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The common wisdom is that the chin up (supinated grip) targets the biceps. It also appears to target the pectoralis major. The pull up targets the lower trapezius more. Source Ellington Darden also says the chin up better targets the lats because the involvement of the biceps means the arms won't give out as quickly as the pull up, allowing the back to get ...

I haven't worked out using straps but I would consider they are similar to still rings. The difference between still rings and pull-up bar exercising is that the rings are not static, they can move and as informaficker said you need to maintain a good balance on them in order to exercise. Once you get more experienced and gain strength it would not make a ...

From your other question I know that the lat pulldown machine broke down, however: Using a machine does not really prepare you for the real exercise. To improve any body weight or free weight exercise it is best to not use a machine. The machine controls the path of the weight and you don't have to worry about the weight dropping uncontrolled or tipping over ...

This is a great question! As far as muscle recruitment goes, the bent-over barbell rows do yield the most muscle activity for the lats (back) and the biceps during EMG (electromyographic studies); however, this is only when you comparing with other bent-over row exercises (dumbbell, cable, etc.). Regarding the most effective lat and bicep exercises, ...

I didn't really feel that I get a training effect if I could only do one good form pull up in a row. So as my exercise was really lacking a pulling motion, I found Inverted Rows to be a great way to work up to pull ups or chin ups. You can do inverted rows nearly everywhere, either over or underhand. At the gym you could hang a barbell into a rack and get ...

The point is just that the band assisted chin should not be thought of as an "easier chin-up." It is a different exercise, it is a different skill that you are learning. (The non-linear nature of the band helping you out most at the bottom, where the shoulder mobility that most people lack is most important, making it easier to start with bad shoulder ...

I suppose he mentioned it because in general when one is using bands to help himself with the chin-ups he gets used to them and forgets that they must be there just temporary. However his statement is not true. I did not use bands when learning the chin-up but I did use bands when learning the One Arm Chin Up(Disclosure: this is my personal website). It was ...

Will this routine help me reach my goal? Yes. They'll help you reach toward your goal, but whether you will reach your goal with them in a time acceptable to you is impossible for anyone here to say. As someone mentioned, it all depends on how far you are from your goal and how vigorously you do these. and are there any things to be avoided i.e ...

Take this answer with a grain of salt as I've never done anything besides (underhand) inverted rows or pull ups, chin ups or neutral grip pull ups when training for pull ups. From what I've read the band assisted pull ups mostly help you in the lower part of the pull up. Resistance bands only help you in the bottom position. You'll have to do most of ...

Seems your best bet would be to use resistance bands. Figure out your max with the strongest resistance band. once you have established this number than do your sets throughout the day with 60-75% of that number. As you increase your repetitions over time use lighter resistance bands and then eventually no resistance bands at all.