Kipping pull up variations are one of the most controversial exercise performed in the sport of CrossFit. For years, the debate on the safety of the movement has been a topic of discussion among sports medicine practitioners. Kipping pull ups have been deemed as “cheating” pull ups by Non-CrossFit athletes.
For CrossFit athletes, kipping pull ups allow for more work to be done in a shorter time period. This allows for higher volumes to be accomplished and faster finish times on workouts with this given movement. The kipping pull up allows for full body movement, coordination and agility— some of the foundations of gymnastics. The kipping pull up allows for overall intensity of the exercise to increase by performing more work in a shorter amount of time. In the sport of CrossFit where many workouts are scored based on time finished or max number of repetitions accomplished. Kipping pull ups are vital in order to be competitive.
Kipping pull ups are NOT a substitute for strict strength. It is imperative for injury prevention that athletes focus on developing correct strength, coordination and agility to perform the kipping pull up accurately. Otherwise, this movement can become dangerous. Here are foundational abilities that athletes should consider prior to learning the kipping pull up:
- Can you maintain an active hang from pull up bar for greater than 20 seconds?
- Can you perform 5 or greater strict pull ups?
- Do you understand what an arch and hollow position are? Can you demonstrate them?
When athletes and coaches follow proper exercise and skill progression, kipping pull ups do not pose any greater threat to an athlete than other power based movements. Individual athletes must understand that there are foundational movements and skills that need to be developed prior to advancing to higher level gymnastics skills. Just like in life, we do not run before we walk. We should not kip before we can strictly pull our own body weight.
