[chin ups] -- barbell rows vs. chin ups
Pulling something towards the body is a fundamental movement pattern. It is trained by either rows or chin ups. Which is better?
The barbell row is a pull off the floor. The trainee must therefore hold the low back in extension, like a deadlift. The lift is explosive, and the range of motion is short. A rep counts only if it touches the body. Since the shirt will billow out, this can be hard for a coach to judge. The exercise requires the trainee to be honest with himself, a rare quality indeed.
The chin up, of course, is pure upper body work. The range of motion is longer, and it has clearly defined start and end positions. It can be easily scaled up by attaching weights to a dipping belt.
If the trainee is squatting and deadlifting heavy (which he should be), chin ups are the clear winner. As the lifter gets stronger in these big movements, it becomes easier to apply too much stress. The low back is the first thing to go. The strength needed to hold the low back in extension for a barbell row pales in comparison to that needed for a deadlift, but it is still work that must be recovered from. These resources would be better allocated towards improving the lower body lifts. Chin ups allow the pulling movement pattern to be trained heavy without bleeding into other areas.