chin ups VS curls?

[PISTELERO]

Ive heard many people on here say throw away curls and use chin ups for the bi's.
what are your thoughts?

[KyleAaron]

Muscles adapt to the stress placed on them.

Let us know when you can curl your bodyweight.

[theapexxxx]

Muscles adapt to the stress placed on them.

Let us know when you can curl your bodyweight.

Might as well throw away your gym membership.
Your muscles are just going to adapt anyways.

[Findenn]

Muscles adapt to the stress placed on them.

Let us know when you can curl your bodyweight.

Strong analysis.

Depends on your goals. Most balanced BB'ing routines have some sort of curling. Many lifting or athletic programs dont use any single joint moves.

[mackd]

Curls get the gurls.
But seriously, i would never "get rid" of curls and replace them with chinups, yeh you might add chinups in the routine. but curls are your staple, just like bench is your staple for chest, and rows may be your staple for back.

My physique is pretty average, but my best part is definatly my Bi's. i never do chins.
heavy barbell curls, alternating dumbells and concentrations are my mains. i might do chins at the end of it all do blast my bis, or i might just do cables.

[gomez26]

Muscles adapt to the stress placed on them.

Let us know when you can curl your bodyweight.

W-O-W.
Do you mean to tell me you can lift more weight when you involve more muscles?
Mind=Blown.

[tonester]

My physique is pretty average, but my best part is definatly my Bi's. i never do chins.
heavy barbell curls, alternating dumbells and concentrations are my mains.

As long as you place the emphasis on a isolation move over a compound big bang for your buck move, you will stay average.

I hope you realize that your arms will never get any bigger than your upper back can support. Your arms are attached to your scaps. Weak scapular structure, no arm growth.

I highly recommend that you try the priorities the other way around. Curls to finish. That's why they are called an isolation movement.

[Exdee]

Do them both, there's no reason why you can't get some chins done at the first half of your workout and finish off your bi's with some curls towards the end.

[adc123]

Curls do contrary to popular belief, work your arms very effectively. Curls will get you big arms. End of story.

I know theres alot of people that are against any isolation exercises but if you want to target your biceps, curls are the best way to add size. Not saying chin ups won't add size but it heavily involves your back muscles and its an awkward exercise which means that technique will also limit how much you can do on it. With curls, a relatively basic exercise you can focus all your energy and aggression into working your bis. Chins work your back, your core and even your shoulders in addition to the bis and forearms. The load is being spread throughout those muscle groups whereas during a barbell curl with strict form your bis and forarms are the only muscles doing the work.

[Karaim]

Ive heard many people on here say throw away curls and use chin ups for the bi's.
what are your thoughts?

Those that recommend this, have you seen their biceps?

[Sublime82]

Why not just do compound exercises such as chin ups when you begin your workout, then do easier isolation exercises such as bicep curls towards the end.

[FaceTheFacts]

Ive heard many people on here say throw away curls and use chin ups for the bi's.
what are your thoughts?

Chinups are going to help you more in a real life situation than curls. Think of it like this; would you feel more confident going up a mountain with 2 years of chinups under your belt or barbell curls?

[Tyrbolift]

Chinups are going to help you more in a real life situation than curls. Think of it like this; would you feel more confident going up a mountain with 2 years of chinups under your belt or barbell curls?

What is this? "Reallifeclimbingamountain.com"?

Honestly, in some situations a robust farmer with fatceps who never lifted a barbell weight in his life but worked hard will be better in many real life situations than Jay Cutler.

The question is, what are your goals?

[madaozeki]

The shape and size of your biceps (and other muscles for that matter) is genetically determined. If you add weight to your chinups over time (strap it around your waist), you'll achieve 95% of the bicep development you'll ever be entitled to. Adding curls on top of that may or may not take you further. Doing curls and no chins may result in similar gains to your biceps, but you'll be left without lats.

So you do the math.

[FaceTheFacts]

What is this? "Reallifeclimbingamountain.com"?

Honestly, in some situations a robust farmer with fatceps who never lifted a barbell weight in his life but worked hard will be better in many real life situations than Jay Cutler.

The question is, what are your goals?

Your somebody that takes advise from a pro bodybuilder that shoots steroids in there butt lol. Keep thinking like that buddy maybe it will get you somewhere in never never land. Let me give you an example though. Do you think the military wastes there time with barbell curls or will they do something like chinups. In reality barbell curls is a bullsh*t exercise. Because some little kid watched to many Arnold movies thought they wanted biceps like that. They picked up a barbell curl bar thinking there going to build huge biceps. That's a load of sh*t because if you do something like chinups or weighted chinups even. That's what will build REAL strength and size. To all the vain people out there, keep doing you barbell curls and see what will benefit you in the long run.

[liftingbuddy1]

Tyrbolift is right; it depends on a person's goals. OP didn't even state what his goal was. A bodybuilder would more than likely prefer to do curls, whereas a non-bodybuilder may opt for chinups. What's the problem?

FWIW, FaceTheFacts, I also agree with you on the point of how applicable some of the strength gained from training with certain exercises are in real life situations. But, again, everyone's opinion is based on a different goal. So, there is no need to bash one opinion in favor of one's own.

Mike

[trackstar0313]

Chins > curls

If you want muscle as apposed to glamour muscle

[FaceTheFacts]

Tyrbolift is right; it depends on a person's goals. OP didn't even state what his goal was. A bodybuilder would more than likely prefer to do curls, whereas a non-bodybuilder may opt for chinups. What's the problem?

FWIW, FaceTheFacts, I also agree with you on the point of how applicable some of the strength gained from training with certain exercises are in real life situations. But, again, everyone's opinion is based on a different goal. So, there is no need to bash one opinion in favor of one's own.

Mike

A Pro Bodybuilding career is only going to last so long. Do you think somebody can keep up the amount of weight there doing with barbell curls when your 65? I'm just thinking of what will last longer, what exercise will benefit you in the long run. Barbell curls isn't a practical exercise "compared" to chinups. You also can build way better arms with chinups or weighted chinups, like I said before.

[KindaBigGuns]

Your somebody that takes advise from a pro bodybuilder that shoots steroids in there butt lol. Keep thinking like that buddy maybe it will get you somewhere in never never land. Let me give you an example though. Do you think the military wastes there time with barbell curls or will they do something like chinups. In reality barbell curls is a bullsh*t exercise. Because some little kid watched to many Arnold movies thought they wanted biceps like that. They picked up a barbell curl bar thinking there going to build huge biceps. That's a load of sh*t because if you do something like chinups or weighted chinups even. That's what will build REAL strength and size. To all the vain people out there, keep doing you barbell curls and see what will benefit you in the long run.

I'm a noob compared to most of the guys on here, but I have noticed when I don't do chin-ups=no growth. I start doing them, jeez, I start growing again. I've only been working out 8 months and was in horrible shape (fat and no muscles) at the start, and I can do about 4-5 real chin-ups or about 11-12 on the assist (40 pounds) machine. My plan is, master chin-ups, then while occasionally doing weighted chins, to start mastering the more difficult pull-ups. (parallell grip, narrow-pronated, then finally wide grip pull-ups.) Then when I can do wide grips, alternate between them and weighted chin-ups, while occasionally doing parallell grip. Sound good?

[Tyrbolift]

Your somebody that takes advise from a pro bodybuilder that shoots steroids in there butt lol. Keep thinking like that buddy maybe it will get you somewhere in never never land. Let me give you an example though. Do you think the military wastes there time with barbell curls or will they do something like chinups. In reality barbell curls is a bullsh*t exercise. Because some little kid watched to many Arnold movies thought they wanted biceps like that. They picked up a barbell curl bar thinking there going to build huge biceps. That's a load of sh*t because if you do something like chinups or weighted chinups even. That's what will build REAL strength and size. To all the vain people out there, keep doing you barbell curls and see what will benefit you in the long run.

Oh boy! I get to get lectured to about "the long run" when I was already over and done with the long run before you were even compound lifting a binky to your baby mouth.

These "either-or" threads never end well because the premiss is so flawed. Chins are great. Curls are great. They are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Do both if you want to bodybuild. (which, incidentally is a "vain" activity, by nature).

[FaceTheFacts]

Oh boy! I get to get lectured to about "the long run" when I was already over and done with the long run before you were even compound lifting a binky to your baby mouth.

These "either-or" threads never end well because the premiss is so flawed. Chins are great. Curls are great. They are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Do both if you want to bodybuild. (which, incidentally is a "vain" activity, by nature).

lol here we go. I would rather take a hole in the head then take another lecture from somebody like you.

[Tyrbolift]

lol here we go.

Not really. Threads like this are almost as old as I am. I've actually never tried only doing curls. It's a silly concept. You're picking an argument with someone who doesn't exist, and then trying to cast me in that role.

Chinups only might work for some, but I'd never be happy with just that.

[Tyrbolift]

lol here we go. I would rather take a hole in the head then take another lecture from somebody like you.

Lame comeback. Come on!

You can do better than that.

Ask Turco or massholio for some good "old" jokes.

[KindaBigGuns]

It's my fault. No matter what forum (on all ranges of subjects) I go to, when I post=dead thread.

On topic, I'll always do curls in my routine, I just like switching between them every workout. (I never go a week without doing a chin or a curl.)

[FaceTheFacts]

It's my fault. No matter what forum (on all ranges of subjects) I go to, when I post=dead thread.

On topic, I'll always do curls in my routine, I just like switching between them every workout. (I never go a week without doing a chin or a curl.)

No No Nooo, it's not your fault, it's not your fault. Just keep saying that lol.

[Karaim]

A Pro Bodybuilding career is only going to last so long. Do you think somebody can keep up the amount of weight there doing with barbell curls when your 65? I'm just thinking of what will last longer, what exercise will benefit you in the long run. Barbell curls isn't a practical exercise "compared" to chinups. You also can build way better arms with chinups or weighted chinups, like I said before.

So what you're saying is that bodybuilding is pointless, right? This site should be shut down and transformed into a "real-life-useful-military-exercise" site. Some of us here just lift for plain vanity (i.e. to look good). We want big biceps and do the curls.

Are curls useful in real life situations? No. So what?

[Defiant1]

Ive heard many people on here say throw away curls and use chin ups for the bi's.
what are your thoughts?

It's a stupid ass idea.

[Karaim]

lol here we go. I would rather take a hole in the head then take another lecture from somebody like you.

You discredited yourself already by recommending dips to build your traps in another post.

[FaceTheFacts]

You discredited yourself already by recommending dips to build your traps in another post.

Parellel bar dips is a compund exercise just like chinups. Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once. The traps is a secondary muscle worked from parellel bar dips. WTF are you talking about? You can do dips and chinups on the same day.

[FaceTheFacts]

It's a stupid ass idea.

if your Ronnie Coleman.