American Ninja Warrior Workout at 36 degrees!  Last week in St Louis the American Ninja Warrior qualifying rounds was “cool” to say the least!  We were introduced to yet another two new obstacles to the course with the Double Tilt Ladder and Rope Swing.  No American Ninja Warrior Workout would be complete without Monkey Bars Training and rope work.

Monkey Bars Exercises

Pull Ups and Chin Ups are two favorite (and more obvious) monkey bars exercises.  While most people like to use the two terms interchangeably, they definitely are two different exercises!

What’s the difference between pull ups and chin ups?

A Pull Ups use an overhand or pronated grip which means that your palms are facing away from you.  The width of your grip can vary but generally speaking it’s slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Chin Ups use an underhand or supinated grip meaning your palms are facing towards you.  Again your grip width will vary but slightly wider than shoulder width is also most common for chin ups.

Muscles Trained – Both pull ups and chin ups are two of the best exercises for back and overall upper body conditioning however they target the muscles a bit differently.  Both exercises will work the lats (latissimus dorsi) and biceps.

With Pull Ups your elbows come down and back from the sides and you’re using more shoulder adduction, whereas with chin ups you’re using more shoulder extension and your elbows are coming down and back from the front.

Most people can do more Chin Ups than they can Pull Ups because the biceps are assisting the movement more.

Pull ups target your lats more and put the biceps in a weaker position.  If you’re new to pull ups and chin ups you may want to begin with a weight assisted pull ups machine.  It will help you master your form as you build your strength and endurance. A good pair of weight lifting grips will also help to ease hand fatigue so you can pump out a few more reps!

Your Monkey Bar exercises don’t have to be limited to pull ups and chin ups either!  Knees To Elbows and Triceps Dips are just a couple other exercises you can add to your American Ninja Warrior Workout routine!

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