Maximum Strength: Band Assisted Chin-ups
Written on May 12, 2008 at 4:11 pm, by Eric Cressey
Q: I recently purchased your new book, Maximum Strength, and I’ve enjoyed reading it. My question is about pullups/chinups. If somebody is not capable of performing one, what do you recommend? Assisted pullups, negatives, pulldowns, or something like that? For that matter, if the reader can’t do a chinup, are they ready for the program and might they be better off with a beginner’s program until they’re capable of doing chinups/pullups?
A: They could still be a good position to do the program; they just might be a bit heavy. If a guy is 250 and can squat 400, bench 300, and deadlift 400 – but not do a chin-up, it’s tough to call him weak!
If this is the case, I would substitute either eccentric-only chin-ups or band-assisted chin-ups. For the former, you’d want to lower to a count of 4 or 5 on each rep. The latter of the two is pictured below. If you can’t do it with a 1-inch band or thinner, definitely start with the eccentric-only version.


All that said, above all else, if you have a training partner, him helping you is the best option – as it most closely accommodates your strength level.
Category Blog | Tags: Building The Efficient Athlete, Magnificent Mobility, Maximum Strength, Rotator Cuff Exercises, Rotator Cuff Rehab, Shoulder Exercises, Shoulder Health, Shoulder Impingement, Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Rehab, Strength Training, Unstable Surface Training, Weight Lifting Program, Weight Lifting Routine, Weight Training, Workout Program, Workout Routine
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