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Warm-Up Strategies For Developing Kipping Pull-Ups
By David Osorio
Originally posted on 11.4.2011
Below is 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 four times per week. The progression below is broken into three 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 ups, or add 1-2 sets of kip swings when you finish warming up. 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.
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 two 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—but 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 it’s 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!
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Saturday's Programming
Snatch
Fitness: Snatch
Work up to a heavy snatch for the day. If you a hard time with the first pull, then perform the snatch from the hang.
Performance: Snatch
Work up to a heavy snatch for the day.
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Back Squat
Fitness: 3-3-3-3-3
Establish a 3 Rep Max. Start your first attempt at or near your last 3×5 weight.
Performance: 1RM Test
Warm up to 80% for a single then:
90%x1
95%x1
100%x1 (this would in fact be a new 1RM)
105%x1
105% + if still moving
Remember to use the same theoretical max you've been using all cycle.
Post loads to comments.
e6/6
Last day of strength cycle pre-Total. This is bittersweet. I can't wait to find out what my new 1RMs are, but I'm sad that this experience of squatting with some of the strongest ladies I know is ending.
Squat 135x5x3, rack walks 255×3 (that weight is NO JOKE), press 65x5x3. I feel like there's such a psychological component to what feels heavy, because these are really light weights for me (other than the rack walks, of course) and yet they weren't easy! This happens to me a lot — where, in warmups, I'll feel like "this is sooooo heavy, how am I going to add another 50# to this bar?!" and then I add the 50# and it's no big deal.
Also…
Serene squatted three plates last night. And it went up just as fast as her first attempt. Jaw on the floor.
PS: AR, I miss you. Really, really miss you. I've had to work every Saturday (and do SC every Sunday) since coming back from my vacation. But now that SC is coming to an end, I'm going to get some AR into my life again.
Mike C. and I were watching 'American Ninja Warrior' that night it aired and was in AWE. So insane/awesome, was so nervous with her 'leap of faith' on those poles being like 5' tall!
Happy Friday everyone!
Here is a red panda doing muscle ups!!
Spoiler: enjoyed the red panda getting a treat while holding that position!!!
6am with MeLo and Nick.
Worked up to a 115# snatch. Some were good, some were not. I need a lot more work on this movement so I'm hoping we'll continue with it next cycle.
LBBSQ: 255×3, 265×3, 275×3
PR here so that felt great. 275 wasn't that pretty, though. MeLo pointed out that I didn't get low enough on the 3rd rep, so I'll consider 265 my PR and hope I can make 275 look ok next time.
That red panda video is awesome!
Everything Stella said except 265# walkouts and 55 x 5 x 3 for press.
I feel the same way about 'warm-up' weights. It is so strange that 135# should feel heavy when I can squat a lot more than that.
Sad that Stength Cycle is over but looking forward to getting back to group class at the same time.
I was so proud of my gym wife, Serene last night. Here is the link to the video of her squatting 315# http://instagram.com/p/qkk1SZiFJ0/
Excited and nervous about Sunday.
just wanted to thank you to michael o. for doing the 10K time trial this morning. i was way behind mike, evan, and (i forgot his name – ted? – but a really nice guy); but it was a really inspiring way to start the day. thanks for setting this up and letting me draft behind.
baz
Hot DAMN! That red panda is SO FIT!
Really fun 10am class with MeLo today. Yesterday's programming:
WU was great: about 10-12 V-Ups each round, 1 Min handstand hold, and 18 or so lunges each round.
WOD:
part 1: Fitness RX (30-20-10 KB swings 24kg OH and push ups).Time: 9:35
-that 24 bell is NO JOKE overhead. heart rate immediately spiked and stayed up. push-ups mostly in sets of 5. did some 3's, 2's, and singles towards the end as per Mel's coaching to keep moving.
part 2: shoulder has been hurting with dynamic movement STO, so did…
15-9 -6 DB Front Squat to Strict Press with 15#. hard to stabilize/integrate left side. more of this!
21-15-9 Pull-ups. 5's, 4's, and 3's. glad I taped up cuz I probably would've torn.
Time: 8:58
Stretched adductors, hamstrings, and quads afterward.
Great OG
Snatch-Heavy Single
220
242
253
264
275
293X SO CLOSE…had it locked out but a bit in front
293X …again…so close. These were good misses
264
Clean and Jerk-Heavy Single
220
264
308
330
346 PR
308
RDLs@70% of backsquat 4×7
264x7x4
Dips
60
Fun if slightly disheartening OG:
HBBS Max Single
135×5 185×4 225×3 275×2 315×1 335xM,M,M 275×3 285×3 295×3
I hit 325 and then 330 for doubles last week, so I really wanted to go for 350 this week, but I couldn't even get 335 up. I have been joking about my long hike over the weekend killing all my gainzzz but now I mean it! Hit some heavy triples after for volume.
Jerk triples
50 60 70 80 90 95 (PR)
High hang snatch triples
50 55 60 65 70 (PR)
These PR triples at over 85% made me feel better.