Sternum Chins:





I consider sternum chins to be the undisputed king of compound exercises for the upper back. Popularized by Vince Gironda, this chin-up requires you to hold your torso in a layback posture throughout the entire movement.

As you pull yourself to the bar, extend your head back as far away from the bar as possible and arch your spine. Toward the end of the movement, your hips and legs will be at about a 45-degree angle to the floor. Keep pulling until your collarbone passes the bar, your lower sternum makes contact with the bar, and your head is parallel to the floor. You can use either a supinated or a pronated grip. Change the width of your grip for variety.

Sternum chinsNot only does this create a great overload on the scapulae retractors, it works more than just the lats. The beginning of the movement is more like a classical chin, the midrange resembles the pullover motion, and the end position duplicates the finishing motion of a rowing movement. If you're advanced enough to even attempt this routine, then you should make sternum chin-ups the staple of your back program.