I am 42 and have had some tendonitis in each elbow. Chinups are starting to kill me. I backed off for a week and just did t-bar rows instead. I tried some chins yesterday and still had a lot of elbow pain.
I really don’t want to agravate it and go back to where picking up a coffee cup in the morning kicks my ass.
What is the best substitute for chin? Or are the basics, t-bar row, barbell row, etc… all about equally effecitve if you are not doing any pull up movements?
Chins aren’t a necessity. What is the purpose of chins? They strengthen and put mass on the back, delts and arms. Pick whatever movements that allow those three things without pain. It might be a little different for everyone as to what assistance movements perform best for them. There are no absolutes in assistance work, only the main lifts. The basics that you listed will work just fine.
Good luck!
There are some great back exercises listed in 5/3/1 2nd edition and Beyond 5/3/1 if you care to read them.
[quote]DAVE101 wrote:
There are some great back exercises listed in 5/3/1 2nd edition and Beyond 5/3/1 if you care to read them.[/quote]
I have read all of the books. I asked because Jim seems to really emphasise chins and I wondered if one stood above all the rest as a subsitute.
Have you tried neutral grip chins? I find these much easier on the shoulders and elbows if they are hurting …
Weighted chins can cause elbow pain, as can some triceps exercises … Are you sure pull ups are the cause and not just aggravated by pain caused from another source ?
Just asking because you sound like you really want to keep them in your routine …
[quote]Velvet Elvis wrote:
Have you tried neutral grip chins? I find these much easier on the shoulders and elbows if they are hurting …
Weighted chins can cause elbow pain, as can some triceps exercises … Are you sure pull ups are the cause and not just aggravated by pain caused from another source ?
Just asking because you sound like you really want to keep them in your routine …[/quote]
Good points here. There’s a good chance it’s squatting that’s beating up the shoulders and elbows, and it manifests when you chin. I’ve also noticed the neutral grip hurts a lot less.
Also, elbow sleeves and ibuprofen are your friends.
I appreciate all the help. I would like to chins just because I have always sucked ass at them. I was starting to make progress and then my elbows started to hate me for it. I was only doing neutral grip and that did help. I can’t even come close to doing a pull up grip.
No other rowing or pressing excercise causes me any elbow pain. But Ramo is right that I do feel elbow pain when I squat.
Check out your thoracic extension and shoulder ER. If you have rings or rotating handles pull ups would be less aggravating. I can’t support sustained anti-inflammatory use. Figure out the problem, don’t just throw a bandaid on it.
hammer strength pulldowns, also maybe try getting some ART therapy on the elbows.
You need to find a back movement that doesn’t aggravate/stress your back - that is the reason for chins. I like chins because you don’t need a special machine or bar to do them. You can do them anywhere. And easy as hell to do.