Pull-ups or chin-ups or rows?

There are many ways to work the back muscles: Pull-ups, chin-ups, rows. So what is the difference and why should you choose one over the other? For upper body strength development, it is most useful to categorize movements into pushing and pulling. The entire upper back is designed for assisting the arms to pull objects toward you or to pull your body toward a fixed point. But because our shoulders move through space 360 degrees across many planes, we can hit different back muscles by changing the angle of the movement.

The muscles in the front of the upper body – chest and front of the shoulders - are pushing muscles. The biceps are pulling muscles, the triceps are for pushing.

Overhead

Any time you grip a bar, rings, or other apparatus over your head, you are working the outer muscles of the upper back developing, the largest ones being the latissimus dorsi. This muscle develops back width giving your body that coveted V-shape possessed by strength athletes. By changing the orientation of the grip, you can target the back muscles differently. Pull-ups are done with an overhand grip (thumbs toward your head) with the forearms perpendicular or even wider. If you are unable to pull your bodyweight all the way up to the bar or handle, you can regress the movement by assisting with your feet on the ground.

Chin-ups are done with an underhand grip and engage the biceps in addition to the back. That is why this movement is generally easier than a strict pull-up. But because the grip width is closer, the body has farther to go from full extension than the pull-up.

In front of the body

If you are pulling a weight toward you, you are essentially doing some kind of row. To row a weight, you need to be facing down and pulling the weight off the ground toward your upper body. This can be done with a bar, one arm at a time with a dumbbell or kettlebell, or any makeshift weight.

You can also do a reverse row by pulling your bodyweight upward by gripping a low bar, suspension trainer or a pair of rings. In this case you are facing up, your feet are on the floor and, in order of increasing level of difficulty, your body is at an angle such that the shoulders are higher than the hips; your body is parallel to the floor; or your shoulders are lower than your hips. You can have your legs straight or bent depending on your strength. Bent legs allow you pull yourself up easier than the same movement done with legs straight. Doing a row with your feet off the ground is the ultimate in full body strength.

Rowing works the large muscles of the back and develops thickness in the middle back.

From the feet up

The upright row is another kettle of fish entirely. It involves pulling a weight up from the ground while you are on your feet and primarily engages the thick muscles between the neck and shoulders called the trapezius.

So, which exercise is best? As always, it depends on your goals. If you are training for a particular sport, you likely want to improve strength in the range of motion which most closely approximates your sport. If your sport involves throwing a ball or a swinging a racket, chin-ups will most benefit your training. If you need to be able to pull yourself up over a ledge, strict pull-ups will benefit you the most. A combination of rows, chins and pull-ups will give you best result to increase strength your overall pulling strength.