The chin-up, also sometimes known as the pull-up has got to be one of the best and most accessible upper-body exercises to have ever been discovered. It develops the biceps, the back and the shoulder muscles.  It is also a most convenient exercise requiring little or no fancy equipment other than a doorway chin-up bar or practically any parallel bar that you can get your hands on that is overhead and one that you can jump up and grab which is strong enough to hold your body as you grip it firmly with your hands and pull yourself up to shoulder-level.

So, why doesn’t everybody make the chin up a part of their regular daily routine of health and fitness?  Well, the reason is, is that it does have one slight drawback.  Most people who have not exercised in years or maybe not have ever exercised at all find that they don’t have enough upper body strength to haul themselves up to shoulder level.  Here and now, I will show you the 12 steps to mastering the chin-up even if you are very out of shape.

The 12 Steps To Mastering The Chin-Up

Step Number 1 – Just Hang – I’m serious.  Your first step is just to jump up, grab the bar, and hang there with your feet dangling off the ground for as long as you can.  Try 30 seconds at first if you are very weak – then a minute.  Practicing at least every other day (allowing one day for rest and recuperation) you will attempt to increase your hanging time until you can hold yourself up in the hanging position for a full five minutes.

Step Number 2 – Do Isometrics – Isometrics are a type of exercise where you attempt to move something that you know you can’t move.  Just by making the extreme effort, you are triggering muscle strength and growth.  A classic example of an isometric exercise would be to push against a wall with the ideas of pushing it down.  You won’t push the wall down, of course, but the principle is that you will give your muscles one heck of an exertion.  Similarly, in our case, you will attempt to pull yourself up.  You may not move at all at first, but unlike the wall, you will move up in time.  So, just try as best as you can to pull yourself up – even if you think that you will never move up.

Step Number 3 – Do “Inch-Ups” – In time, you will move up – even if it’s only an inch.  This is good.  So, let us call this phase of your improvement “inch-ups”.

Step Number 4 – Do 1 Full Pull-Up (Palms Facing You, Shoulder-Grip) – One day as you continue your “inch ups”, you will, to your own surprise, accomplish one complete pull-up.  This is your first break-through.

Step Number 5 – Continue Doing Other Barbell and Dumbbell Exercises – You’ve got to continue to develop and strengthen your back, biceps and shoulder muscles.  Don’t neglect to incorporate other exercises into your body building routine such as the standing barbell curls for the biceps, the seated dumbbell deltoid presses for the shoulders and the one-arm dumbbell rows for the back muscles.

Step Number 6 – Incorporate A Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet – Watch your diet.  You have got to get rid of all unnecessary body-fat that is adding unnecessarily to the body weight of your pull up.

Step Number 7 – Do 20 Minutes of Aerobics To Continue Losing Body Fat – Cardio exercises such as jogging, bicycling or stair climbing should also be included in your regimen every other day, that is, on those days that you are not working out with weights and are doing your pull ups.

Step Number 8 – Give Yourself 6 Months (If You Are 30 lbs Overweight) – Of course this suggested 6 months schedule is relative to the physical condition of how you start out, for you may accomplish your goal in 1 month.  I am only suggesting that if overweight is an issue for you, to work on that simultaneously as you develop your chin up prowess.

Step Number 9 – After You Accomplish 1 Full Chin Up – Aim for 3 – Once you achieve one full chin-up, set your goal to do 3 full chin ups.

Step Number 10 – After You Accomplish 3 Full Chin Ups – Aim for 6 – When you can do 3 chin-ups comfortably, aim to do 6.

Step Number 11 – After You Accomplish 6 Full Chin Ups – Aim for 10 – When you can do 6 chin-ups comfortably, set your sights on doing 10.

Step Number 12 – After You Accomplish 10 Full Chin Ups – Do for 3 Sets of 10 Reps – You are almost there.  Once you can comfortably do 10 consecutive chin-ups, rest a minute – then do 10 more repetitions (Repetitions are also called reps in body building nomenclature).  Having done 2 sets of 10 reps, rest another minute.  Now do your third and victorious set of 10 repetitions.  Congratulations!  You have become a chin up champion.  Now look in the mirror.  You have also the body to show for it!

Please leave your comments.  Would love to hear from you.

Yours in health,

Charles Prosper

“The 12-Week Fitness Guru”