Tip: 3 Ways to Change Up Your Chin-Up

It's a good idea to vary your chin-up grip to avoid stagnation, promote balanced strength and size development, and avoid any recurring injuries. But what happens if you only have a straight chin-up bar?

Supinated, pronated, and mixed-grip chin-ups are doable, but what about neutral-grip chins (palms facing one another)? Here are three options:

1 – Triangle Handle (V-handle)

Drape a triangle handle over the chin-up bar and you're good to go. You'll need to shift your head over to one side as you go up so you don't hit the bar, so make sure to switch sides each rep to keep it even.

2 – PVC Pipes

Go to the hardware store and buy a 2-inch PVC pipe. Cut two pieces about the width of your hands (around 3.5 to 4 inches wide) and wrap the pieces with some hockey tape. Next, loop an ankle strap through each piece of pipe and secure them onto your chin-up bar. The cool thing is that you can position the handles as wide or narrow as you wish.

3 – Wood Grips

These grips made for climbers allow for some rotation of the arms and shoulders, and the asymmetrical design offers a different hold profile on each side. They can even be flipped over for two more unique holds. They're great for developing grip strength along with the big "show" muscles of the upper body and core.