Mixed Grip Chin

What it is

This challenging chin-up variation targets your back muscles, particularly the middle back and latissimus dorsi, along with your biceps. You perform this compound movement with one hand gripping the bar palms-up and the other palms-forward. It effectively builds upper body strength and promotes muscular symmetry.

Technique tips

• Set your grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, with one palm facing you.
• Pull up with control, exhaling as you drive your chest toward the bar.
• Focus on engaging your middle back muscles on the palms-up side.
• On the palms-forward side, actively pull with your latissimus dorsi.
• Slowly lower yourself with control, inhaling as you descend.
• Alternate your hand grips with each new set to ensure balanced development.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.