Back · Bodyweight
Seated Chin-up
How to do the seated chin-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit under a low bar set at about head height with your legs extended in front of you and heels on the floor. Grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip and pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and back, then lower under control.
- 1Biceps and lats working together to pull your chest up
- 2A strong squeeze through the upper back at the top
- 3Your heels anchoring you so the upper body does the work
Common mistakes
- Pushing through your legs to cheat the rep
- Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears
- Cutting the range short instead of reaching a full hang
Muscles worked
The seated chin-up mainly works the biceps and lats, with the forearms, mid traps, upper traps, upper abs, and rear delts assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- LatsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the seated chin-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.