Chins for biceps

[billmd1334]

I wanted to get some opinions on doing chins on the day I do biceps, if it matters for anyone I do biceps Monday with Chest and do Back on Thursday.

Anyway? there are only so many different variations of curls you can do, so I wanted to see if anyone else has hit their biceps with chins and seen good results?

[SquatTilYouDrop]

Chinups are a BACK exercise with biceps playing a secondary roll.

Why would you do a back exercise to stimulate biceps growth during a biceps workout? Go direct and do curls! Add more sets and/or reps. Vary the weight, but do curls for biceps.

The only way I could see doing chins for biceps development would be if I had no curling apparatus available. Then, and only then, I suppose, you could develop a mind muscle connection by pulling the weight of your body up with the biceps which is what most people do anyways. Which is wrong. Because they are trying to develop the back with it. Figure the logic there!

Keep it simple for best results. Vertical pulling for backs and curling for biceps. Can't get any more basic than that.

[FAO]

Im with squat, the secondary benefits make is somewhat silly to use chinups for an arm focus. They can be a good way to stretch your arms during an ARM workout. I will go hang with closegrip pullups or do a few reps sometimes when I get almost done with my bi workout just to stretch a little, but thats it...approach the dumbell/barbell directly for bis

[ThickAsABrick]

x3.

[dewilliamson]

Diff grips on the chinup bar work diff muscles if I'm not mistaken...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exer...nMuscle=Biceps

[T-BarSteak]

Chinups are a BACK exercise with biceps playing a secondary roll.

Why would you do a back exercise to stimulate biceps growth during a biceps workout? Go direct and do curls! Add more sets and/or reps. Vary the weight, but do curls for biceps.

The only way I could see doing chins for biceps development would be if I had no curling apparatus available. Then, and only then, I suppose, you could develop a mind muscle connection by pulling the weight of your body up with the biceps which is what most people do anyways. Which is wrong. Because they are trying to develop the back with it. Figure the logic there!

Keep it simple for best results. Vertical pulling for backs and curling for biceps. Can't get any more basic than that.

Chins are to biceps what dips/cgbp are to triceps! dips/cgbp also hit the pecs and delts so does that mean after what ur saying u wouldnt do them for tri's? as long as u have sufficent rest n recovery inbetween chest/back n biceps/triceps workout ul have no problems.

[Juggernaut33]

I prefer curls for my bis opposed to chins. I've had great results with different variations of curls.

[arnold09]

parms facing you do biceps parms facing away from you do lats

[Turco]

yesnoyeahnahayenay

[laughin_man]

Chins are to biceps what dips/cgbp are to triceps! dips/cgbp also hit the pecs and delts so does that mean after what ur saying u wouldnt do them for tri's? as long as u have sufficent rest n recovery inbetween chest/back n biceps/triceps workout ul have no problems.

this

[jburd0003]

what squat said.

although i cant help but wonder why you are working biceps on chest days instead of back days. so many back exercises use biceps as a secondary muscle like bent over rows, lat pulldowns, chins, etc. what kind of split are you on and how do you benefit from it?

[SquatTilYouDrop]

Chins are to biceps what dips/cgbp are to triceps! dips/cgbp also hit the pecs and delts so does that mean after what ur saying u wouldnt do them for tri's? as long as u have sufficent rest n recovery inbetween chest/back n biceps/triceps workout ul have no problems.

What I'm saying is, I do exercises that are primary movers for the muscles being worked that day.

Biceps curls and all their variations hit the biceps more directly than any vertical pulling exercises. So that is what I choose. I'll leave chins for back day where they play the greatest role.

Chins primary function are lats/back...not biceps.

"Up right" dips primary function are triceps...so use them on triceps day.

"Leaning forward" dips primary function are chest...so use them on chest day.

Cgbp primary function is triceps ...so use them on triceps day.

Of course, other muscles are going to coming into play with doing any of these exercises, but when designing a workout plan for that day choose exercises which "Primarily" focus on the muscle at hand. Not secondarily!

[Ironlife]

You can use chin ups for biceps especially if you train the two muscles together, but if your training just biceps then hit the curls nice and heavy and then dumbell preacher curls, now thats a movement!

[SquatTilYouDrop]

You can use chin ups for biceps especially if you train the two muscles together, but if your training just biceps then hit the curls nice and heavy and then dumbell preacher curls, now thats a movement!

I've always said this. If you are transitioning from a back to biceps workout , in the same workout, then chins makes sense.

[T-BarSteak]

What I'm saying is, I do exercises that are primary movers for the muscles being worked that day.

Biceps curls and all their variations hit the biceps more directly than any vertical pulling exercises. So that is what I choose. I'll leave chins for back day where they play the greatest role.

Chins primary function are lats/back...not biceps.

"Up right" dips primary function are triceps...so use them on triceps day.

"Leaning forward" dips primary function are chest...so use them on chest day.

Cgbp primary function is triceps ...so use them on triceps day.

Of course, other muscles are going to coming into play with doing any of these exercises, but when designing a workout plan for that day choose exercises which "Primarily" focus on the muscle at hand. Not secondarily!

I can understand what ur saying, but when doing chins personally i always get more work from the biceps than the lats, and rarely feel it in them, the biceps are the onces working hardest for me, its all down to technique n getting that mind to muscle connection, for me i always manage it and have maintained chins as my main bicep builder. Some ppl will fail to find the form to get the best benifits from chins and will be against them all the time but its down to opinion n what works for u as the individual.

Dont get me wrong curls are still a must in any bicep routine obviously! add chins with curls n hammers n ur arms will not be shy of size.

[SquatTilYouDrop]

I can understand what ur saying, but when doing chins personally i always get more work from the biceps than the lats, and rarely feel it in them, the biceps are the onces working hardest for me, its all down to technique n getting that mind to muscle connection, for me i always manage it and have maintained chins as my main bicep builder. Some ppl will fail to find the form to get the best benifits from chins and will be against them all the time but its down to opinion n what works for u as the individual.

All I can say, is somewhere along the line you trained yourself to use biceps during chins instead of back/lats. Not the most productive use of them imo. But whatever works for you.

[CaptainGorgeous]

Chins are to biceps what dips/cgbp are to triceps! dips/cgbp also hit the pecs and delts so does that mean after what ur saying u wouldnt do them for tri's? as long as u have sufficent rest n recovery inbetween chest/back n biceps/triceps workout ul have no problems.

I disagree. I feel like my triceps are being primarily worked in dips and close-grip presses, whereas chins are primarily a lat exercise.

All I can say, is somewhere along the line you trained yourself to use biceps during chins instead of back/lats. Not the most productive use of them imo. But whatever works for you.

This seems really unlikely. Something must be pulling his humerus to his side when doing chins, and biceps don't do this.

[Lencho]

what squat said.

although i cant help but wonder why you are working biceps on chest days instead of back days. so many back exercises use biceps as a secondary muscle like bent over rows, lat pulldowns, chins, etc. what kind of split are you on and how do you benefit from it?

Chest & Bicepts + Back & Tripeps = WINZ!

[LSU1]

"Up right" dips primary function are triceps...so use them on triceps day.

"Leaning forward" dips primary function are chest...so use them on chest day.

y!

this always boggles my mind

you can add weight to dips and stay upright during your set? id like to see a vid of that

[SquatTilYouDrop]

this always boggles my mind

you can add weight to dips and stay upright during your set? id like to see a vid of that

Who said anything about weight?

But, I can hold a moderate weight dumbbell between my thighs and stay upright with my elbows tucked in close to my side. Using just enough weight where the lean forward doesn't come into play and the triceps remain the focus.

If you're are referring to using great amounts of poundage then staying upright would be difficult since other other larger muscles like chest come into play and assist.

[T-BarSteak]

All I can say, is somewhere along the line you trained yourself to use biceps during chins instead of back/lats. Not the most productive use of them imo. But whatever works for you.

wide-grip pullups(palms facing away) is what i use for back/lats, close-grip chins(hands 6inch apart) is mainly biceps, u can argue this point as much as u want but cg chins for biceps wg pullups for lats. How can u say its not the most productive way??? its a compound exercise, ur shifting ur own bodyweight(which is more than ul shift on a barbell), and if ur adding weight with a dumbbell strapped round ur waist and repping out thats some poundage being pulled! plus u dont lose the tension at the top as u do with barbells.

[ThickAsABrick]

close-grip chins(hands 6inch apart) is mainly biceps, u can argue this point as much as u want but cg chins for biceps wg pullups for lats. How can u say its not the most productive way??? its a compound exercise, ur shifting ur own bodyweight(which is more than ul shift on a barbell), and if ur adding weight with a dumbbell strapped round ur waist and repping out thats some poundage being pulled! plus u dont lose the tension at the top as u do with barbells.

fail

[T-BarSteak]

a good article from online for u non-believers, new to training and them looking to try something new.

Best Exercise for Huge Biceps
By far the best exercise for huge biceps is the close grip chinup. Surprised? Thought you might be? let me explain.

Most people utilise combinations of curls for their bicep training. Afterall that?s what the bicep does ? when it contracts it brings your forearm close to your upper arm. So why the need for close grip chins? And why are they more effective?

Well first let me tell you that they?re actually better for both strength AND size. Whichever your goal is, you?ll reach it sooner with 3 sets of close grip chins, twice a week, than any number of sets of bicep curls. And unless you?re already an advanced bodybuilder (i.e. if you have particularly large arms, say 17?+, that need more work), the close grip chin is more than adequate, and you need never curl a barbell or dumbbell again.

Here?s two reasons why it?s more effective:

-The close grip chin is a closed-chain bodyweight exercise. That means that you?re moving your body through space, rather than just moving weight relative to your body. Studies have shown that closed-chain bodyweight exercises elicit the absolute highest growth and strength responses of all exercises (next in line are closed-chain free-weight exercises, like the squat ? and right at the bottom, are open chain cable and machine movements, like pulldowns or machine curls). Your body simply takes them more seriously. As such, strength and size are gained much more quickly with close grip chins.

-The tension is constant on your bicep throughout the entire movement. At no point in the close grip chinup do you relax your bicep. In the curl, the tension in your bicep reaches a peak half way through, and then as you bring the barbell up towards your upper arm, you can feel the bicep relax. There?s no room for relaxing in the close grip chinup ? your biceps are contracting just as hard at the top as they are at the middle and bottom of the workout. As such, the close grip chin works the bicep hard through an entire range of motion, which breaks down more muscle fibre and stimulates a greater growth response.

Hopefully that?s convinced you that the close grip chin is the best exercise for huge biceps. If not, I urge you to try it ? cut out all bicep curling, and hit up the chins for 3 sets, twice per week. Try to keep your reps above 6, and add weight if you can do more than 10. I guarantee you will be surprised at your results after 4-6 weeks, and you may very well never go back to curling.

[T-BarSteak]

fail

fail

[ThickAsABrick]

a good article from online for u non-believers, new to training and them looking to try something new.

Best Exercise for Huge Biceps
By far the best exercise for huge biceps is the close grip chinup. Surprised? Thought you might be? let me explain.

Most people utilise combinations of curls for their bicep training. Afterall that?s what the bicep does ? when it contracts it brings your forearm close to your upper arm. So why the need for close grip chins? And why are they more effective?

Well first let me tell you that they?re actually better for both strength AND size. Whichever your goal is, you?ll reach it sooner with 3 sets of close grip chins, twice a week, than any number of sets of bicep curls. And unless you?re already an advanced bodybuilder (i.e. if you have particularly large arms, say 17?+, that need more work), the close grip chin is more than adequate, and you need never curl a barbell or dumbbell again.

Here?s two reasons why it?s more effective:

-The close grip chin is a closed-chain bodyweight exercise. That means that you?re moving your body through space, rather than just moving weight relative to your body. Studies have shown that closed-chain bodyweight exercises elicit the absolute highest growth and strength responses of all exercises (next in line are closed-chain free-weight exercises, like the squat ? and right at the bottom, are open chain cable and machine movements, like pulldowns or machine curls). Your body simply takes them more seriously. As such, strength and size are gained much more quickly with close grip chins.

-The tension is constant on your bicep throughout the entire movement. At no point in the close grip chinup do you relax your bicep. In the curl, the tension in your bicep reaches a peak half way through, and then as you bring the barbell up towards your upper arm, you can feel the bicep relax. There?s no room for relaxing in the close grip chinup ? your biceps are contracting just as hard at the top as they are at the middle and bottom of the workout. As such, the close grip chin works the bicep hard through an entire range of motion, which breaks down more muscle fibre and stimulates a greater growth response.

Hopefully that?s convinced you that the close grip chin is the best exercise for huge biceps. If not, I urge you to try it ? cut out all bicep curling, and hit up the chins for 3 sets, twice per week. Try to keep your reps above 6, and add weight if you can do more than 10. I guarantee you will be surprised at your results after 4-6 weeks, and you may very well never go back to curling.

strike 2

[romad97]

Well I do not claim to be an expert by any means but I will say this. Chins do work the bi's. They work the bi's very hard in fact. I consider chins to be a staple in a workout routine as I do with every compound exercise. Now, I do understand that chins hit the lats and that curls are a much better isolation movement for bi's but what does it hurt to incorperate them into your routine. I will say this and this is from personal experience. I used to do nothing but isolations on bi day. I had good results but nothing special. Within two months of adding chuns into my routine on a regular basis, I didnt really see much growth but my strength gains were tremendous. Do yourself a favor and add chins into your workout. I do them on both back and bi days.

[T-BarSteak]

strike 2

strike 2 my arse, stick to the basics then, the good ol' bb curl (yawn)

[chazzy1864]

Chinups are a BACK exercise with biceps playing a secondary roll.

Why would you do a back exercise to stimulate biceps growth during a biceps workout? Go direct and do curls! Add more sets and/or reps. Vary the weight, but do curls for biceps.

The only way I could see doing chins for biceps development would be if I had no curling apparatus available. Then, and only then, I suppose, you could develop a mind muscle connection by pulling the weight of your body up with the biceps which is what most people do anyways. Which is wrong. Because they are trying to develop the back with it. Figure the logic there!

Keep it simple for best results. Vertical pulling for backs and curling for biceps. Can't get any more basic than that.

^This.

[Tyrbolift]

a good article from online for u non-believers, new to training and them looking to try something new.

Best Exercise for Huge Biceps
By far the best exercise for huge biceps is the close grip chinup. Surprised? Thought you might be? let me explain.

Most people utilise combinations of curls for their bicep training. Afterall that?s what the bicep does ? when it contracts it brings your forearm close to your upper arm. So why the need for close grip chins? And why are they more effective?

Well first let me tell you that they?re actually better for both strength AND size. Whichever your goal is, you?ll reach it sooner with 3 sets of close grip chins, twice a week, than any number of sets of bicep curls. And unless you?re already an advanced bodybuilder (i.e. if you have particularly large arms, say 17?+, that need more work), the close grip chin is more than adequate, and you need never curl a barbell or dumbbell again.

Here?s two reasons why it?s more effective:

-The close grip chin is a closed-chain bodyweight exercise. That means that you?re moving your body through space, rather than just moving weight relative to your body. Studies have shown that closed-chain bodyweight exercises elicit the absolute highest growth and strength responses of all exercises (next in line are closed-chain free-weight exercises, like the squat ? and right at the bottom, are open chain cable and machine movements, like pulldowns or machine curls). Your body simply takes them more seriously. As such, strength and size are gained much more quickly with close grip chins.

-The tension is constant on your bicep throughout the entire movement. At no point in the close grip chinup do you relax your bicep. In the curl, the tension in your bicep reaches a peak half way through, and then as you bring the barbell up towards your upper arm, you can feel the bicep relax. There?s no room for relaxing in the close grip chinup ? your biceps are contracting just as hard at the top as they are at the middle and bottom of the workout. As such, the close grip chin works the bicep hard through an entire range of motion, which breaks down more muscle fibre and stimulates a greater growth response.

Hopefully that?s convinced you that the close grip chin is the best exercise for huge biceps. If not, I urge you to try it ? cut out all bicep curling, and hit up the chins for 3 sets, twice per week. Try to keep your reps above 6, and add weight if you can do more than 10. I guarantee you will be surprised at your results after 4-6 weeks, and you may very well never go back to curling.

Could you name or link the source please?

[Shaynop-NP]

I've already used chins for biceps, but only after my bi's are pre-fatigued from 2-3 other exercises and with a very close grip (2-3inches)