McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

Execution

1 . Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, with the palms facing your body. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold your knees in a bent position and cross one foot over the other.

2.From a hanging position pull your body upward, focusing on bringing your chest to the bar.

3.Pause at the top of the movement and then slowly lower to a hanging position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Latissimus dorsi

Secondary:Biceps brachii, brachialis, lower trapezius, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, teres major

Swimming Focus

Chin-ups are a great addition to any dryland program because they can be done wherever a chin-up or pull-up bar is available. In comparison with the hand positioning for pull-ups, the hand placement for chin-ups emphasizes the elbow flexors (biceps brachii and brachialis). By targeting both the latissimus dorsi and the elbow flexors, this exercise benefits all swimmers by strengthening the pulling phase of their strokes. Because chin-ups are generally a challenging exercise for most swimmers, they are useful for building mental toughness. To help you reach your goal number of repetitions, a partner can assist by supporting your feet.

Make sure that your body movements are slow and controlled during the exercise. Excessive jerking and swinging of the legs is a form of cheating.

When returning to the starting position, lower your body in a controlled manner to avoid placing extra stress on the shoulders, which can occur ifyou allow your body to drop down quickly. Also, avoid hanging in the starting position for a prolonged period because doing this also places extra stress on the shoulders.