Your 1st CHIN UP - THE most in depth chin up article ever created.....maybe

There’s no denying that performing your first chin-up ranks right at the top of the “gym goals” list.

And for good reason.

Not just because they look cool (let’s be honest, they do).

The chin-up might be the number one upper-body exercise for building a strong and impressive back.

But here’s the kicker: getting that first full rep may be the hardest rep you’ll ever do in the gym.

The good news?

Once you’ve nailed that elusive first rep, reps two and three often show

up pretty quickly.

so rest assured—even if it feels like it’s taking forever, once you break through, you’re in business.

Lets Nail Your First Chin-Up

But Why is the Chin-Up Such a Pain at First?

The chin-up has a very different learning curve compared to most exercises.

Unlike the bench press or squat where you start light and build up, the chin-up begins with a supramaximal load—your bodyweight.

That’s right, the “weight” is you.

Imagine being asked to learn the bench press, but you had to start with more than what you can lift for even one rep.

You’d have to think long and hard about how to even attempt such a feat (and hopefully say no, because you like your shoulders intact).

That’s basically the chin-up.

You can’t just grab the bar, flop around like a fish, and hope it magically turns into a chin-up.

You need a plan.

(Quick side note: when I say chin-up, I’m including its cousin the pull-up. Pull-ups are overhand, chin-ups are underhand.

Both count when your chin clears the bar from a dead hang.

Oh, and no—kipping doesn’t count. Different skill, different sport. Chill CrossFitters, I still love you.)

Breaking Down the Chin-Up

One of the best ways to learn a complex skill is chunking—breaking it into parts, building strength in each one, then piecing them back together.

Here’s what you need to overcome gravity using nothing but upper body strength:

1. Specific Strength of the Prime Movers

The muscles doing the heavy lifting are:

• Lats (latissimus dorsi for the initiated).

• Upper back (trapezius, infraspinatus).

• Elbow flexors (biceps brachii and brachioradialis).

• Core muscles (abs, obliques, erector spinae).

  
  

Fun fact: EMG studies show a surprising amount of pec involvement. So yes, you officially have an excuse to train chin-ups on chest day. You’re welcome.

To build these muscles, we need to hammer:

• Pulldowns (all grips).

• Rows (chest-supported, single-arm, body rows).

• Curls (incline curls, preacher curls).

• Core drills (especially ones that keep ribs and hips under control, because gravity is basically trying to fold you in half when you hang from a bar).

2. Relative Strength

Relative strength is how strong you are compared to your bodyweight.

A 90kg lifter and a 70kg lifter might both push a 150kg sled—same absolute strength.

But the lighter lifter is showing greater relative strength because they’re moving a bigger percentage of their bodyweight.

Translation: heavier folks often dominate with barbells, lighter folks often dominate with bodyweight.

To improve relative strength, you’ve got 3 options:

1. Get stronger.

2. Get leaner.

3. Do both

   
   

Because you’re not getting your chin over that bar until the force you can pull with is greater than what you weigh.

Sorry, physics doesn’t care about our feelings.

3. Work on the Specific Movement

Strength is skill-specific. You can build huge lats and arms, but if you never actually practice pulling yourself up, don’t be shocked when you can’t.

At Thorpe Performance, we break the chin-up into three phases:

1. The First Pull — from the straight-arm hang.

2. The Middle Pull — breaking through 90°.

3. The Final Pull — finishing chin over the bar.

   
   

Most people struggle with the first and last phases, so we use targeted drills (rows, curls, holds, partials, etc.) to attack those weak spots until they give in.

4. Progressive Overload (AKA The Secret Sauce)

Here’s the part most people miss: progressive overload.

Without it, you’ll stay stuck at the same level forever, no matter how many rows and curls you do.

Progressive overload means gradually matching the exercise difficulty as your capability rises over the weeks, this ensures there is still a need to adapt.

Here are our favorite overload tactics for chin-up training:

• Eccentric-Only Reps → Jump, step or climb to the top and lower yourself down slowly. Add more seconds over time.

• Isometric Holds → Pause at sticking points (just off the bar, mid-range, etc.) and increase hold time each week.

• Assisted Chins with Feet on the Bar → Put your feet on a bench or bar for just enough assistance. Gradually reduce the help from your legs.

• Band/Machine Assistance → Start with help, then use lighter bands or less counterweight.

• Weighted Chins → Once you can do solid reps, slap on a dip belt or weighted vest and make your future self regret past decisions.

• Volume & Density → Add more reps across sets, shorten rest periods, or increase total weekly practice.

Pick one method at a time, progress it slowly, and watch your chin-up numbers climb.

Putting It All Together

So, to recap:

1. Train the prime movers → Bigger, stronger muscles = more pulling power.

2. Improve relative strength → Get stronger, leaner, or both.

3. Practice the movement → Break it into phases and attack your weak links.

4. Progressively overload → Make it harder over time with eccentric reps, holds, assistance work, or added weight.

Ah stuff it - here's my Thorpe Performance 12-Week chin up system -

you can have it for free.

A science-backed, battle-tested, witty-as-hell system.

Its just like 7 minute abs but longer and shitter.

But guess what, chin ups are cool as hell and you're more likely to see abs doing this!

Nail Your First Chin-Up

Thorpe Performance style

The Thorpe Performance 12-Week Chin-Up system

"Oh aye! i added half a rep in session 1!"

You know the ingredients:

• Get stronger in the prime movers.

• Improve your relative strength.

• Practice the skill.

• Progressively overload.

  
  

Now here’s how we put it into an actual 12-week system.

👉 Training 2–3 times per week, with at least a day of rest between sessions.

Weeks 1–4: Build the Base (Hypertrophy & Positioning Phase)

• Day 1 - Assisted chins (feet on bar) → 4–6 sets of 3–5 reps, 4–6 second lowering phase. Focus on scapular depression and rib control. you can do these whilst benching in a rack!

• Day 2 - Lat pull downs → 3–4 sets of 8–12. Tempo 3–1–1 (3s down, 1s pause, 1s up). use double progression method here - when you can comfortably do 4sets of 12 bang up that weight and start at 8!

• Day 3 - Isometric Holds → 3–4 sets of 15–20s at the top position.

• Accessory Work  → aim for 10–15 sets per week of rows, pulldowns, curls. Do proper work but don’t push to death every session.

  
  

💡 Thorpe tip: You don’t need to crawl out of the gym every time. Stay 1–3 reps shy of failure, so you can accumulate volume without nuking recovery.

Weeks 5–8: Bridge the Gap (Skill & Strength Phase)

• Day 1 - Eccentrics → Extended Tempo → 5–8s lowers, 4–5 sets of 3–4 reps. do it between sets on the Bench!

• Day 2 - Cluster Holds  → Hold at top for 5s, lower halfway & hold 5s, then finish the descent. That’s one cluster rep. Do 3–4 per set, 3–4 sets. ooohh!

• Day 3 - SSS lat pull downs - perform each rep with the SSS style - SMOOTH lowering (eccentric) phase - STRETCH your lats at the top - STRONG (concentric phase) pull down.

Pause for a full second at the bottom. Full range of motion, no lean back kipping lat pulldowns, we need the muscles doin these reps, not your weight! Start with a weight that's tough for 3 sets of 8. Remove a rep and add a set each week.

💡 Thorpe strength tactic: Start your session with 2–3 explosive “neural charge” reps (like medicine ball slams or Box jumps). This primes the nervous system for better motor unit recruitment when you hit the bar.

Weeks 9–12: Own the Rep (Strength-Skill Phase)

• Day 1 - Drop and go sets → 4–6 sets of as many quality reps as possible (could be just 1 at first). start at the top and lower under control then attempt to pull yourself up. reset

• Day 2 - Weighted Holds  → Add load with a dip belt or dumbbell, hold top position 5–10s.

• Day 3 - Cluster Lat pulldowns → Perform 2–3 reps, rest 15s, repeat until you’ve accumulated 6–9 total reps. Do 2–3 sets. and no cheating, still use the SSS style.

  
  

💡 Thorpe progression tip: Each week, add either a rep, an extra set, or increase eccentric/hold duration. But don't let your form breakdown.

The Rules of the Game

1. Control Matters: This is why Tempo and the eccentric portion matter. If you don't own the down, you don’t own up.

2. Work: Train with enough volume to grow, but not so much you need a nap in the gym car park after every session.

3. Skill: Strength is a skill. Prime the nervous system, use clusters, and practice the actual movement often.

Getting that 1st chin up is no mean feat, It takes guile and craft and a bucket load of hard work done over and over.

Your first chin-up isn’t just a rep. It’s a rite of passage.

But follow this roadmap and it’s not a matter of if you get your first chin-up—it’s just a matter of when.

And once you’ve nailed that first one? Well, then you’re officially part of the “chin-up club.”

Membership benefits include a strong back, bragging rights, and the ability to casually pretend it was “no big deal.”

Crack on

Dan