Exercise Spotlight – Chin-Up Negative

The Chin-Up Negative is just a variation of the chin-up but it is a great tool for bridging the strength gap to achieve your first Chin-Up. The eccentric portion (or negative) is the lower phase of the lift. Normally we are 20-30% stronger during this phase, you can normally lower under control more than you can lift. If we focus on utilising this extra strength during this portion, we can get stronger overall which can transfer to the pulling up part too! This one requires a decent level of strength already to keep good control and the eccentric phase is the part that makes us sore so expect this one to be really tough and taxing afterwards if you give it a try.

Exercise Suitability:
Beginners: ❌
Advanced: ✔️
 
What are the key technique points?

• Use a box or a jump to efficiently position yourself at the top of a chin up position.
• Squeeze your full body hard to maintain tension and stop swinging, including the arms, upper back, abs, glutes and legs.
• As controlled as possible, start to allow yourself to lower towards the ground.
• Try to keep as much control as possible aiming for a 3-6 second count to arm’s length.
• Keep a smooth and consistent pace through the full range, particularly in those first and last few inches until your arms are totally straight.
• Reset or reposition yourself and try again. As soon as you are no longer able to keep a 3 second count on the way down, give yourself a rest and then move on if you can’t keep that quality high.

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