Last one, I promise.
By now, I’m sure there are some reading who are thinking to themselves, “alright Gentilcore, lets turn the page for crying out loud!,” or feel as if Charlie Brown’s teacher is talking to them:, “Wannk, wannk, wannk………”
I didn’t think it was possible, but what started as a quick blog post on some simple chin-up progressions for women, quickly turned into my version of War and Peace.
For those just joining in on the fun, I’d highly encourage you to check out the previous two parts, HERE and HERE.
In keeping with the momentum from yesterday – where I talked about the efficacy of performing eccentric only chin-ups – another viable option would be to perform…….
Loaded Eccentric Chin-Ups
As a brief review, we’re much stronger during the eccentric (lowering) portion of any movement compared to the concentric (overcoming/lifting) portion. For the guys out there reading, this is why it’s sometimes advantageous to include some dedicated eccentric-only benching variations to help improve overall strength, as well as induce some pretty significant muscle gains. Pecs for days!!!!!!
Bringing this back to the topic at hand, for women, eccentric only chin-ups are a definite STAPLE in terms of getting over that 1-rep hump. What’s more, you can also make them even more challenging by adding an external load in the form of a weight vest or maybe a weight belt with a dumbbell or plate attached.
The same principles would apply: you’d jump up and lower yourself as controlled as possible. Except here, the awesomeness factor is increased by roughly 312% because of the additional external load
Granted, there aren’t going to be a lot of instances where I’m going to LOAD an eccentric-0nly chin-up – especially if we’re still vying for that one full, unassisted rep – but it’s something we can keep in our exercise toolbox nonetheless.
Chin-Up Isometric Holds
What I love about isometric holds is that there’s going to be a carryover to the 10-15 degrees (above and below) the joint angle being held. Meaning, I can have someone perform an isometric hold in or around their “sticking point,” and there will be a noticeable carryover.
Of course, for many women, you may remember those dreadful flex-arm hangs that your PE teacher used to make you do back in the day, and I apologize if I brought back any bad memories.
That said, they’re actually a valuable tool that you can implement almost instantaneously. I like two options:
1. At the start of a training session – when you’re the most fresh – jump up and hold for a specific time frame. I generally like to start with anywhere from 20-30 seconds (and build-up from there) for 4-5 sets.
2. Conversely, at the end of a training session – when you hate life – hold in the BOTTOM position and try as best you can to pull yourself up from a dead-hang. Grab the bar, jump up, lower yourself controlled, and when you come juuuuuuust short of locking your elbows out, HOLD!!!!!!
It seems counterproductive, but I feel there’s some merit in adding a few grinders into the mix and attempt to “muscle” yourself out of the starting position. Of course, I’m not interested in you looking as if you’re having a seizure in mid-air. The less “body english” the better.
Keeping your shoulder blades retracted and depressed, try as best you can to pull yourself up from a dead hang.
Remember, even if you don’t budge, there’s going to be a certain degree of carryover (above and below) the joint angle being worked.
Pull for 10-15 seconds. Stop.
Do this for a total of 3-5 “sets.”
Band Assisted Chin-Up
This is probably the most well known variation, and arguably the least understood. I’ve had several TRAINERS argue with me that they see no difference between a counterbalanced chin-up machine and their band-assisted counterparts. Not surprisingly, these are the same trainers who haven’t picked up a book in five years and think watching The Biggest Loser counts as continuing education.
Sad, but true.
The reason why I prefer band assisted variations is that they take advantage of the strength curve. In about as non-scientific as I can make it: the band “assists” you where you’re most weak – in this case, at the bottom of the chin-up when the arms are full extended. Conversely, as you pull your body towards the bar, and the joint angles are more in your favor, the band assists less and less and you start utilizing more of your own strength to complete the movement.
In this way, depending on one’s ability, we can use varying set-ups and/or thicknesses of bands to progress or regress the exercise in a much more conducive way.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
1. Remember: attitude is king. Stop thinking that you can’t do something, and instead, dominate it. Sure, it’s going to take time and a lot of hard work, but you CAN DO IT!!!!
2. Frequency is kind of a big deal. Now, one thing to consider is that for females (and males for that matter) who can’t perform one chin-up, ANY chin-up is going to be a max effort lift. That said, I’d still recommend shooting for “x” number of reps per day, albeit spread out. Perform 2-3 eccentric reps in the AM, 2-3 at lunch, and 2-3 at dinner time, no matter what. Anything more than that is just gravy on top.
3. Seriously, get an Iron Gym. Arguably the best $27 you can spend on yourself. Mascara included.
4. As far as programming: if performing a chin-up is a priority for you, then you need to make sure that you start each training session with a chin-up variation. Yes, EVERY session. So, for example, if you train three times per week….
Session One: start with one of the TRX progressions highlighted in Part I.
Session Two: start with eccentric only chin-ups
Session Three: use one of the band-assisted variations showcased in the video above.
And there you have it. I’m sure I could elaborate a bit more, but in all honesty, if you’re still reading, you deserve a Nobel Prize.
Armed with these suggestions, you should be more than ready to conquer the chin-up.
