In many minds, the blasphemous kipping pull up is a not even a distant cousin of the assumed more honorable strict pull up. Read the comments section of any super athlete performing an effort that involves the kipping pull up and you’ll read my favorite heckle: “And, not one pull up was done that day.” But, is this as black and white as we often make it? Are you either doing “strict pull ups” or “kipping pull ups”? Where do you draw the line? Is the kipping pull up nothing like a strict pull up? Or, is there a spectrum here?
Where as it’s obvious that a big kip required for Chris Spealler’s 100 unbroken pull up effort above surely isn’t strict, what about my video above? Which is the last strict pull up? Which is the first kipping pull up?
In order to level up your understanding of movement, you’ll need to give up rigid dogma and rules when they begin limiting your understanding of the truth. Here’s my final word on the topic of pull ups:
The only “fake” pull ups are the ones proclaiming to be one thing, but are another.
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
10/3/19 WOD
Complete 5 rounds for load: of:
“Bear Complex”
7 unbroken sets:
1 Power Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Push Press
1 Back Squat
1 Push Press
Then, EMOM 8
Minute 1: 12 Wall Balls (20/14)
Minute 2: 12 DB Snatches (60/40)