Congratulations to Bethany and Allan Erskine on the birth of their second child, Oscar Rigel Erskine
Born at 6:14pm on January 24, 2014 (24 hours after mom’s last crush week WOD)
8 pounds 4 oz, 19 inches
Warm-Up Strategies For Developing Kipping Pull-Ups
We’ve seen people make great progress with our standardized warm-ups over last 2 months. Here we’ve outlined a plan to start incorporating regular kipping pull-up skill work into your warm-ups. Like any other skill, you’ll need regular practice to develop mastery of the movement. That being said, don’t go overboard with this, I wouldn’t be swinging on the bar more than 4 times per week. The progression below is broken into 3 steps based on your skill level. Don’t advance to the next step until you’ve mastered the previous one. This may take several weeks so be patient!
Level 1, The Kip Swing: Add 5-8 Kip Swings before each set of pull-ups during Warm-Up 1. Otherwise you can do 1-2 sets of kip swings when you finish Warm-Up 2. Progress to Level 2 after you can consistently string these together with a nice “pop” on the back end.
Points of Performance
– Make sure you’ve got the right grip. If your palms feel like they’re being pinched you need to readjust.
– Always start from a static deadhang with a tight body and active shoulders.
– The kip should feel fluid and “springy”. Try to ride the momentum you create
– Before moving to Level 2, ask a coach to access your kip swing.
Level 2, The Dynamic Pull and Mature Finish: Now that you’ve mastered the kip swing and have found the weightless “pop” on the back end, try to reopen your hip and get over the bar. Make it your goal to use momentum, not pulling strength to finish the pull-up. When you get over the bar, hold the top for a 2 count. This will help you establish a mature finish position. Lower yourself down and reset. Perform 5 reps in Warm-Up 1 instead of your normal pull-ups and do 1-2 sets of 3 reps at the end of Warm-Up 2
Points of Performance
– Don’t slow down your kip swing before you attempt to get over. This is a common mistake. A bigger kip will make the pull-up easier
– You’ll have to reset after each rep. Kip swing > Dynamic Pull-Up > Hold over the bar for a 2 count > lower down and start over.
– You haven’t completed this step until you can consistently get over the bar in one fluid motion. Any stalling, slowing down or extra little kicks to get over constitute a work in progress on level 2.
– Have a coach look at your progress before moving to Level 3.
Level 3, Stringing Them Together: Now that you can kip over the bar you need to work on linking them together. If you’ve been diligent about holding the top of the pull-up, you’ll have plenty of time to work on Pushing away back into your kip swing. Once you can link 2 together, incrementally add reps until you can link 10 together. Watch the video at the bottom of this article to see this in real time.
Points of Performance
– You don’t need to lose the momentary pause at the top of the pull-up. In fact, the ability to do this indicates that you’re all the way over the bar. Sometimes folks develop a kipping pull-up and need to reach with their chin to get just over the bar, this is not a complete kipping pull-up. Try to get the bar to neck level.
– This step is all about timing and rhythm. If you lose your balance or develop a pendulum swing, stop and reset.
– Be patient! Developing your pull-ups is going to take some time. The good news is that its’ MUCH harder to get from 0-2 kipping pull-ups than it is to get from 2-10 so once you find your rhythm it’s just a matter of consistent practice to pile on the reps.
Watch these videos (Kipping Pull-Ups Part 1 and Part 2) to see some of these progressions broken down. As always, ask a coach if you need any help with these steps!
You’re stuck at an airport for a five-hour flight delay, and your phone is broken. How would you keep busy?
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Brand Development with Greg Glassman CrossFit
Congratulations to the Erskines!!! Bethany and Allen have been with us for so long now, it's been great to see the progress from dating to full fledged family! <3
Can't wait to meet Oscar!
I've been off the interwebz today. Sorry all I have no idea why the comments aren't working.. nothing's been changed from my end. Will keep digging around and waiting to hear back from ss.
Celebrate Oscar by being extra nice to any babies you see today.
Watch out for snakes on the way to the gym:
http://gothamist.com/2014/01/28/bag_full_of_writhing_snakes_found_i.php
Congrats Bethany!! I'm in awe that you did a crush week WOD 24 hours before!
6am with Jess and McDowell. Fun warmup today, and then got a 1 rep max of 225# on the lift, although it wasn't pretty. Cash out was miserable.
Congrats Bethany and Allan! Awesome name, welcome to the world Oscar!
Linda! Is that a big PR from tough titsday…??
Trying again… Way to be a TFBA Bethany! Congrats to the entire expanding Erskine family.
Congrats Bethany and Allan!
A new crush week WOD is born:
"Oscar"
1 Round NFT
Give birth to a 19" baby.
Congrats, Erskines!
Congratulations Bethany and Allan, and welcome Oscar!
This write up on kipping pull ups is very helpful and a great reminder. I like that we'll be practicing them in warm ups. I have the grip problem, especially as volume increases. I also tuck my knees at the top and would like to stop doing that.
Five hours is a long time in an airport. Other than lose my mind, I'd keep moving, stretch, lax ball. It also seems like a good opportunity to draw.
@Whit – that is in fact a pr by 15# from tough titsday! I may have heard from a few people that i need to put some weight on the bar…
I couldn't make it over to the box today, but worked out at school.
Push Presses x3
95-115-125-130-135-140f
Deficit deadlifts x2
140-225-275-295-300f
Deadlifts x2
2×300
Deficit sumo deadlifts x2
225-225-225
Puking tbd…
6:30 with Jess and Josh
Tomorrow's workout, did the warmup with the 30# ball, again, even this NFT stuff is killing me.
HBBS
45×5 135×5 185×5 225×5 255×1 275×1 295×1
Did all the warm up sets unbelted to get some core work that Fox says I desperately need. 295 matches my PR and it went up fairly well, good starting point.
Then Jess let Ryan and I do some snatch work as our cash out. (No running shoes! What could I do?) hit a bunch of doubles without much rest up to 70kg which is definitely a PR double.
Oh and in the airport I'd read a book! On my kindle if it wasn't broken like my phone, from the good ol' Hudson News otherwise.
I guess comments won't be released…..congrats Erskine family! Oscar looks like a strong, relaxed, very aware newborn. Bethany you should win a gold medal for such an amazing pregnancy!
6:30 with Jess
Lbbs I just started loving high bar. I hate change but tonight was fun.
45×4, 85×5, 105×5, 125×3, 140×1, 155×1, 175×1
Excited to think more about growing this and getting a double body weight squat! I failed so many times last night that I didn't want to fail and take away the good feeling of getting to where I did.
Running is still my favorite thing to do, even in my boots.
Congrats you guys!!! He looks ready to swing a kettle bell!6
Congrats to Bethany & Allan….Welcome to the world Oscar!!
6am with Jess & McD…yesterday's workout
The warm up really made me feel ALL my sore spots rom Grace & Barbara. ooof!
Push Press – 33#, 53#, 63#, 68# – all felt good
kipping practice was fun…finally getting the swing down. looking forward to practicing during this cycle.
Hit the press with Brian today. 120# I failed the 125 on the last rep as I split open my pull-up tare. Tried it again but fatigue got to me on the last rep so I'll call it at 120.
Like the kipping videos.
And big congrats to Bethany and Allan!
First day back in the gym since I hurt my back. I'm pretty amazed that it only took 2 weeks for it to get better, was definitely an interesting experience, might write something about it.
Worked to 165 on the push press, which wasn't too challenging. Trying to be very disciplined about fighting overextension, so I didn't push it.
Then did the warm up as a cash out and 3 sets of chins and ran to class.
Great to be back. Like Joni said, "You don't know what you got til Adam Duritz steals it."
Had a great Pilates class tonight with some new faces and some people that have come back for more (I'm looking at you, Leslie Bolton and J Bails). Hope more of you can make it down next week – it's really fun, I swear! Just ask David Elwell…
Loved Monday's programming! As someone who is very, very far away from strict pull-ups, I've never even attempted to work on kipping anything. In fact, when I hear the word kipping, I think I just start to zone out. It was really fun to get to try it tonight, and I realized that I can work on it, even at my level! Hope we see more of it this cycle. Thanks, Josh, for patience and instruction.
I love rest week! New things!
I was one of the noobs in Pilates with KH tonight. It was fantastic. As one of those people who is constantly over extended (Noah) that needs to work on his core to improve his lifts (Todd), I thought it would be good for me. Small movements kicked my ass in a way that a set of 300 pounds squats couldn't touch. Highly highly recommended.