This article is a short piece to help those of you who have asked us about pull ups, be it strict or kipping. Before I continue, let me say that I am a firm believer that if you can dedicate the time to something, consistently, it will eventually be achieved. The pull up is no different.
The purpose of strict pull ups simply is to build strength in the upper body; the other, kipping pull ups, is to produce a higher power output or roughly translated, to achieve more work in less time. They are both different and are not intended to replace one another. Given that being stronger and also increasing our work capacity are some of the main aims of CrossFit® we should be developing both. How, though?
Hollow Hold. Learn to love this position. It gives birth to a whole host of benefits for the exercises we use in CrossFit.
Ring Rows. Vary the angle at which you use the low set of rings. But, always maintain a hollow position and focus on using your arms and back muscles.
Strict Banded Pull Ups. Don’t be afraid of using a band to allow you to move through the full range of motion required for a strict pull up.
‘Negative’ Pull Ups. These things are gold. Grab a box, step on it so you can then take a grip and hold your chin over the pull up bar. Then work your hardest to lower yourself as slowly as humanly possible. Think Neo from the Matrix dodging bullets slow. Adding in a second hold for those who have kipping pull ups already is a big help too.
Bent Over Row. Assume the Deadlift position, unloaded, and while maintaining a flat back pick up a pair of Kettlebells or a barbell and pull the object to just below the Sternum.
Build more useful lean muscle and lose non-useful body fat. This one happens by showing up to the gym as often as you can, putting in the hard work and having control of your nutrition. Simple. There’s no magic pill here. If you are unsure about what to eat,start here!
Your rule with the above is, you should never do two sessions in a row with the exact same method. Variety is key. If you are wondering about reps and sets, just keep it simple 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps on any of the above, three times per week will have you on your way. Be aware, it could take up to 12 months for some people. Embrace it and you’ll be better for it.
Furthermore we run several pull up workshops throughout the year to help you boost your abilities.
Within the workshops we work through the differences in grip (overhand/underhand) and why you get more bang for your buck with your thumbs around the bar, particularly for strict work and if you’re just starting out in CrossFit.
We also talk through the scap pull up, use of negatives to build strength (Pull up negative), partial reps to build strength in specific ranges (Partial reps to improve specific range – bottom half and top half), and different rig set ups to help you build stronger pull ups (Low bar pull up – toe assisted, Low bar chin up – more top end range, Low bar pull up – feet elevated).
We then move on to kipping pull ups, where we took time to understand the timing of the pull combined with the kip swing with various drills that can be supported with a buddy (Banded kip swing – to make sure we’re moving through the torso not just the legs, Single leg box assisted kipping pull up, Kipping pull up with half pause, Kipping pull up with pause), the ideal shapes of a kipping pull up to identify what requires working on (C/I/J).
For further inspiration below is a great list of Pull Up Drills. Each one has a video accompanying it too!
Low bar pull up – toe assisted
Low bar chin up – more top end range
Low bar pull up – feet elevated
Partial reps to improve specific range:
- Bottom Half: https://youtu.be/_o8SBJr–Pk?si=kje_-GD4hE5lBvGG
- Top Half: https://youtu.be/dIrFXvySrPA?si=ZgikQ2zcL7rnDH6F
- May be assisted with box too.
Banded kip swing – to make sure we’re moving through the torso not just the legs
Single leg box assisted kipping pull up
Kipping pull up with half pause
If you would like to get some additional help with pull ups or any other gymnastics movement get in touch with us straight away for a chat!