OK< I remember where I read it. It was in a an old Mike Menzter article. They were comparing the lat activation in close grip chins, close grip pullups, and wide grip pullups. The chins activated more lat, while the wide grip pullups came in last.
Since this was a Mentezer article, I’m not sure of the validity of it. If you remember, Mike always had close grip chins in his programs.
Jeff Rage,
I went to a Mike Mentzer seminar a long time ago. Mentzer had a unique way of looking at things. I will not speak ill of the dead, but I respectfully disagree with him, relative to which movement activates the Lats more.
However, I do agree that wide grip chins have less Lat invovlement. As I have stated I think they put undue stress on the shoulder joint and should be avoided.
Yeh I read that chins activate the lats more too in Mens Fitness (not mine I might add!).
But got to agree with ZEB that it just doesn’t feel that way when you do them. My biceps are definitely being worked harder with chins and since I can do fairly similar numbers in chin and pull ups I’d infer that lats are more activated on pull ups (and the DOMS I get corroborates that!) or else I wouldn’t be able to get up there.
I’ve always looked at it as chins being more bicep-oriented while the latter being more lats/back oriented. Both are great maneuvers that have almost become a lost exercise to young guys like myself. I too have a question for some of the experienced guys out there. Aren’t chins a great way to build up the lower bicep? One weakness in my arms is that I appear to have no bi’s with a shirt on, but the further they get to my shoulder, the more size and definition I have. It seems like chins would recruit those lower muscles because it’s hard to cheat them(unless you don’t lower yourself completely after each repitition.
In my opinion, people have put way too much stock in the results of EMG studies of different exercises. First of all, there are limitations in the technology of EMG. Many studies comparing activation in different exercises use only surface EMG, for example. Therefore they can conclude nothing about muscle activation deeper below the skin. Few would agree this is all that matters.
Secondly, even if it can be proven that one exercise has higher activation of a muscle, such as the lats, than another, that activation doesn’t necessarily justify the conclusion that the exercise is functionally “better.”
bosshogoutlaw,
I certainly can’t speak for anyone else, but I have found that Chin-ups if performed properly is the single best bicep exercise. And they will make your entire bicep grow!
there is no such thing as the inner biceps.
sorry i meant lower.
Surely, when trying to decide which grip to use in chin ups/pull ups, it makes sense to perform the version that minimizes the weak links - i.e. supinated, other wise the weak link will always be the weaker elbow flexors.
Try doing pronated pull ups to failure, then switch (with no rest) to supinated and you will find you can do a few more reps - therefore it was the weakeer elbow flexors and not the lats that were fatigued.
I find that not only can I perform more reps/greater weight with supinated grip, I also getter better feel of contraction in my lats, it provides a greater ROM at the shoulder joint and no elbow discomfort. Just my humble opinion!