10 Best Chin-up Alternatives for When You Can't Perform Chin-ups

The Chin-up is done hanging. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Weighted Close Grip Chin-up On Dip Cage, the Reverse Grip Pull-up and the Side To Side Chins. Four harder versions, among them the Close Grip Chin-up and the Mixed Grip Chin-up, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Chin-upWatch the Chin-up

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Chin-up

The steps for the Chin-up itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing towards you and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  2. Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
  3. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Chin-up Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Chin-up on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Weighted Close Grip Chin-up On Dip CagePlay demonstration

    1. Weighted Close Grip Chin-up On Dip Cage

    99% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the lats.

    • Weighted
    How to perform it
    1. Stand in front of the dip cage and grab the parallel bars with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
    2. Hang from the bars with your arms fully extended, feet off the ground, and body straight.
    3. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bars, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
    4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bars, then pause for a moment.
    5. Slowly lower your body back down to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: chin-up, the same as the Chin-up
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Chin-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Chin-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Chin-up
  2. Reverse Grip Pull-upPlay demonstration

    2. Reverse Grip Pull-up

    99% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Grab the pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
    2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
    3. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
    4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Chin-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Chin-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Chin-up
  6. Mixed Grip Chin

    6. Mixed Grip Chin

    95% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    A straight swap when you want to keep working the lats.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Using a spacing that is just about 1 inch wider than shoulder width, grab a pull-up bar with the palms of one hand facing forward and the palms of the other hand facing towards you. This will be your starting position.
    2. Now start to pull yourself up as you exhale. Tip: With the arm that has the palms facing up concentrate on using the back muscles in order to perform the movement. The elbow of that arm should remain close to the torso. With the other arm that has the palms facing forward, the elbows will be away but in line with the torso. You will concentrate on using the lats to pull your body up.
    3. After a second contraction at the top, start to slowly come down as you inhale.
    4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
    5. On the following set, switch grips; so if you had the right hand with the palms facing you and the left one with the palms facing forward, on the next set you will have the palms facing forward for the right hand and facing you for the left.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Chin-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Chin-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Chin-up
  7. Side-to-side ChinPlay demonstration

    Progression

    7. Side-to-side Chin

    91% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that works the lats one side at a time.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
    2. Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body relaxed.
    4. Pull yourself up by bending your elbows and bringing your chin towards the bar, while keeping your body straight.
    5. Once your chin is above the bar, lower yourself back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Chin-up
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Chin-up
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Chin-up
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Chin-up

Chin-up FAQ

What muscles does chin-up work?

The chin-up primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, with strong secondary activation of the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis. It also engages the teres major, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoid, and core musculature to stabilize the torso and control scapular motion.

Can I build muscle without doing chin-up?

Yes. You can build lat and upper-back muscle with vertical and horizontal pulling variations, progressive overload, and sufficient volume. Use controlled eccentrics, heavy-loaded lat pulldowns or rows, and progressive bodyweight progressions to stimulate hypertrophy even if strict chin-ups are not part of your program.

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