How exactly can you get strong enough to do chin ups if you're unable to do them?

[TinkleFairy]

What are easier exercises you can do in order to help build up the strength to perform chin ups properly?

[KindaBigGuns]

First, if you have high bodyfat you may never do them.

That being said, if you have access to a chinup assist machine, use it! If not, curls and back exercises. Work your rear delts with flys too. You should always do some type of pulldown/up type of motion, along with rows. (BB rows, DB rows, cable rows, ect.) When doing rows, remember to pull toward your belt, not your chest. This will work the lats more and eventually help with pullup/chinup strength. I hope I don't have to explain how to do curls.

[WL.]

You can also get a resistance band and throw it over the chin up bar. Pull down the bands in a chin up fashion. You can also use a chair to do the chin ups. Put your feet on the chair and do chin ups as usual. Over time, you will be able to move the chair further away from you, move your feet to the top of the chair, then eliminate the chair all together.

[daxster]

most convenient if you have a chin up bar would be to just use your body weight - get a chair stand on it in and position your hands/body like you just did a complete chin up and let your body weight pull you down. Be sure to not just crash down, count to 4 as you lower your body, then use the chair to go back up and repeat.

[SuffolkPunch]

Rows should have carryover to chin ups. Pendlay rows (barbell) and krock rows (DB). Getting your bodyfat down will help a lot too.

If you have a resistance band, sling it over the chin up bar and use it as assistance. This is better in some ways than those gravitron machines because the assistance received drops away the higher you get; which I think helps push your strength forwards better.

[KyleAaron]

Inverted rows.

No need to mess around with bands and stuff. I've never seen anyone graduated from the assisted chins machine to the full chins bar. Never.

Inverted rows. If you can do 20 or so of those, you ought to be able to squeeze out a few chinups.

Worked for me.

[SuffolkPunch]

Inverted rows.

No need to mess around with bands and stuff. I've never seen anyone graduated from the assisted chins machine to the full chins bar. Never.

Really? I have. I used a gravitron machine and reduced the assistance weight every week until I was ready to move on to unasissted. I was around 18-20% BF at the time.

[blacklabel9698]

ive heard if you concentrate on just negatives too you can see some results!

[Ironwake]

Really? I have. I used a gravitron machine and reduced the assistance weight every week until I was ready to move on to unasissted. I was around 18-20% BF at the time.

Yea, I always thought it was a pretty good method as well. I think the reason that people probably make slow progress in adding weight to chins is that they try to increase the amount of reps they are doing instead of the amount of weight.

Adding 1 extra rep at 200 + lb bw is much harder than removing 5lbs from your set of 5. My girlfriend has been making pretty good progress on her pull ups like this, slowly... but shes able to knock out a few now.

[KindaBigGuns]

Really? I have. I used a gravitron machine and reduced the assistance weight every week until I was ready to move on to unasissted. I was around 18-20% BF at the time.

I had done it on dips, and as far as chins I'm getting really close, similar bodyfat to what you had at the time. (actually higher lol, fat guy's going to be doing chinups soon ) I use other methods though, not just the assist machine. Still have to work back and bi's intensily on other exercises. When I can do 12 bodyweight chinups, strict, I'll cut. Right now I'm just barely above maintenance so BF doesn't go much more till then. Sometimes you just have to have an ATTITUDE towards an exercise.

[JesseRider23]

ive heard if you concentrate on just negatives too you can see some results!

to expand on this, what you should do is jump up and use momentum to do the chinup, then focus on the negative.

[Hut*Hut]

to expand on this, what you should do is jump up and use momentum to do the chinup, then focus on the negative.

this would be my plan

[grumble1]

Doing negatives works, as does 'greasing the groove' once you can do one. Negatives give you brutal DOMS though.

[mac520]

Inverted rows.

No need to mess around with bands and stuff. I've never seen anyone graduated from the assisted chins machine to the full chins bar. Never.

I have. The first gym I went to have a gravitron. I started dips at -24 lbs and chin-ups at -40 lbs for 8 reps each. Now I can do 5 dips with 35 lbs strapped to my waist and 6 chin-ups at body weight.

[bghadery]

Obviously try to minimize bodyfat. Also, find a good grip. If you are struggling with pull-ups don't use wide grip or narrow which will stress paricular muscles. Keep a regular shoulder grip to have the most help from secondary muscles.
That said, work on the muscles that are ued to do pullups: back/lats, biceps, and shoulders. That's as simple as it gets. Build the muscles you need to do pullups. Try rows, curls, and military press.
Also, when it comes to the chin-up assist machine, it will definately help but only if you gradually decrease assistance, dont do 30 reps with 100lbs assist. Oh, and IMO, the chair will not help, first, you can just jump up, second, it's more like an arm-hang rather than a pull up, and though it has its purpose, if you can't do a single pull-up, you may injure/pull a muscle.
Best luck!

[imbiggert]

Two things:

1) Use the lat pull-down as a chin-up. Grip the bar just as though you are doing pull-ups, but of course use a weight that allows you to do 8-10 reps.

2) If you have a spotter or assist-machine, then let that help you as much as you need and when you need. Do the negative on your own.

You should be able to start on your own power pretty quickly.

[TinkleFairy]

Thanks for the help, everyone.