Gorilla Chin/Crunch

What it is

This intermediate bodyweight exercise combines a chin-up with an abdominal crunch, requiring a pull-up bar. You simultaneously pull your body up while bringing your knees towards your chest. It primarily targets your abdominals, with significant engagement from your biceps and latissimus dorsi.

Technique tips

• Use an underhand grip, placed slightly wider than your shoulder width.
• Maintain a 90-degree bend in your knees before initiating the pull.
• Pull your body and crunch your knees upward at the exact same time.
• Aim to bring your nose to the bar as your knees reach chest height.
• Exhale forcefully as you pull up and crunch; inhale slowly on the way down.
• Control your descent back to the starting position to maximize muscle engagement.

How to track your progress

Log reps, and add the extra load if you wear a belt or a vest. Straddly counts your bodyweight in the estimated max, so added weight and extra reps both show up as progress, and new records are flagged during the session.