The Kipping Pull-Up

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ByCrossFit May 26, 2019

This “cheat” derives from a powerful and athletic reversal of hip direction — like that of the clean and the snatch — and expands the primary movers from just the back and arms down through the torso and hip to include the power zone. Far from being a cheat, kipping is a gateway skill with functional utility on the rings, parallel bars, high bar, and floor (the quickest way to get to your feet). Where most athletic communities avoid the kip, we go to great lengths to teach and learn it.


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Comments on The Kipping Pull-up

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Robert Watterson
January 21st, 2022 at 4:51 pm
Commented on: The Kipping Pull-up

I feel the kipping pull-up and the strict pull-up accomplish different things physically and are very different when programed in a workout.

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Greg Glassman
January 4th, 2020 at 11:30 pm
Commented on: The Kipping Pull-up

If you cannot do five consecutive strict muscle-ups, learning to kip is counterproductive. As an historical aside, I'd deemphasize the kipping pull-up were we to do things again.

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Jade Teasdale
January 5th, 2020 at 11:05 pm

I imagine you might feel the same with kipping HSPU?

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Greg Glassman
January 6th, 2020 at 4:38 pm

Basically, that is correct, Jade. The kipping pull-up is an ineluctable consequence of high rep strict pull-ups. Before an athlete gets to 40 pull-ups the kip arises spontaneously. It doesn't need to be taught and perhaps should not be.


My thoughts on the "kipping" HSPU can be found here:

https://www.crossfit.com/?topicId=article.20191230121702384


I am not a fan of the "kipping" HSPU!

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Jon Friedland
January 13th, 2022 at 11:10 pm

Thanks Coach (CrossFit has changed my life). Is this because of risk of injury or just wrong trajectory for progression. I always liked the kipping pull up because it allowed me to get much more volume and i figure it builds coordination, strength and flexibility amongst a bunch of muscle groups big and small. Full disclosure: i can't do 5 strict MUs and probably never will. JonNYC (XF since 2008).

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Mariah Sabioni
February 21st, 2023 at 10:45 am

What are your thoughts now regarding this early publication on the CrossFit journal? Anything that you would put forward differently? http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/32_05_Kipping_Pullup.pdf

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