Row of the barbell to the chin on the shoulders. Standing barbell row to the chin

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.


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Date of: 2012-05-29 Views: 1 174 887 Grade: 5.0

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Difficulty of execution- light

Standing barbell pull (close grip) - video

Weight and reps for beginners

For men: 10 - 15 repetitions of 15 - 20 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.
For women: 10 - 15 repetitions of 8 - 12 kg. 2 - 3 approaches.

Load by muscle group

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale ( total load summed up)

Description of the exercise

Firstly, it is better to take it narrowly (10 - 15 cm). Secondly, the effect of the exercise depends on how high you raise your elbows, and not the barbell itself. It is quite enough to raise it to the level of the collarbones. Better watch your elbows. For some, this exercise may cause shoulder pain. In this case, it is better to refuse it

Main features

1. The barbell pull is also called the barbell row to the chin. Please do not confuse this with weightlifting. Where it can be jerky or jerky. 2. The bar should be pulled as close to the body as possible. That is, along a straight path, and not along an arc. 3. There is a lot of controversy about grip width. I personally prefer a narrow grip. He has a greater range of motion. And the trapezoids at the top of the trajectory work both here and there. 4. The main thing is not to raise the barbell as high as possible, but to raise your elbows. The higher the elbows are in relation to the bar, the better the front deltoid works. 5. The weight should be such that you can do at least 8 repetitions. You can help yourself with the last repetitions with your back and legs. But don't get carried away with cheating. After all, your task is to load your shoulders, not your whole body. 6. My personal experience and my observations have shown me that broaching is not so effective exercise. Therefore, in my coaching practice I use it quite rarely.

Let’s look at an excellent exercise for developing massive shoulders, called “ Barbell row to the chin wide grip " Last time we looked at an exercise called chin pull narrow grip, in which the emphasis was on the anterior deltoids and trapezius muscles. In the wide-grip barbell row, most of the work is done by the middle deltoids. This is achieved by using a wide grip, which will not allow you to lift the barbell high, which will practically eliminate the work of the trapezius.

The wide-grip barbell row to the chin is a basic (multi-joint) exercise that is designed to emphasize the development of the middle deltoids.

Main muscles:


Accessory muscles:

  • biceps brachii (biceps)
  • supraspinatus muscle
  • serratus anterior muscle
  • upper part of the pectoralis major muscle
  • anterior and posterior deltoid muscles


The correct technique for performing the exercise “Wide-grip barbell row to the chin”:

Be sure to do good warm up, before you start this exercise, since the shoulder joint is very complex, and deltoids relatively weak (they are easy to injure).

  1. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, the grip should be slightly wider than shoulder width (approximately 50-70 cm, this is individual for everyone).
  2. Stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart, turn and lower your shoulders, bend slightly at the lower back.
  3. The arms should be fully straightened in the starting position.
  4. Take a deep breath through your nose and begin to smoothly lift the barbell. The barbell should not be pulled along the body, but slightly at a distance (to better work the shoulders). When lifting the barbell, spread your elbows as far as possible to the sides and up.
  5. At the top of the movement, your elbows should be at shoulder level (not higher).
  6. Pause for a second at the end point, and then, exhaling through your mouth, return the bar to its starting position.
  7. The exercise should be performed without sudden movements.
  8. Do the planned number of repetitions per set.
  9. Rest 1 - 2 minutes and proceed to the next approach.



  • If you find it difficult to do an exercise with a barbell, then try doing it in a Smith machine. This type of exercise is more suitable for beginners, since in this case, the barbell will move along an ideal trajectory, in the vertical plane.
  • To increase the load on the deltoids and better isolate them, you need to slightly tilt your body and bring the barbell forward a little (keeping the bar away from the body), and try to lower your shoulders as low as possible.
  • Chin rows can be performed through a lower block on a crossover, but this variation of the exercise does not provide any special advantages.
  • A good substitute for wide-grip barbell chin rows is dumbbell chin rows.
  • Perform the barbell row to the chin smoothly without jerking, without using the help of your back or legs. Do the repetitions at a moderate pace, and it is also very important to groove at the top of the movement.
  • Do not use heavy weight. This exercise is all about technique. You must constantly concentrate on the working muscle in order to feel it well and achieve maximum results from the exercise.

It is the middle area of ​​the deltas that creates the visual width of the shoulders. The most famous and common way to train this bunch of deltas is to raise dumbbells to the sides. But the downside is that big size the lever forces you to use light weight, and not everyone can feel the work of the muscles in it.

For high-quality pumping of deltas you will need standing barbell row to the chin. Its mechanics cut the lever in half, giving you the ability to increase your working weight. When performing it, a large number of muscles are involved in the work:

  • The main working muscles are the anterior, middle deltoid, upper back;
  • Additionally involved are the trapezius, forearm muscles, biceps, serratus anterior, and posterior deltoids.

Standing barbell pull-down—that’s what they call a chin-up—isn’t enough safe exercise, is performed with three grips: regular, narrow and wide. Let's take a closer look classical technique, variations of execution and we will analyze which grip is best to use.

Barbell row to the chin: execution technique

To do everything correctly and work out the target muscles efficiently, follow all the tips listed below:

  1. Do a warm-up and approach with an empty bar. Use an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart or wider (more on grips below). The back should be straight, keep the muscle corset tense;
  2. Hold your breath and pull the barbell to your chin. The ascent should be without sudden movements, to the level of the deltas. Point your elbows to the sides. Hold at the top for 1 second for maximum muscle contraction and exhale;
  3. Don't tilt your head, always look straight. Try to work only with deltoids without strongly engaging the trapezius; to do this, you need to always keep your shoulders at the same level, without lifting them up;
  4. Lower the barbell slowly and under control as you inhale, and do the next rep without stopping at the bottom.

To better work your midsection, lean your torso slightly forward and use a wide grip.

What grip to use for chin rows

Pulling with a barbell while standing loads not only the middle part of the deltas, the front fascicles and trapezius are also involved. Using a wide grip, the main load falls on the middle beams; a narrow grip loads the front ones and significantly reduces the amplitude. Let's look at which one is better to use:

Wide grip

For targeted pumping of the middle delta region, you need to pull the barbell to the chin with a wide grip. Don't listen to what others say, but listen to your muscles, they will tell you how to feel more comfortable. Do repetitions gradually spreading your arms wider, try to feel in which of the options the middle deltoids are more tense.

Wide grip chin locks are beneficial for two reasons. The elbows do not go too high - this reduces the likelihood of shoulder injury. The main work is done by the middle deltoid, which provides mass, shoulder width and roundness. Therefore, you only need to do deadlifts with a wide grip.

Narrow grip

There is an opinion that pulling the barbell to the chin with a narrow grip works well for the trapezius. This is a strong misconception, the load on them, of course, increases, but the weight of the projectile will be very small in order to pump up the trapezius muscle; the biomechanics of the exercise will not allow you to lift the required weight. Therefore, there is no point in using this grip; shrugs train the trapezius several times more effectively.

Lack of efficiency is not all negative. The close grip chin pull is a very unsafe exercise. During the execution, the bone elements of the shoulder joints come very close together, this does not pose any danger until weights are used. Under the influence of the barbell, the load becomes critical for the bone elements and compression of the ligaments occurs. Even with correct technique execution may result in serious injury.

Projectile variations

Except classic way, you can perform barbell rows to the chin in the following ways:

  • Curved EZ-shaped neck;
  • In the Smith machine (in this case it is possible to work with one hand);
  • With dumbbells;
  • In the crossover from the lower block.

Common mistakes in pulling the projectile to the chin

  • The main mistake beginners make is working with a narrow grip; you already know that you don’t need to use it;
  • Too much weight also has a bad effect on proper execution. The shoulders cannot pull and the trapezius is used. As a result, the load on the deltas decreases, and the exercise becomes meaningless. To train the target muscle, select an adequate load.
  • Pulling your elbows forward puts the load on the front deltoids, but you need to work with the middle deltoids;
  • Sudden movements. A fast pace of execution does not fully load the muscles.

To whom, when and how much

To: All athletes who do not have shoulder injuries;

When: In the middle of the training, after the standing barbell press. Next, train the middle delta region using;

How much: Do 10-14 times 3 approaches.

To pump up the middle section of the deltoids, make them massive and rounded, you need to do chin pulls only with a wide grip. Remember this and be sure to include it in your training. Start training with the lagging muscle group -.

Masses and relief to you!

In any version of the barbell row to chin level, the work includes the trapezius, lateral heads of the deltoids and, to a lesser extent, the front deltoids and biceps.

The lateral deltoids work the hardest in all three variations - barbell rows to the chin with a narrow grip (slightly narrower than the shoulders), wide (slightly wider than the shoulders) and pull-downs with one hand. The last exercise can be performed in a Smith machine or on a block.

When doing arm raises while standing, it is impossible to achieve maximum pumping of the middle delta bundles. You can, of course, do supersets, that is, seated dumbbell presses, then standing flyes, or vice versa. But you can develop your middle deltoids as much as possible with one exercise.

Or rather, two - barbell pull to chin level, or block pull to chin level, since in these exercises the lateral heads of the shoulders can develop force 1/3 more than during “fly-ups” in a standing position.

Correct technique

Stand up straight. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip. After inhaling, pull the barbell up, contracting it as much as possible. lateral muscles shoulders and trapezius. The bar should move strictly vertically, and the elbows should “look” to the sides. The position of the torso should also be strictly vertical. At the slightest tilt forward, the load from the side deltoids will transfer to the front ones.

At the top point, the bar of the bar should lightly touch the chin, the elbows should be higher than the shoulders, and the muscles being trained (the trapezius and middle heads of the shoulders) should be as tense as possible. Throughout the entire approach, look straight, without throwing your head back or tilting it down. The slightest bend cervical spine the spine will “unload” the trained muscles, which will reduce the benefits of the exercise to a minimum.

It is advisable to use a relatively light weight with which you can perform at least 8 repetitions. There are two reasons for this:

  1. Higher reps work better small muscles, such as the lateral heads of the deltas.
  2. With a large weight, the technique of performing deadlifts will suffer - it will shift either to the arms or to the back muscles.

Common mistakes

The main mistake that beginners make when performing rows to chin level is performing the exercise with a very narrow grip. A narrow grip allows you to more specifically work the trapezius muscles (especially their lower region). But the narrow grip in this case is slightly less than shoulder width.

A very narrow grip will force the athlete to push his elbows forward, which is dangerous for the body. shoulder joints. In such cases, the degree of risk of injury depends on the weight of the projectile. The heavier the bar, the greater the risk.

The second mistake is using very large scales. Too much weight on the barbell reduces the load on the lateral deltoids, since all the muscles that work in synergy with the deltoids and trapezius are involved more.

Wanting to work out the trapezius muscles well, athletes do chin pulls with a narrow grip with weights that exceed the required weight by 15–20%. For such a case, it is better to perform this exercise after a “direct” exercise on the “trapezius” - shrugs.

Athletes also make technical mistakes such as bringing their elbows forward, slightly arching their backs, and performing the exercise too quickly.

When the elbows are pulled out, the trapezius muscles and lateral deltoids do not receive the necessary stimulation. With a slight tilt of the torso, the lateral heads of the shoulders are “unloaded”. If the pace is too fast, all the muscles being trained are not fully stimulated.

The ideal tempo when performing barbell rows to the chin is 2010, that is, within 2 seconds we raise the barbell, maximally straining the middle deltoids and trapezius at the top point, without delay at the top we lower it to count 1, and without delay we begin the next repetition.

Wide grip

In general, the barbell chin row is an exercise specifically designed to maximize stimulation of the lateral regions of the shoulders. With a narrow grip, the trapezius muscles also work a lot, but even here the middle deltoids “outweigh”.

To maximally work out the middle heads of the deltas, you need to take the barbell with a grip slightly wider (about palm width) than your shoulders, and work non-stop for a high number of repetitions.

To more fully stimulate the middle regions of the shoulders, athletes use a simple technique - holding the breath in the upper phase of the movement. This technique is very effective. By holding your breath at the top of the movement, the synergy of the whole body helps to engage the shoulders to the maximum.

It is important to hold your breath at the top point; if you do this earlier, the load from the working muscles will shift to the spine - insofar as the abs and lower back muscles relax.

During the “drying” period, it is best to do this exercise separately, in a high number of repetitions and approaches. And during the “strength” period, it is better to do it in supersets with a standing press. The standing press loads the front heads of the deltas as much as possible, and the lateral heads a little less.

Performing chin-level rows after soldier presses will fill this gap. During the period of “mass” work, you can do supersets with preliminary fatigue - also from rows and presses, but this time the order of execution will be different. Below is a system for training shoulders in different phases of training.

During the period of strength and mass development

  1. Soldier press - 5 sets of 3-6 reps.
  2. Rows to the chin with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width 5 sets with weight for 12 reps; first 4 sets – 8 reps, last – s maximum number repetitions.

With an emphasis on muscle growth:

Superset:

  1. Chin rows 10-12 reps.
  2. Seated dumbbell press 7-9 reps.
  3. Only 3 supersets.

During the drying period

  1. Barbell rows to the chin – 6 sets with weight for 15 reps; in each the maximum number of repetitions.
  2. Raising a straight arm with a dumbbell - 5-6 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each arm.
  3. “Extensions” in a standing position, in a bending position - the same order as in the training of the anterior deltoids.

Narrow grip

For a good “pumping” of the trapezius muscles, it is necessary to include close-grip barbell rows in the training program.

There is an exercise for developing the middle region of the back - barbell rows with a curved bar, narrow grip. It works well rhomboid muscles and the lower trapezius is involved. But this exercise is ideal when you need to achieve maximum definition in the middle of your back.

To “pump up” the trapezius, pulling to chin level is better suited. To maximally stimulate the trapezius, it is best to perform this exercise after shrugs, in a high number of repetitions, with relatively light weights.

The grip should be slightly narrower than shoulder width. With a very narrow grip, the load from the trapezius and shoulders is shifted to other muscles - the wings, anterior deltoids and biceps. Below is a weekly back workout program that includes chin pulls.

1 day

  • Vertical pull-down, with a wider than average grip.

Day 2

Day 3

  • Dumbbell rows (training the middle region of the back).

Chin rows are performed after shrugs because the upper trapezius region is virtually inactive in the deadlift, and shrugs have very little stimulation of the lower trapezius. If you perform shrugs and chin pulls after deadlift, the effect of training the deltoids and trapezius increases significantly.

One hand in the Smith machine

This exercise is specifically for those who want to “pump up” the lateral deltoids in isolation with maximum stimulation.

In one-arm barbell rows, the lateral heads of the shoulders work with virtually no help from the trapezius muscles. There are variations of this exercise: one-arm dumbbell row, curved bar row, lat row. The Smith machine barbell row is no worse than alternative exercises. The main thing is to work with suitable weights and maintain strict technique. Bodybuilder Ken Jimmson is a little-known personality in the world of bodybuilding. Until the early 80s of the last century, this athlete was known even less - insofar as he was not among the leaders in competitions. It had a great herringbone pattern (well engraved psoas muscles

), massive shoulders and well-defined muscles of the arms and legs. The Ken's deltas were insufficiently relief.

In 1982, he unpleasantly surprised his rivals by presenting well-defined deltas to the attention of the audience. The shoulders were maximally developed and with very good relief. He took second place. Giving an interview to a journalist, Jimmson admitted with a laugh that the exercise through which he once “expanded” them - standing deadlifts - helped him achieve such stunning relief of the deltas.

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Today we will talk about how to train the deltoid muscles using the chin pull exercise. Meet truly outstanding shoulder shapes in modern gyms

rarity. This is due to the peculiarities of training these small muscles. Let's figure out how to load the deltoids as efficiently as possible without giving positive load to the auxiliary muscles.

Features of delta training

  • The deltoid muscles perform two main functions in our body:
  • Pushing (they push something away from the body).

To maximize the work of the deltoids, you need to use both of these functions.

Pushing movements are performed in various presses (such as), including. Pulling movements are performed during rows and their modifications (breeding).

The chin row engages the middle and posterior deltoid muscles. These areas are sorely lacking in load, because... in almost all pressing movements (except for overhead presses), the entire load is taken by the front bundle, as it is stronger.

Posterior, middle and anterior deltoid muscles

This is why many athletes have lagging middle and rear deltoids. The back, by the way, is the smallest area of ​​the shoulder muscles and the weakest.

Clear coordination and the ability to feel contractions will help you form voluminous shoulders. target muscles, turn off synergists from work, as well as the correct technique for performing exercises.

Lifting the barbell to the chin: execution technique

The wide-grip chin-up and close-grip chin-up are two different exercises. It is important to immediately understand the difference. If you use a narrow grip, the exercise turns into a training of the trapezius muscle, in addition, the biceps are significantly worked.

To accomplish the task of deltoid hypertrophy, an extremely wide grip is required. It allows you to turn off the biceps from work, minimizing flexion of the arm at the elbow. And by lowering your shoulders, you can turn off the trapezoid from work.

Straighten your back and fix the arch in your lower back. Grab the barbell with a wide grip. In order to more effectively load the middle and rear deltoids, tilt your body slightly forward. This will give you greater isolation.

Starting position: grip wider than shoulders, body tilted forward

It is absolutely important to be able to contract the deltoids. These are small muscles that require extreme concentration and filigree technique (which is why it is so rare to see people with ball-shaped shoulders in the gym). In order to work concentratedly only with the deltoids, focus your attention on the elbows.

Lower your shoulders in the starting position as low as possible. Imagine that you are a puppet doll, and your shoulders are attached to your body with a nail. Move your elbows forward and to the sides (this clearly looks like an upward movement), without including your back in the work.

The work is performed exclusively by the elbows, and the shoulders act as movable hinges. Such a figurative comparison helps to better build in your head the only correct trajectory of movement in the exercise.

Work exclusively with your elbows

By raising your elbows up and using the “puppet principle,” you contract the deltoid muscles directly. Exhale with effort - while lifting, inhale when lowering the projectile down. Focus on negative phase movements, trying to lower the weight in a controlled and slow manner.

It’s worth noting right away that you will not be able to work at full amplitude. As soon as the elbows go above shoulder level, it begins to contract trapezius muscle. It is stronger and will take all the positive load from the deltas. Therefore, always make sure that the body is slightly tilted forward and the shoulders are lowered - this is a sure sign that the trapezius is stretched and is not involved in the movement.

Execution Highlights

  • The bar should be slightly away from your body, so lean your body forward slightly.
  • Make sure your shoulders are always as low as possible.
  • The movement is carried out only with the elbows.
  • At the top point, try to push your elbows forward and spread them apart, as if you are trying to break a doorway - this will allow you to better contract your deltoids.

Video: barbell row to the chin

To better assimilate the material, watch the video, which clearly shows the correct technique for performing chin pulls.

Conclusion

In theory, chin pull looks like simple exercise, in practice, everything is accurate, but vice versa. Perform this exercise with light weights and large quantities repetitions (15-20).

The deltoids are small muscles that are difficult to train. Many people feel the correct contractions and the pumping of blood into the deltas precisely in a high range of repetitions. This is not an axiom, so everyone must understand through trial and error which load works best for him.

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