What's the point of chins? They seem to go against the SS philosophy

[biggah_traps]

Hi Mark,

I've been doing SS for 2 years with excellent results. I've gone from 185 lbs to 240 lbs at 5'7.

It seems to me that chins go against the overall SS philosophy of bigger is better - surely the more you weigh and so the more of a grown man you are, the harder they become? I'm now unable to do a single chin up even using all the assistance bands in gym. My deadlift continues to increase steadily (I did 247.5 lbs * 5 last time) so am I even missing anything by not doing them?

best,

Biggah Traps

[Mark Rippetoe]

Hang on -- you've gone from 185 to 240 in 2 years, and you are deadlifting a little over bodyweight for 5 reps? Is this a typo???? Maybe you mean 247.5 kg. But then you'd be able to chin yourself...

You're not doing the program. Here: A Clarification | Mark Rippetoe

[Yngvi]

I can do more chins at ~250lbs than I was able to do at 190lbs.

[touristas]

Hi Mark,

I've been doing SS for 2 years with excellent results. I've gone from 185 lbs to 240 lbs at 5'7.

It seems to me that chins go against the overall SS philosophy of bigger is better - surely the more you weigh and so the more of a grown man you are, the harder they become? I'm now unable to do a single chin up even using all the assistance bands in gym. My deadlift continues to increase steadily (I did 247.5 lbs * 5 last time) so am I even missing anything by not doing them?

best,

Biggah Traps

troll detected

[Nockian]

I can do more chins at ~250lbs than I was able to do at 190lbs.

Or maybe you have more chins at 250lbs ;-)

[FatButWeak]

Doing ss in my late to mid 40s, at a body weight of 225 or greater, I brought my chins from zero - hanging there like a slab of pork in a butcher shop window - to being able to do multiple sets of tens. My dead-lift, however, did get up into the 400s before I could do chins. So methinks our little fella needs to simply get stronger before he can do the chins. Also, important to note is that never, ever before in my entire life -even when I was in my late teens and early twenties, was I strong enough to chin myself. Only thru SS did I gain the overall balanced body strength and shoulderly integrity to be able to chin myself.

[biggah_traps]

Hi Rip,

I have poor genetics for strength, albeit good genetics for size.

It took me a year to go 185 -> 210, with 220 *5 squat, 220*5 deadlift, 135*5 bench, 80*5 ohp, at which point I stalled for several months and even regressed on some lifts!

I followed the advice on your clarification, incorporated 1.5*GOMAD and micro loaded all my lifts. This allowed me to reach a 247.5*5 deadlift, 280*5 squat (not a full squat, I go down as far as my new proportions allows me), 203.5*5 bench (with a small bounce) and I don't know about ohp - I reached 120*5 but upon reviewing the video it looks like i've been push pressing it. I'll reset it back to 90 *5 and micro load back up!

Given I am continuing to progress slowly but surely on all the real lifts, despite my poor genetics, am I really losing anything by not doing an accessory lift that favours a lack of useful muscle mass?

[Nubygaines]

bro. just.....bro.

[Mark Rippetoe]

troll detected

Maybe. It's hard to believe he/she could so thoroughly misunderstand the posted article.

[Will Morris]

I have a hard time imagining what I would be like at 240# with a similar height as Biggah Traps.