Struggling with Kipping Pull-ups? Read This

Jul 30, 2020

 by Karina Wait

The kipping pull-up is a CrossFit movement that will open the door to more complex gymnastic movements. It fluidly utilizes the hollow and arch positions and combined with a strategic hip-pop, can get you stringing them together in no time. However, there are steps that must be taken to master the kipping pull-up.

Step 1

You must have 3-4 strict pull-ups before attempting kipping pull-ups. The reason behind this is because you need to have the strength to control the movement before adding a dynamic aspect.

If you're struggling with obtaining your first pull-up, check out our pull-up program.

Step 2

Grip and Body Position During the Kip

1. You want your hands to be slightly outside your shoulders with a full grip (thumbs wrapped around the bar).

2. Hollow hold and superman.

In the kip, the hollow hold and superman are imperative. Initiate kip by pressing down on the bar and moving your butt back into a hollow. Keep full-body tension and don't bring hips to 90 degrees. From there, feet go back as the head comes forward. "Relax through" the shoulders and head moves between your arms. Maintain lower body tension and don't let your knees break.

Key- active shoulders and core.

Video until 2:15

3. Hip drive

After actively moving into a superman (head in front of the bar with relaxed shoulders), the hip drive comes in. You'll move back and under the bar while bringing knees up and back. Hands and shoulders are pulling down on the bar to maintain shoulder tension. Maintain a hollow body position with feet together.

"Forward, back, pull-down and knees up"

Video: 2:30-3:30

After the knee drive, you become weightless. Right before hitting the apex of weightlessness, a hip-pop comes in. While maintaining a slightly closed hip angle, hips quickly pop open (aggressive butt squeeze or hip thrust). The hip-pop is accompanied by a pull to the bar. As you pull to bar, keep elbows and shoulders down. If pull elbows back = power lost.

Check out the video below to learn the movement on the floor. In a glute bridge with hands above head, bring knees to chest. Feet leave the floor, hips go "over the fence", feet land, and land in a glute bridge with butt squeezed and hips up.

Cue: shoulders rise --> Pop hips --> pull to bar

5. Stringing Reps Together

After 1 rep and chin is above the bar, now you'll "push away". Imagine you're going for a 1 RM bench press with no spotter. To get the bar up, you aggressively "push the bar away". So, that's what I want you to imagine. After pushing away, fall through to a hollow with feet in front and full-body tension. Once under the bar, feet go back and the head goes forward into an arch. Then, start all over.

Video 5:30-end.

~Coach Karina, BS-Kinesiology, CF L1 Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach