The Australian Chin Up

How to do the exercise

The Australian Chin Up is a perfect progression exercise if regular chin-ups are still too challenging. It allows you to practice a very similar pulling motion, build strength, and prepare your body for full chin ups. Here’s how to perform the Australian Chin Up correctly:

1. Starting Position

Set a bar at about hip height. Place your heels on the ground with your body in a straight line and hands shoulder-width apart under the bar, palms facing you. Keep your chest up, core tight, and body engaged throughout the movement.

2. Pulling Phase

Pull your chest toward the bar by bending your elbows and keeping them close to your body. Aim to touch the chin to the bar while maintaining control and avoiding momentum. Keep your gaze slightly forward to stabilize your posture.

3. Lowering Phase

Slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position. Maintain body tension and avoid letting your hips sag or arch during the descent. The controlled lowering is key to building strength and proper form.

4. Reset and Repeat

Once your arms are fully extended, reset your body tension and repeat for the desired number of reps. To adjust difficulty, raise the bar higher for an easier variation or lower it closer to the ground to make the exercise harder.

Recommended Equipment for Australian Chin Ups

Pull Up Station - For maximum stability and safe progress in Pull Ups, Dips, and Muscle Ups.

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Dip Bars – For optimal wrist alignment and a greater range of motion.

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Liquid Chalk – For grip and security during the exercise.

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Wrist Wraps – To stabilize your wrists, especially during longer sessions.

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Benefits of the exercise

The Australian Chin Up is ideal for building the strength and technique required for full pull ups:

• Strengthens biceps, back, and forearms with reduced resistance

• Trains the pulling motion almost identical to regular pull ups

• Improves grip, elbow stability, and body control

• Allows safe progression toward unassisted pull ups and weighted variations

This makes it a valuable stepping stone for beginners and a great warm-up or accessory exercise for advanced athletes.

Main muscles used

The Australian Chin Up mainly targets:

• Biceps

• Latissimus dorsi (Back)

• Forearms & Grip muscles

• Core muscles (for stabilization)

By practicing the pulling motion with bodyweight support, you ensure balanced strength development and joint-friendly progression.

If you're looking for other exercises, check out our Youtube video:

Mistakes to avoid

Common mistakes when performing the Australian Chin Up include:

• Setting the bar too high: This reduces the effectiveness of the movement. Adjust the height so your body stays engaged.

• Flaring elbows out: Keep them close to your body to protect the joints and improve pulling efficiency.

• Using momentum: Avoid jerking movements – keep reps slow and controlled.

• Letting hips sag: Maintain core tension to keep your body in a straight line.

• Not reaching full range: Aim to pull your lower chest to the bar and fully extend arms at the bottom for best results.

Progress by lowering the bar over time and focusing on clean repetitions until you are ready for full pull ups.

Discover more Exercises

Looking for more ways to level up your training? Check out our full exercise overview or try these effective exercises that perfectly complement your training:

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Phil

Hi, I’m Phil, the founder of GORNATION. I brought the brand to life in 2015 with a clear mission: to create a premium brand for Calisthenics, something that didn’t exist before. I live and breathe this sport, doing calisthenics myself since 2013. My vision is to unite 1 million people around the world through calisthenics, building a strong, supportive community. I'm happy that you're part of that!