Kipping Pull-Up Guide: How to Master Kipping Pull-Ups

Kipping pull-ups are bodyweight exercises that don’t require as much upper-body strength as standard, strict pull-ups. They’re a great alternative for people who are still building their pull-up strength. In contrast with strict pull-ups, kipping pull-ups use lower-body movement to create momentum and help you complete a full pull-up. This momentum, known as a kipping movement, is common in gymnastics and is sometimes referred to as gymnastic movement.

While kipping pull-ups are an easier variation that can help you get up over the bar, they're also an effective exercise in their own right. With similar benefits to deadlifts, push-ups, and bench presses, they're commonly practiced by gymnasts. In addition, kipping pull-ups use a similar range of motion employed in powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting exercises such as a push press.

For kipping pull-ups, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 5–10 repetitions. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout.

1. 1. Grab the pull-up bar with a full overhand grip. Your grip should be about shoulder-width or slightly wider than your shoulders. Your arms should be long without hyperextending your elbows.
2. 2. Press your legs together and squeeze your glutes and quads. Engage your core. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked. Point your toes away from your body.
3. 3. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats. Your shoulder blades should be upwardly rotated away from your spine. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. All repetitions should begin from this starting position.
4. 4. While maintaining a strong core and full-body tension, use your arms to swing your body backward. You should travel away from the pull-up bar, forming a hollow body position with your back slightly rounded. Your arms should remain long and your legs should be long and slightly ahead of your hips.
5. 5. Immediately following the hollow body position, use your shoulders to swing your body forward until your hips are hyperextended and your back is extended in an arched position. Your chest should finish ahead of your hips.
6. 6. Continue to swing back and forth, alternating from a hollow position to an arched position. Use your arms to swing back into the hollow body position.
   
7. 7. As you swing back, pull down on the pull-up bar with straight arms to begin your first repetition. As you move up and away from the pull-up bar, pull yourself toward the pull-up bar by bending your elbows. Your elbows should be pointed toward the floor. Pull until your chin is slightly higher than the pull-up bar.
8. 8. After completing the pull-up, push your body away from the pull-up bar, forming a hollow body hold position again. Move into the arched position as you swing forward to prepare for another repetition.
9. 9. Repeat the kipping pull-up for your desired number of repetitions.

Once you're familiar with kipping pull-ups, give one of these pull-up variations a try.

1. 1. Butterfly pull-up: A butterfly pull-up, also known as a butterfly kip, uses a similar kipping movement with an emphasis on the arch position to move your body in a circular motion. Butterfly pull-ups are an advanced exercise meant to increase the activation of your upper body muscles in less time than a regular pull-up.
2. 2. Assisted pull-up: If this is your first time practicing a pull-up exercise, you may benefit from starting with an assisted pull-up. To practice your first pull-up, loop a resistance band around the pull-up bar, and place a foot inside the other end of the resistance band. The band will help assist you on the upward part of the exercise and help you gently lower yourself down.
3. 3. Strict pull-up: Pull-ups are one of the best exercises for building muscle in your chest, arms, and core. Perform pull-ups by grabbing hold of a pull-up bar and lifting your body up from a dead hang position until the bar is beneath your chin. Unlike chin-ups, which use an underhand grip (palms facing towards you), pull-ups use an overhand grip (palms facing away from you).

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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