Everyone’s grip width is specific to them when it come to chin-ups.
Generic advice about where to put your hands is not very practical.
Here is how to find the best chin-up width for you to prevent elbow discomfort, etc.
Simple version: Just reach straight upwards from your natural taun-sao position.
Watch the video if that does not make sense to you.
This same width (or an adjustment from it) may serve some people well for their pull-up grip. Works for me.
These additional tips apply to both chin-ups and pull-ups:
Tip #1: Use a false grip & keep your thumbs alongside your fingers. Use your hands as hooks (like fook-sao) to prevent wrist issues.
Tip #2: Be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together throughout the exercise, like you are pinching a tennis ball between them.
Tip #3: Drive your elbows down and back as with a strike to raise yourself instead of thinking in terms of pulling with the arms.
Tip #4: If you need to bend your legs or knees to keep them from touching, bend or point them forward in front of you instead of behind you to improve abdominal strength.
Tip #5: If you put a weight belt / dip belt on for extra resistance put the weights to your back by turning the belt completely around instead of hanging the weight from your front.
