The real difference between chin-ups and pull-ups is that you perform chin-ups with a supinated grip ... assisted machine if ...

The exercise move, in which you use your lats, traps and shoulders to pull your body up to an overhead bar, serves a greater ...

If you want to build the strength needed to do regular pullups, here are 8 variations that you can do to work your way up to the classic pullup.

Struggling with chin-ups? Learn why you might not be able to do the move, plus a chin-up progression plan to help you nail it.

For a machine-assisted pull-up, use the Gravitron machine which allows you to counteract your body-weight, thus reducing how much you have to lift during your pull-up.

The wide-grip pullup is an upper-body strength movement that targets your back, chest, shoulders, arms, and core. Learn about the benefits of wide-grip pullups and how to do them.

Do It: Standing on a box or bench, grab the bar with an underhand grip, then jump up so that your chin touches it (a).

It may also help to do band-assisted pull-ups where you attach a stretchy band to the pull-up bar and then loop it around your feet or knees, Inkster says.

Assisted pull-ups work the same muscles as full pull-ups while reducing how much weight you have to lift. Just like a regular pull-up, assisted pull-ups work your back, shoulders, arms, and core.