Chin-ups

[Susan Otcenas]

The last time we did pullups (and I was allowed to do them), our coach used an attachment that had our palms facing each other, and the hands were able to rotate through the movement.

Yesterday my coach had me doing them hanging from the TRX straps. I started palms facing my chin (line a chin-up), by my hands naturally rotated to the palms facing each other. I guess I'm strongest that way.

[Catrin]

Yesterday my coach had me doing them hanging from the TRX straps. I started palms facing my chin (line a chin-up), by my hands naturally rotated to the palms facing each other. I guess I'm strongest that way.

That is the normal position for the TRX, it allows the joints to rotate naturally. This is why I am generally not allowed to do this with a regular bar as this doesn't happen. From what I've been told, this is the strongest position for most. Another good way to work on this is racked TRX rows - this is done with the face beneath the anchor rather than the feet. I think this is also called "inverted" rows.

Here is a You Tube video showing the racked, or inverted, row. It is a good way to work on pullup strength and as you can see, her hands are facing each other. I didn't watch the entire thing, but from what I saw she has pretty good form. Racked rows are HARD, at least for me they are.

[Susan Otcenas]

I am a pro at that Inverted/Racked Row position. Really. My trainer says rows are my greatest strength. I can do a lot of them, getting my chest up quite a bit farther than the gal in the video. But I still can't do do a chin-up. Still, maybe there's hope for me...