Palms away is a pull-up; palms toward you is a chin-up. That is the whole definition, and it hides a real difference in what each one trains, which one you will be able to do first, and how each is counted. Here is the honest comparison, the standards, and the answer to which one to train.
What changes when the palms turn
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| Pull-up | Chin-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Overhand (pronated), shoulder-width or wider | Underhand (supinated), shoulder-width or narrower |
| Main movers | Lats and the muscles of the upper back; biceps assist | Lats still primary, but the biceps contribute much more |
| Difficulty | Harder for most people | Easier for most people — the biceps are in a stronger position |
| Range of motion | Same: dead hang to chin over the bar, or chest to bar for the strict version | Same |
| Shoulder position | More external rotation; wide grip increases the demand on the shoulder | More internal rotation; some people find it kinder on the shoulder, others on the elbow |
| Carry-over | The pull-up pattern is what the muscle-up, the front lever and the one-arm pull-up are built on | Chin-ups carry over well to pull-ups, less directly to the skills |
The difference in difficulty is real but smaller than people assume: for most athletes it is one to three reps at a given level, not a different category of strength.
Which one counts for the standards?
Both. On the ladder PlayThenics measures against, a strict chin-up is scored the same as a strict pull-up — 5 reps is Beginner I, 12 is Intermediate I, 20 is Advanced I — because the published standards the ladder is drawn from do not separate them, and the difference between the two is not enough to justify a separate rung. What matters is that the rep is strict: a dead hang at the bottom, chin clearly over the bar at the top, no kip. The full ladder is on the calisthenics strength standards page.
Which one should you train?
- Chasing your first rep? Chin-ups first. They are easier, they teach the same pattern, and the first rep is the hardest psychological milestone in calisthenics. Switch the grip once you have five.
- Building toward the skills — muscle-up, front lever, one-arm pull-up? Pull-ups as the main lift, chin-ups as accessory volume.
- Building the biceps? Chin-ups, with a slow lower.
- Elbow pain on one grip? Use the other for a few weeks. Inner-elbow pain (golfer's elbow) is often aggravated by chin-ups; outer-elbow pain by pull-ups, especially wide grip. Rotate rather than push through, and see someone qualified if it persists.
- Neither hurts and you want the most from a week? Alternate them across sessions. A neutral grip (palms facing each other) on parallel handles or rings is the third option and the friendliest to most elbows.
Form that makes either one count
- Start from a dead hang, arms straight, shoulders pulled down before the elbows bend.
- Drive the elbows down toward the ribs; lead with the chest, not the chin.
- Chin over the bar at minimum; chest to bar for the strict version used in the skill work.
- Lower under control to a full hang. The lower is half the rep and most of the strength.
- No kip, no swing, no half reps. If a set is failing, end it rather than kip it.
A simple way to use both
Two pulling sessions a week: one with pull-ups as the main lift (sets of 5–8, then a harder variation once 12 is easy) and one with chin-ups (sets of 8–12 with a three-second lower). Rows on both days. Log each grip as its own exercise so the records stay honest — a chin-up best and a pull-up best are different numbers, and both are worth knowing.
Questions
What is the difference between a chin-up and a pull-up?
Grip. A pull-up uses an overhand (palms-away) grip at shoulder width or wider; a chin-up uses an underhand (palms-toward-you) grip at shoulder width or narrower. Both work the lats; the chin-up recruits the biceps more, which is why it is easier for most people.
Are chin-ups easier than pull-ups?
For most people, yes, by one to three reps at a given level. The underhand grip puts the biceps in a stronger position. The difference is real but small — not a different category of strength.
Do chin-ups count as pull-ups?
On the calisthenics strength standards ladder, yes: a strict chin-up scores the same as a strict pull-up (5 is Beginner I, 12 Intermediate I, 20 Advanced I). If you want the honest test number, use pull-ups; if you want pulling volume, use either grip.
Should beginners do chin-ups or pull-ups?
Chin-ups first, to get the first rep and the first five. Then switch the main lift to pull-ups, because the pull-up pattern is what the muscle-up, front lever and one-arm pull-up are built on.
Which is better for the biceps?
Chin-ups, especially with a slow three-second lower. Pull-ups still work the biceps, but the underhand grip loads them much more directly.
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