If you want to get stronger shoulders and improve your overall physique, you should consider adding chin rows to your workout.
The barbell chin up row is a great upper body exercise that can fit right in with your existing workouts. From shoulder and arm exercises to full body routines, this exercise can be an essential addition to your workout.
However, the chin row requires a certain mastery for an effective result. Follow the steps and tips in this article to become a chin row pro!
What is the chin row?
The chin row is considered one of the best muscle-strengthening exercises for the back and shoulders, which can help tone and shape your upper legs. arm.
This is a free weight exercise, usually done with dumbbells or a barbell. It is a simple exercise, but requires the perfect form to get the best results and avoid injury. Follow these tips to avoid damaging your muscles.
Also read: How to work the shoulders with a rubber band?
How to do the chin row?
Here are the main steps to perform the chin row:
- Grasp a barbell with a grip slightly below shoulder width. Core and tighten your glutes, this will reduce the amount of rocking that occurs and avoid hurting your back.
- Raise your elbows and raise the barbell until your elbows are level with your shoulders. During the movement, it is important to keep the bar under control. Don't let it tip forward, keep it close to your body.
- Pause at the top to make sure your deltoids are lifting the weight before bringing it back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Find out more: 6 variations of shoulder push-ups that increase your strength
Which muscles are targeted by the chin row?
The chin row is an upper body exercise that targets the lateral deltoids, the muscle that runs outside your shoulder and is responsible for the lifting effect. shoulder width. This can help reduce the width of your waist, while toning and shaping your upper arms and shoulders.
This exercise also engages your traps, the back muscle that helps you shrug your shoulders, as well as the rhomboids and even the biceps, making it a great addition to any full body workout.
In addition to strengthening and sculpting the shoulders, mastering this move can help you with larger movements such as squats and deadlifts.
Strengthening your abs during this move can help reduce any pressure on your lower back. Plus, it will help you focus on your deltoids. Swinging and using your hips defeats the purpose of the exercise. So be sure to control the movement and you will get much more benefit from it.
Also read: Top 7 Elastic Arm Exercises
How to avoid common chin row mistakes?
Let your shoulders roll forward or your upper back round
This error can be hard to spot. When lowering the bar, make sure your chest is sticking out and your shoulders are not rolling forward. Rolling the shoulders forward places the majority of the stress of the exercise on the traps, which is not the primary focus of the chin row.
Try to squeeze the shoulder blades together when doing the chin row, this is called scapular retraction. This places the shoulders in a strong position to lift and help focus the exercise on the deltoids.
Keep your chest up and your shoulders back to make sure you target your side deltoids rather than your traps.
Raise your elbows too high
If you stop the movement when your elbows reach the same height as your shoulders, you will avoid putting too much pressure on your shoulder and injuring yourself. This is when the shoulder joint pinches the tendon, called the supraspinatus, in the socket, causing sharp pain.
The best way to avoid this is to watch your posture in the mirror. If you stop your elbows at shoulder height, you will greatly reduce the risk of injury. And if your gym doesn't have a mirror, the rule of thumb is that when your hands reach your sternum, your elbows should be at shoulder height.
To know: Pain in the shoulders in bodybuilding: How to relieve it quickly?
What are the variations of the chin row?
Lateral Raise
Lateral raises are one of the best exercises for sculpting the shoulders. This is a very simple move that involves liftingweights to the sides and shoulder level and then lowering them again. It sounds simple, but it is certainly not that easy. Here's how to make them:
- Grab a lightweight 4-10kg dumbbell in each hand and hold it alongside your body.
- With a slight bend in the elbow, lift your arms up towards your shoulder.
- Raise the dumbbells up until they are at shoulder level, pause and return to start.
If you feel your body lean back when you lift the dumbbells, they're probably too heavy. Try to reduce the weight and make sure you get a connection with the lateral deltoids.
Developed on the Smith machine
The Smith machine press is a great way to target all your shoulder muscles. Using the smith machine helps keep your muscles tensed throughout the movement. It is generally safer and less painful for the joints, compared to free weight exercises. To do this development on the Smith machine, here are the different steps:
- Place a bench under the Smith machine. The bar should be placed at a height where your arms are almost fully extended to reach it.
- Grab the barbell with your palms facing forward. Unlock the bar and push the bar until they are fully extended.
- Slowly lower the bar below your chin and just above your chest.
- Raise the bar to starting position
To be read in parallel: How to properly develop and build muscle in the back of the shoulder?
How to do the chin row with rubber bands?
In the starting position, stand up straight, your feet shoulder-width apart, looking straight ahead. Pass an elastic band under your feet, cross it to make an X and hold one end of the band in each hand, in pronation. The hold is tight.
Bring both hands up to your chin simultaneously. The movement is lively and frank. Exhale during the draw. Your elbows are above your ears and your hands are under your chin.
Stay in the position for 2 seconds then come back down to the starting position, arms straight along your chest. The hands do not let go of the elastic band. Inhale as you descend. Throughout the exercise, you keep your back straight and your abdominals are sheathed. Repeat the movement for several series.
You can vary this exercise by pulling one handle at a time to the chin, alternately and repeating sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
The strength of the elastic band changes during movement. You start the pull with a low force and go to an optimal force at the end of the movement, unlike dumbbells which impose their entire weight during the whole movement.
An article to read also: 5 criteria for choosing the best weight lifting elastic
Fit Superhuman rubber bands for chin rowing
As you will have noticed, some of the home exercises for the shoulders require a fitness accessory, that of elastic bands. For this, we recommend our elastic resistance bands for strength training: it is a perfect alternative to replace free weights and increase the efficiency and intensity of your workouts at home.
These bands allow you to reproduce more than 100 different exercises at home. You can transport and use them everywhere thanks to an anchoring system. Gentler on your joints, this method of muscle building is suitable for all levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, the straps have a variable resistance ranging from 5 to 75 kg.
Ultra-strong and comfortable, our fitness elastics correspond to one of the best quality/price ratios on the market. They are guaranteed for one year, and we provide you with a complete guide of 30 additional exercises to perform with this accessory.
You will no longer have any excuses for not developing your shoulders by doing the chin row thanks to our elastic bands!
For more information: Fitness-Superhuman rubber band: User reviews
In conclusion
The chin row is a perfect exercise to work the shoulders and give them more width. Whether using a barbell, dumbbells or rubber bands, you can find many options to achieve it. However, always be careful not to round your back or raise your elbows too high.
For those who want to train from home or on vacation, elastic resistance bands are an essential accessory. Easily transportable, you can perform your chin row repetitions and thus work your deltoids from anywhere!
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