The Ultimate Guide To Build Up To Weighted Chin-Ups
Weighted chin-ups are one of the most underrated exercises for strength and size in my opinion.
Unlike a pull-up, your palms are facing you in a chin-up.
Let’s begin with a list of some of the primary muscles worked in a chin-up:
Lats
Biceps
Forearms
Abs
Lower Traps
Rhomboids
You see, getting stronger on chin-ups will help you blow up your back and biceps over time.
Moreover, chin-ups are different compared to other exercises because of the following reasons:
i) They are a closed-chain movement
Unlike lat-pulldowns, chin-ups are a closed-chain movement.
This means that your hands are fixed and your body is moving through space.
Compare this to a lat-pulldown, where your body is fixed and your hands are moving through space.
We get a lot of open-chain movements in our workouts, so it can be beneficial to train with some closed-chain movements.
ii) They help with aesthetics
What? How?
Well, being lean is a key for aesthetics.
Unlike other exercises where you can get carried away trying to ‘force-feed’ yourself with the hopes of gaining some ‘extra’ muscle, progressing with the weighted chin-up requires you to not put on too much fat.
This way, it ensures that you are progressing without going ‘all-out’ on your bulk.
These two things differentiate the chin-up from other exercises and are why I think they should be a part of routine if building a lean, strong, and aesthetically-pleasing physique is the goal.
As you see, this is a very powerful movement that involves multiple muscles and can help you get insanely strong.
But the problem is that most people don’t give this exercise the attention it deserves.
The majority of the people either just use this as a warm-up or a finisher.
Those who do give it some attention only focus on doing more and more reps in a single set.
While doing more and more reps in a single set can help you gain some muscle initially, it won’t give you much in terms of strength and muscle in the long run.
This is exactly why the best way to progress on the chin-up is by adding weight.
But this has to be gradual.
You can’t expect yourself to do weighted chin-ups if you can barely do a rep with your bodyweight.
This I why I’m going to lay out a progression model that can help you go from being able to do absolutely no chin-ups to weighted chin-ups over time.
Pulling myself up to a bar always felt impossible initially, but using this progression model helped get stronger and add weight over time.
Again, this isn’t the only way to progress, but it is what has helped me to get my first chin-up and progress from there-on.
Let’s begin!
Stage 1: Cannot Hang Off The Bar
Most people get demotivated if they can’t even hang off the bar while starting their chin-up journey.
This leads them to completely ignore the exercise progressions instead of building up strength.
If you find yourself in this situation, don’t worry as this has got you covered.
Here’s what the Stage 1 training looks like.
The following exercises need to be performed 3 times a week:
Inverted Rows
3 sets to failure
Dead Hangs
3 sets to failure
This can fit into any split.
Just make sure that you get at least one day of rest between these sessions.
Inverted rows are a great builder of back and bicep strength and don’t require to hang off the bar.
If you don’t find a bar to perform the inverted row, you can use the Smith machine since it will also allow you to adjust the height of the bar.
These are to be performed as the first exercise in your workout.
Dead hangs are an exercise where you just try to hang off the bar for as long as you can.
This can be as short as a few seconds.
The goal is to improve your grip strength over time.
These are to be performed as the last exercise in your workout.
The focus has to be on progression which means you should try increasing reps for the inverted rows and increasing time for the dead hang over time.
Performing 3 sets 3 times a week to failure accumulates a decent amount of volume as a beginner.
This is why I do not recommend you perform a full blown “Back day” while running this training and instead stick to a full-body template with only one extra exercise for back.
If you really want to perform another additional back exercise (3sets) during the week, feel free to do so, as long as your recovery permits.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Inverted Rows 3 sets
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
Dead Hang 3 sets
Workout B:
Inverted Rows 3 sets
Dead Hang 3 sets
Workout C:
Inverted Rows 3 sets
Dead Hang 3 sets
Move to Stage 2 once you feel confident with your ability to hang off a bar and can also perform at least 3 sets of 8 reps on inverted rows.
Stage 2: Can Hang Off The Bar But Cannot Perform A Chin-Up
Once you feel confident with your ability to hang off a bar and can also perform inverted rows, you are in Stage 2.
Here, we will use negative chin-ups.
A negative just means that you will jump up to the top position of the chin-up and then lower yourself down as slowly as possible.
Alternatively, you can stand on a bench to get to the top position of the chin-up and then step off and focus on slowly lowering yourself down in a controlled manner.
The key to making negatives work is to make the descent very slow and controlled.
Here’s what the training will look like.
The following exercise has to be performed 3 times a week:
Negative Chin-Up
3 sets of 5 reps
The focus with this has to be on trying to make the descent slower every session.
I recommend adding in some extra volume in this stage.
Around 3-6 extra sets of back work should suffice.
I leave the split you use up to you with full-body 3 times a week being the recommended option.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A
Negative Chin-Up 3 sets of 5
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
Workout B:
Negative Chin-Up 3 sets of 5
Workout C:
Negative Chin-Up 3 sets of 5
Lat Pulldown (Chin Up Grip) 3 sets of 8-12
Once you can perform 3 sets of 5 very controlled negatives, I want you to attempt a set of chin-ups in your next workout.
If you can only perform 0-1 reps, move to Stage 3.
If you can perform 2 or more reps, move to Stage 4.
Stage 3: Can Perform Negatives But Not Chin-Ups
If you have enough strength to do controlled negatives, but you still can perform only 0-1 reps of a chin-up, this stage will be very helpful.
Here’s what the training will look like.
Any one of the alternatives need to be performed 3 times a week:
(Recommended) Resistance Band Assisted Chin-Ups
3 sets of 10
(Alternative) Assisted Chin-Up Machine
3 sets of 10
If you don’t have access to resistance bands, the assisted Chin-Up Machine could work.
If you don’t have access to that either, I recommend using the same training from Stage 2, but utilizing 3 sets of 10 on the Negative Chin-Ups instead of 3 sets of 5.
The focus here is to be able to perform 3 sets of 10 reps with assistance.
Once you are able to perform 3 sets of 10 reps, you will reduce the assistance, by either using a lighter band, or changing the weight on the assisted chin-up machine, based on whichever alternative you use.
This way almost guarantees success.
Every time you hit 3 sets of 10, you will reduce the assistance, until you reach a point where you are doing a set without any assistance at all.
Since 3 sets of 10 reps 3 times a week adds up to a decent amount of volume, we don’t need too much extra back work.
3 additional sets of horizontal pulling could be sufficient.
You can fit this in any split of your choice.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Band Assisted Chin-Up 3 sets of 10
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
Workout B:
Band Assisted Chin-Up 3 sets of 10
Workout C:
Band Assisted Chin-Up 3 sets of 10
Once you reach a point where you can perform 3 sets of 10 using very light bands (or using very little assistance on the assisted chin-up machine), try attempting a set of chin-up in the following workout.
If you get 0-1 reps, continue working on the exercises with even lesser assistance.
If you get 2 or more reps, move to Stage 4.
Stage 4: Can Perform One Set Of 2-9 Bodyweight Chin-Ups
If you can just perform 1 rep, go to Stage 3.
If you can perform at least 2 reps with good form, Stage 4 is the one for you.
In this stage, we’ll focus on getting in enough volume with chin-ups.
You see, many people in this stage tend to gravitate towards the lat-pulldown hoping it to increase their chin-ups.
While getting stronger on the lat-pulldown will lead to growth which can then assist you in doing more chin-ups, it isn’t the best way to get stronger at the chin-up.
What is the best exercise to get stronger at the chin-up?
The chin-up.
Wasn’t that obvious?
But the problem is that if you can only do a set of few reps, it will not be sufficient volume to help you get stronger in the fastest way possible.
Thus, we’ll use the power of frequency to generate more volume throughout the week.
Frequency basically means the number of times you train a muscle in a week.
But there is a catch.
If you want to train at a very high frequency, you have to manage your intensity.
This means that to take the benefit of high frequency, you cannot train every set to absolute failure.
I know this could sound slightly complicated if you’ve never heard of it before, but just follow along and you’ll understand what I mean.
Here’s what the training will look like.
You will use the Greasing The Groove method.
In this method, you perform multiple sets throughout the day, with the key being that none of these sets are very close to failure.
This will allow you to generate sufficient volume throughout the week without burning out.
For example, if you can currently do 4 chin-ups, do multiple sets of 2 chin-ups throughout the day.
Let’s say you do 5 such sets in a single day.
Over a week (with one day reserved for complete rest), you’ll be able to do 30 sets of 2 reps.
Think about this.
You will be performing 60 strict chin-ups throughout the week, when in reality you could never generate that much volume even if you trained to absolute failure.
Of course, this is just an example.
I recommend sticking to 50% of the reps you can currently do.
If you can do 4 reps at max, perform multiple sets of 2.
If you can do 2 reps, perform multiple singles.
Prioritize form and remember that you don’t have to grind reps.
This means that you have to perform the Greasing The Groove method 6 times a week.
Focus on adding a set or two every week, with a focus on increasing volume.
This by itself isn’t enough to grow the back, so we will be doing direct work along with this.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Barbell Row 5 sets of 5
Workout B:
-
Workout C:
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
*Keep in mind that you will use the Greasing The Groove method 6 days a week along with this.
Note:
This method requires you to have a pull-up bar at home.
If you do not have access to one, stick to the training in Stage 3 till you qualify for Stage 5.
When you are able to accumulate around 100-150 clean reps in a week using the Greasing The Groove method, it is time for you to test your max.
Take 2-3 days off and try performing a single set of chin-ups to failure.
If you are able to perform a set of 10 or more reps, move to Stage 5.
If you fail, accumulate more volume with Greasing The Groove on Stage 4 till you are able to qualify for Stage 5.
Stage 5: Can Perform A Set Of 10 Bodyweight Chin-Ups
If you can perform a set of at least 10 chin-ups with good form, progress further using Stage 5.
Here’s what the training will look like.
You will perform chin-ups 2 times a week as your primary back exercise.
You will start with a goal of 3 sets of 5 reps.
When you can perform 3 sets of 5 clean reps with good form, work towards 3 sets of 6 from the next session.
Once you complete 3 sets of 6, move to 3 sets of 7.
In this fashion, build your way up to 3 sets of 10.
The volume is relatively low which is why we will still perform supplementary back work.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Chin-Ups 3 sets of ‘x’
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
Workout B:
Barbell Row 5 sets of 5
Workout C:
Chin-Ups 3 sets of ‘x’
(Alternative Recommendation) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if an Upper-Lower split is being used:
Upper A:
Chin-Ups 3 sets of ‘x’
Barbell Row 5 sets of 5
Lower A:
-
Upper B:
Chin-Ups 3 sets of ‘x’
Barbell Row 3 sets of 8-12
Lower B:
-
Once you achieve 3 sets of 10 reps, progress to Stage 6.
Stage 6: Can Perform 3 sets of 10 Bodyweight Chin-Ups
Congratulations.
If you made it here, you can now start adding weight.
This is exciting but it is very important to not rush the process.
Here’s what the training will look like.
You will perform 3 sets of 5 reps with additional weight attached 3 times a week.
Start with the smallest weight possible, preferably 1.2kg or 2.5lbs.
This is because you will use Linear Progression.
This is a time tested method which is often used for big lifts like the squat, bench press and deadlift.
In simple terms, you will add weight every session in the smallest increment.
For example, it could look like this:
Session 1: 1.25kg x 3 sets of 5
Session 2: 2.5kg x 3 sets of 5
Session 3: 3.75kg x 3 sets of 5
Session 4: 5kg x 3 sets of 5
Session 5: 6.25kg x 3 sets of 5
And so on..
You will continue doing this for as long as you can.
If you fail to progress for 3 sessions in a row, reset the weight downwards by 10%.
This means you will go back to lifting 10% lesser than the total weight (your bodyweight + attached weight) you plateaued at.
How fast you tap out of your linear gains will differ for different people.
It is best practice to squeeze out as much progress as you can from this phase.
If you fail to progress despite doing 2 weight resets, move to Stage 7.
There is no extra back work performed on this stage.
I recommend you ride the wave of linear gains and focus on juicing out whatever linear progression you can on the chin-up.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Weighted Chin-Ups 3 sets 5
Workout B:
Weighted Chin-Ups 3 sets 5
Workout C:
Weighted Chin-Ups 3 sets 5
Once you reach a point where you cannot go past your plateau despite doing 2 weight resets, move to Stage 7.
Stage 7: Weighted Chin-Ups After Linear Progression Stall
Once your Linear Progression from Stage 6 stalls, progress with Stage 7.
The training is now split into a heavy day and a volume day.
Here’s what the training will look like.
Perform a Heavy Day 1 time a week
1 heavy set of 3-5 reps
2 back off sets (lighter load) of 6-8 reps
Perform a Volume Day 1 time a week
3 sets of 10
or
5 sets of 5
Besides this, you can perform 3-6 sets of additional back work (horizontal pulling) per week.
For the heavy day, you will perform a set for 3-5 reps.
The subsequent sets will be at around a 15% drop of total weight (your bodyweight + attached weight) from the heavy set.
If you fall under the 6-8 rep range, you will need to make a larger reduction and if you fall above the 6-8 rep range, make a smaller drop.
For the volume day, pick a weight you can perform 3x10 or 5x5 with.
Once you hit your target, move to the next weight.
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Perform Heavy Day
Weighted Chin-Up 1 heavy set of 3-5 reps
Weighted Chin-Up 2 back off sets (lighter load) of 6-8 reps
Workout B:
Barbell Row 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
(Preferably start out at 3 and add sets if you stall)
Workout C:
Perform Volume Day
Weighted Chin-Up 3 sets of 10
(Alternative Recommendation) Here’s what the ‘Back’ portion of a workout could look like if an Upper-Lower split is being used:
Upper A:
1. Perform Heavy Day
Weighted Chin-Up 1 heavy set of 3-5 reps
Weighted Chin-Up 2 back off sets (lighter load) of 6-8 reps
2. Barbell Row 2 sets of 8-12
Lower A:
-
Upper B:
1. Perform Volume Day
Weighted Chin-Up 3 sets of 10
2. Barbell Row 3 sets of 5
Lower B:
-
This stage will allow you to progress for a very long time.
That said, plateaus are inevitable.
When you plateau, switch your variation.
So you can switch to pull-ups (palms facing away) or neutral grip chin-ups (palms facing each other) for the next 6-8 weeks.
Get stronger on those and then you can come back to normal chin-ups.
You’ll see that you are now able to move past your initial plateau.
Rotating variations will allow you to keep progressing over time.
If you cannot progress despite rotating movements twice, it might be time to up the training volume gradually (preferably one set at a time) for your back or biceps (or both), whichever you feel is the limiting factor.
Additional Notes For All Stages:
1. A higher frequency is preferred to get stronger at this movement.
This is why a traditional body-part is not recommended.
2. Do not overdo it with the volume.
It may feel tempting to add more exercises, but focus on what matters.
3. The examples are just examples.
You can set-up your routine any way you like with the principles being mentioned.
4. As a general guideline, I recommend taking a deload every 4-6 weeks, based on your recovery.
This could either be 4-5 days off from the gym, or performing half the number of sets for lesser reps than you usually do for a week.
5. For direct bicep training, I recommend 6 sets a week split between 2 sessions.
This might seem too low but the pulling will get more than enough volume for the biceps.
For example, perform 3 sets on one day and 3 sets on another.
Perform a primary exercise like the barbell curl which helps you overload the bicep.
Perform a secondary movement of your choice (Cable Curl, Preacher Curl, Incline Dumbbell Curl).
Example:
(Recommended) Here’s what the ‘Bicep’ portion of a workout could look like if a 3 Day A Week Full-Body split is being used:
Workout A:
Barbell Curl 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Workout B:
-
Workout C:
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 sets of 8-12 reps
(Alternative Recommendation) Here’s what the ‘Bicep’ portion of a workout could look like if an Upper-Lower split is being used:
Upper A:
Barbell Curl 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lower A:
-
Upper B:
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Lower B:
-
This might seem very little to those of you coming from traditional bodybuilding style training, but focus on progression and you will see great results.
You can rotate bicep exercises every 6-8 weeks.
Conclusion
The weighted chin-up is a great exercise to build strength and muscle.
Follow the progression model laid out in this article and you can go from performing 0 chin-ups to repping out sets with additional weight attached.
Be patient and consistent and you will get results.
If you have any other questions, drop them down below.
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