Bent Arms Chin-up
- Zielmuskel
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Körperregion
- Back
- Typ
- Strength
The bent arms chin-up is a bodyweight back exercise performed with an underhand (supinated) grip, working the upper-back pulling muscles such as the lats along with the biceps. Unlike a standard chin-up, you keep your arms bent throughout, holding and working through a flexed-arm position rather than locking out to a full dead hang — which keeps constant tension on the back and arms.
Bent Arms Chin-up: So führst du sie aus
- 1Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand (supinated) grip, hands roughly shoulder-width apart and palms facing you.
- 2Pull yourself up until your arms are bent and your chin is at or above the bar, setting your starting flexed-arm position.
- 3Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back to engage your upper back.
- 4Lower yourself under control only until your arms are partially extended, stopping before they fully straighten so your elbows stay bent.
- 5Pull back up smoothly until your chin returns above the bar, leading with your elbows driving down toward your ribs.
- 6Keep your body steady and avoid swinging, moving only through the bent-arm range.
- 7Complete your reps, then lower under control and step down from the bar safely.
Technik-Tipps
- Keep your elbows bent through the whole set — the constant tension on the back and biceps is the point of this variation.
- Initiate each rep by pulling your shoulder blades down and together, not by yanking with your arms alone.
- Move at a controlled tempo and avoid kipping or swinging, which steals tension from the working muscles.
- Keep your core braced and your ribs down so your torso stays stable instead of arching.
Häufige Fehler
- Letting the arms fully straighten at the bottom, which turns the lift into a standard chin-up and loses the constant-tension benefit.
- Swinging or kipping to generate momentum, which cheats the rep and reduces the work done by the back and arms.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of pulling the shoulder blades down, which strains the neck and weakens the pull.
- Rushing the descent and dropping into the bottom, which removes muscular tension and stresses the elbows and shoulders.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the bent arms chin-up work?
It is a back and arm pulling exercise. The underhand grip works the upper-back muscles such as the lats, with the biceps assisting, and your core working to keep your body stable.
How is the bent arms chin-up different from a regular chin-up?
A regular chin-up moves between a full dead hang and a locked-out finish. In the bent arms version you keep your elbows bent the whole time, never fully straightening, which keeps constant tension on the back and biceps.
Is the bent arms chin-up good for beginners?
It is fairly advanced because holding a bent-arm position demands real pulling strength. If you can't yet do controlled reps, build up with regular chin-ups, negatives, or band-assisted pulls first.
How wide should my grip be?
About shoulder-width with palms facing you works well. A narrower grip emphasizes the biceps slightly, while a wider underhand grip shifts a little more emphasis to the back.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Because it is bodyweight and challenging, aim for 3–4 sets of as many controlled reps as you can manage with good form, resting fully between sets.
