Is it a pull up? Is it imitation of a fish out of water?

It's neither.

The kipping pull-up isn’t really a pull-up, it’s a kipping pull-up; its own unique exercise. The emphasis is on your gymnastic ability and endurance more so than your raw upper body strength. So don’t be put off if you can’t yet do a pull up because you don’t need to be able to.

Why Would I Use a Kipping Pull Up?

The kipping pull-up is an inventive way of getting your chin to the bar, using as little energy as possible during workouts, like WOD’s, EMOM’s and AMRAP’s, the perfect way to make your cardio more fun.

How Do I Do a Kipping Pull Up?

While intimidating from the outset, learning to kipping pull-up can be made simple if you follow easy, progressive steps...

1 - Hollow and Arch Holds

The first step is to master the hollow and arch positions so that you build strength and rhythm in the start position of your kip.

Beginner - Prone and Supine (on the floor)

How to Hollow (Supine)

• Lay flat on the floor, facing the sky with your hands and feet together and extended out from your body to make yourself as long as possible.

• Simultaneously raise your hands and feet, until your body is in a shallow arch, like a banana.

• Hold for 10-30 seconds, then rest.

How to Arch (Prone)

• Lay face down, hands and feet together, making yourself as long as possible.

• Simultaneously raise your hands and feet, until your body is in a shallow arch.

• Hold for 10-30 seconds, then rest.

Advanced - Holding Onto the Bar

• Hang off your Pull Up Bar, with your palms facing away from your body and your arms loose, so that your hips can do the work.

• Gently rock between hollow and arched positions, staying nice and shallow, just like in the prone and supine positions.

• Perform 10-20 reps, and then rest.

2 - Kip Away

The next step is to get more aggressive with your rocks and learning to push away from the bar in your hollow position.

Beginner - Foot Assisted

• With one foot on a Plyo Box and your hands on the pull-up bar, perform your rocks.

• Exaggerate your hollow position and push your chest up and away from the bar.

• Perform one at a time, and then slowly look to string together multiple reps by going straight back into your arch position after you push yourself away from the bar in your exaggerated hollow position.

Advanced - Unassisted

• Take the box away and perform exaggerated rocks, keeping your feet together as if they are tied together at the ankles.

• Push your chest up and away from the bar in your hollow.

• Perform one at a time, and then slowly look to string continuous reps together as you build rhythm and consistency.

3 - Single Kipping Pull Up

Next, we add in the pull to the bar to complete the movement.

Beginner - Foot Assisted

• With one of your feet up on a plyo box and your hands on the bar, perform a kip away.

• Once at the apex of your exaggerated hollow position, pull your chest to the bar.

• Once your chest touches the bar, push your chest back away from the bar.

• Hang loose at the bottom, reset and then repeat.

Advanced - Unassisted

• Take the box away, keeping your feet 'tied together' and perform your kip away.

• Pull your chest to the bar once at the apex, and then immediately push your chest back away from the bar.

• Reset and repeat.

3 - Multiple Kipping Pull Ups

Beginner - Foot Assisted

• With your foot up on a plyo box and your hands on the bar, complete a kipping pull up.

• Once you touch the bar with your chest, and push yourself away from the bar again, revert straight back into your arch position and continue into the next rep.

Advanced - Unassisted

• Take the box away, with your feet tied together, complete a kipping pull-up, touching the bar and pushing back away, into your arch and repeat.

• String together as many reps as you can before your technique drops, or you fatigue, and then rest.

Remember to make sure that you have a pull up bar that is securely fixed to a suitable wall or mounted to a power rack, which is bolted down.

Save This Article and apply these simple steps and you’ll be able to do full kipping pull-ups in your WODs and classes before you know it! 

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Equipment > Pull Up Bar ; Exercise Type > Conditioning