. If you can’t complete a single bodyweight chinup, start with slow negatives or flexed arm hangs at the top position.
2 Comments
Post Comment
Kelli
Posted on: Thu, 02/20/2020 - 15:30

I know this is on the 6 week acft training. What if you are unable to do a chin up/pull up by yourself? What can you implement?

Dawn
Posted on: Wed, 02/26/2020 - 08:58

This is a program the ACFT site recommends if you can’t do any:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDLADB1s_g
And
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hY30Q20ZgJY

Some people have used it and went from 0 to 5 in 6 weeks.
I just started