Wide-Grip Chins (Pull-Ups)

Description

PURPOSE: The fundamental exercise for developing lat width and the V-taper. Nothing builds the wide, sweeping lats like heavy chins. EXECUTION: (1) Grasp a chin-up bar with a wide overhand grip (hands well outside shoulder width). (2) Hang at full arm extension, stretching the lats completely. (3) Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar (or touch the bar to your upper chest for behind-the-neck variation). (4) Lower yourself slowly back to the full hang position. KEY TIPS: Don't swing or kip—use strict form. Pull with your lats, not your arms—think about driving your elbows down and back. Get a full stretch at the bottom and a full contraction at the top. If you can't do bodyweight chins, use an assisted chin machine or lat pulldowns until you build sufficient strength. If bodyweight is too easy, add weight with a dip belt. Arnold could do wide-grip chins with 80+ pounds attached to his waist. VARIATIONS: Behind-the-Neck Chins (more upper lat/teres major emphasis), Close-Grip Chins (lower lats, more biceps involvement), Neutral-Grip Chins (brachialis emphasis). Arnold: 'I would do chins at the beginning of every back workout. Nothing stretches and contracts the lats like a full-range chin-up.'