Chin-Up
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Grip the bar shoulder-width, palms facing toward you (supinated). Dead hang — arms fully extended, shoulders pulled down away from ears. Initiate by squeezing the shoulder blades down and together. Pull elbows toward your hips — chin rises toward and then above the bar. Pause 1 second at the top with chin clearly over the bar. Lower under complete control for 2-3 seconds back to full hang.
Why It Works
The chin-up (palms facing you) recruits more bicep contribution than a pull-up, making it the superior upper-body builder for overall pulling strength. For hockey players it develops the same lat/mid-back chain as the pull-up while also adding the forearm and elbow flexor strength that controls a stick in traffic. A strong chin-up also protects the shoulder by keeping the posterior capsule healthy through full overhead range.
Hockey Transfer
Supinated grip activates more bicep — great for puck protection strength. Pair with horizontal row on the same day for full back-pattern coverage. Vertical + horizontal pull = bulletproof shoulders.
Coaching Cues
- "Underhand grip"
- "Pull chest to bar"
- "Squeeze lats and biceps at top"
Common Mistakes
Kipping or swinging — zero value. Strict reps only. Stopping short of full arm extension at the bottom — you need the full stretch. Letting the elbows flare wide — keep them tracking close to the body. Going too fast on the way down — the eccentric builds the most strength.
Progression / Regression
Weighted chin-up with a dip belt — adding 10 kg is a major strength milestone.
Band-assisted chin-up or negative chin-up (jump to top, lower for 5 seconds).
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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