Different grip in assisted chin-up

[plinerd]

I usually use the wider grip with my palms facing away and do assisted chin-ups. The handles also have an angle to them so I could put my hands so that the palms are facing each other, inward. I feel like when I used that narrower grip with my palms in a different direction I felt it more in my upper arms and outer back of my back right behind my arms and less in the middle of my back.

 

Is that the real difference?

[bronco]

There is definitely a difference in the activation of the arms, a narrower grips gives a greater range of motion for the arm, and the supinated grip with palms facing inward means that the biceps muscle is able to help pulling. If there is big difference reagarding the activation of the muscles in the back Im not sure.

[plinerd]

Okay, good to know that the biceps are working. That's where I was feeling a difference. Maybe I'll use that grip just to change things up once in awhile, but it didn't intrigue me much. LOL.

[VeganEssentials]

Just keep in mind, the more your biceps work to pull you up, the less work your back is doing

 

For chins where you feel more biceps, focus more on pulling in with your elbows rather than using your biceps. Think of the arms as hooks that attach to the bar as if the biceps did not exist, and focus primarily on using the elbows to pull into your body with no biceps focus work. The last thing you want on back exercises is for your biceps to give out first, which inevitably happens if you allow them to play too great of a role.

 

The only reason to WANT to get your biceps involved in any upper back work is if for some reason cannot do direct arm work. Anything other reason, and they're just sapping energy that could be used to build a bigger and stronger back!

[SeaSiren]

Now that I can actually do these the wider grip ones are MUCH harder for me due to the arm strength (or possibly technique... would love to have a spotter who knows what the heck they are doing). The narrow grip seems easier and I can really feel it in my back

[plinerd]

Just keep in mind, the more your biceps work to pull you up, the less work your back is doing

 

For chins where you feel more biceps, focus more on pulling in with your elbows rather than using your biceps. Think of the arms as hooks that attach to the bar as if the biceps did not exist, and focus primarily on using the elbows to pull into your body with no biceps focus work. The last thing you want on back exercises is for your biceps to give out first, which inevitably happens if you allow them to play too great of a role.

 

The only reason to WANT to get your biceps involved in any upper back work is if for some reason cannot do direct arm work. Anything other reason, and they're just sapping energy that could be used to build a bigger and stronger back!

 

absolutely. I'd actually rather just do some curls for biceps if needed, but I figure a set every once in awhile just to shake things up and keep me from getting bored would be okay. I looooove the other grip for the back and most definitely focus on using my back muscles. I'm hot for the assisted chin-up machine.