Picture
For various reasons, I don't much care for kipping pull ups.

For one, there are a lot more effective ways to get strong(er) at pull ups if that is your goal. There are only two ways to increase intramuscular tension. You can lift more weight. Or you can lift with greater acceleration. This does not mean "make it seem like you are lifting with greater acceleration by utilizing momentum."

---Think about it - the guy who can bang out even one pull up with 100lbs tied around his waist will likely have no problem performing a set of kipping pull ups. The opposite will rarely hold true, meaning the guy who can perform kipping pull ups will have a hell of a time trying to chin 100lbs!

Get Stronger Instead!!

Secondly - I don't often see people performing kipping pull ups with much regard to shoulder position, and rather they tend to load and hang off their passive structures. This will surely agitate those who have "less than fortunately" shaped acromions (about 1/3 of the population). When performing a pull up, once should always begin with strong and forceful scapular movement (retraction and depression). I rarely see this occur with kipping pull ups.

Finally - if you are hanging out of a window and clinging on for dear life, are you really going to have room to kip? Not likely...

Either way, this is not really a post to "bash" the kipping pull up (no need to beat a dead horse).If kipping pull ups are your thing, and you have no trouble doing them, then by all means continue on good sirs!

Instead, I simply want to offer an alternative.

The plyo-pull up.

The premise is simple. Just pull with enough speed to get some air.

Simple doesn't always mean easy... and this will take some working up to. One of the best ways to work up to this is to focus on accelerating as quickly as possible with each and every pull up you perform. Also, start performing weighted pull ups asap!

You can clap mid-air, or perhaps perform a bar transfer as you will see in the video below. Either way, plyo pull ups are a great way to develop explosive pulling power, grip strength, and for overcoming your fear of heights/flying (well, er, kinda...)

Pair plyo pull ups with heavy single arm military presses and you have yourself one fantastic upper body strength pairing. Enjoy and don't forget to drop your comments below!
 


Comments

Hank
01/30/2012 14:12

I'm 6'3" and 195 lbs, with long arms... Pull-ups have always made me sad. Do you have any suggestions on how I can build up to doing a set of more than 2?
Thanks!

Reply
Pat
01/30/2012 15:38

Hank - I've been there before, not being able to perform pull ups at all even. I felt lost in a dark, nebulous void.

Here's what you can do.

Do you have a home pull up bar? If not then invest in one - even the kind you can install in your doorway.

Put it going into your bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, or some room that you frequent often.

Make yourself a promise that every time you walk by the pull up bar that you must perform one solid dead hang pull up.

Throughout the day you may find yourself performing 20 or more pull ups (but never more than one at a time).

Do this for a couple of weeks and test your max pull ups again. I promise you will be happy with the results! Report back in with your progress!

Reply
Kevin G
01/31/2012 08:54

@Hank, deloading also seems to work fairly well for increasing numbers too. Get a resistance band that you can wrap around your foot and the pullup bar to take some weight off while you're doing your pullups. Less resistance allows you to get more reps in at a lower weight, which in theory will result in building up more strength in the volume/density of pullups you can do and therefore carryover to your BW reps.

Reply
Big Pete
01/31/2012 09:05

@Hank, I agree with both kevin and pat here. Get your low reps in now as often as you can. You can build up a lot of volume with the pullups that way. Also, strength always equals strength. Try to add some weight like kevin said and see if you can build up from one rep. Even if it is only 10 lbs or so.

Reply
Somnath Sikdar link
01/31/2012 10:08

Hanging Scapular retractions are also a great way to build up to pull ups and/or chin ups. I had a student who was 250+lbs at the time build up to 5 pull ups using only scapular retractions.

Reply
Dan Kerrigan
02/01/2012 07:24

I like it. Hard to keep up with all these good ideas. I like the weight vest. Will begin using it more...asap.

Reply
Quinn
02/01/2012 09:52

Pat,
Do you post a training log for yourself anywhere?

Reply
Pat
02/02/2012 06:45

Quinn - I currently do not post a training log, however I am currently following my standard FVT program if that helps you out at all. I am currently on week four.

Let me know if you have any specific questions

Dan - I'm a huge proponent of the weighted vest - especially for dips - i prefer it to weight belts

Reply
Brandon
02/03/2012 09:23

I see the arguement against the kipping pull up, but what, fundamentally, is the difference between the kettlebell swing and the kipping pull up? Why wouldn't you advocate starting all the swings from a dead stop?

Reply
Pat
02/09/2012 06:47

Brandon, my apologizes for the delayed response - as I have a poor tendency not to check old posts as often!

Let's make a few differentiations quickly to understand exactly what it is I'm against...

Power movements I am not against - I love them. The kettlebell swing, and the elastic recoil/spindle reflex from the eccentric is fantastic for training power.

The kipping pull up is not that.

Firstly, the kettlebell swing, if done right, is performed in an incredibly organized position (neutral spine), where as the kipping pull up often is not.

For most people, they hang off their passive shoulder structures (never a wise idea) when performing kipping pull ups and also forcefully break spinal neutrality - not something you see with the swing.

The kip itself only works to cheat the movement - and as I have discussed before, there are a lot more effective ways to increase pull up strength and power than kipping.

Does this make sense?

You brought up a great point and I hope I helped to shed some light on the matter. Thanks for the feedback!

Reply



Leave a Reply