Tag: Pull Ups

Getting your first strict pull-up is a huge milestone for any athlete. Why? Simple: Lifting the full weight of your body to get your chin over the bar is much harder than it looks. Now, imagine making this even more difficult, and you have the chest-to-bar pull-up. When it comes to chest-to-bar vs regular pull-ups, is your technique going to be any different, really? And what are your options when it comes to how to perform them?

Grab your grips and let’s go!

Chest-to-Bar vs Regular Pull-Ups: What’s the Difference?

You can probably guess this one pretty easily. In C2B pull-ups, your chest touches the bar. For the rep to count, you must make contact at your collar bone or below. While this only means pulling your body just a few inches higher, even that small difference makes chest-to-bar pull-ups a lot more challenging!

There are a few things you might consider doing that you weren’t already for regular pull-ups:

• Grip the bar slightly outside shoulder width. You’re going to want a little extra room to make space for your chest to touch the bar.
• Hang onto the bar with your thumbs under it, as opposed to over it alongside your other fingers. The former approach is more secure, and being able to grip the bar tighter can help in pulling yourself up over it.
• Kip just a little harder, especially when you pop your hips as you transition into a hollow body position. This will give you more upward drive and momentum. Remember to keep your body tight!
• Make sure your elbows are pointing down. Think of tucking them into your sides. Otherwise, you’re losing valuable strength when you try to pull yourself up.

Aside from some of these modifications, technique-wise, there’s not a huge difference when it comes to chest-to-bar vs regular pull-ups. Overwhelmingly, it just requires a little more strength.

3 Ways to Do Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

When it comes to making contact with the bar at your chest, you have a few options. Note: You should only start to practice C2B pull-ups when you can string together about five to 10 regular pull-ups, strict.

Once you hit that point, keep going with…

1. Strict C2B Pull-Ups

Strict pull-ups are where it should start, in general — and that goes for C2B. Being able to do them strict means that you’re building up the necessary strength to be able to safely kip.

Then, you can move to…

2. Kipping

Kipping is more efficient and will allow you to do more reps of chest-to-bar pull-ups, faster.

If you can string together about five to 10 reps of kipping chest-to-bar pull-ups, then you might be ready for…

3. Butterfly

Butterfly chest-to-bar pull-ups are even more efficient than kipping. However, they also demand more precise technique, endurance, and timing. These are last on the list because they’re more difficult, and you shouldn’t be attempting them until you can consistently do your chest-to-bar pull-ups both strict and kipping.

Can You Do Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups with a Band?

There’s nothing wrong with banded pull-ups if you do them properly. Should you rely on them entirely to help you build that extra strength for C2B pull-ups? No. Be sure to incorporate plenty of pulling exercises, including regular strict pull-ups, rows, and curls, along with grip-strengthening exercises.

If you need a resistance band for pull-ups, check out our collection.

In most functional fitness gyms across the world, banded pull-ups are a step toward unassisted strict pull-ups. However, kind of like the whole “Is kipping cheating?” debate, people have serious opinions on banded pull-ups. Is using a resistance band “cheating?” And importantly, will it even truly help you progress toward strict pull-ups? This blog will answer these questions and more.

Are Banded Pull-Ups Cheating?

Some people swear that a kipping pull-up isn’t a pull-up at all. Really, they’re just two different kinds. Using bands is a similar scenario. Is a banded pull-up still a pull-up? It is because you accomplish the same thing: You get your chin over the bar. Now, is it “cheating?”

Everyone will have an opinion. Our vote? No, it’s not cheating. It’s just a way to scale pull-ups for athletes who don’t yet have the strength to perform the movement unassisted. And let’s remember that pulling your own weight sounds simple but is actually really, really hard.

Do bands make pull-ups easier? Of course, but that’s kind of the point!

Are They Safe?

Anti-band athletes and coaches say that banded pull-ups carry an inherent risk because if the band comes loose from under your foot (or knee, if you loop your knee through it instead), it can snap back and hit you. Can this happen? Sure. You could also miss on a box jump and lose the skin on your shin. Or drop a barbell on your face. Or trip and fall during sprints. Anything can happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s likely.

If you place the band in the right spot and you’re careful, you shouldn’t have any issues. Banded pull-ups aren’t these erratic, out-of-control movements. They’re slower and more calculated. Accidents aren’t likely.

Will Banded Pull-Ups Make You Stronger?

This is where the biggest part of the argument comes into play. Some people argue that banded pull-ups don’t actually do anything to help you move toward strict pull-ups. This is for three reasons.

The first reason in order to get stronger, you need to pull more weight over time, to eventually be able to lift your full weight. And this is harder with a band. However, the solution is simple: Keep moving to thinner and thinner bands that remove less of your weight.

The second reason is that not only do bands remove some of your weight (which is the whole point), but they shift your weight. This holds some merit. If you step into a band for a pull-up, you’re going to notice that it feels a little awkward. It doesn’t 100% mimic a strict, unassisted pull-up. Your body doesn’t hang from the bar the same way it would if you didn’t have a band.

And the third reason is that because the band is stretched tighter at the bottom of your pull-up, it’s going to give you more assistance than it does at the top of your pull-up. And for many athletes, the last few inches of the pull are the hardest.

So, what’s the verdict? Will banded pull-ups help make you stronger to perform strict pull-ups without a band? Yes. Are they the same thing? No. Should you rely on bands entirely? Again, no.

What can you do in addition, then, to help make you stronger?

How to Practice Pull-Ups Without a Band

There are all sorts of ways to scale pull-ups without a band — all of which will prepare you for the real deal. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Jump Up and Rehearse the Negative

The negative is the down phase of the pull-up — so, the part where you lower your body back toward the ground. Grab the bar and jump to the top position, where your chin is over the bar. Squeeze and hold there as long as you can (or for a few seconds, at least). Then, slowly lower yourself down. You could do this for a specific count (like a count of 3-5 seconds) or even do it as slow as you can.

While you’re only technically doing half of the movement, you’re still building serious strength. Be sure not to quit at the very end. You want this to be slow and controlled until your arms are completely straight and you’re at a dead hang.

2. Practice Other Pulling Exercises

If a movement requires pulling of any kind, then it’ll likely contribute to your pull-ups. This includes barbell/dumbbell rows, renegade rows, lat pulldowns, and even bicep curls.

Remember that for any movement, getting better at it doesn’t solely mean doing more of it. You also want to rehearse other complementary movements that’ll contribute toward building the necessary strength.

3. Don’t Forget Your Grip Strength

It’s not just your shoulders that we’re talking about, here. You need a strong grip and forearms for pull-ups, too. The stronger your grip is, the less fatiguing the movement is going to be. Most barbell, dumbbell, and kettlebell movements will help strengthen your grip. Farmer carries in particular can be helpful.

You want to be sure to toughen up the skin on your hands. However, grips will still come in handy. (See what we did there? Handy?) These provide a barrier between you and the bar so you can avoid rips, tears, and blisters.

Even holding dead hangs from the bar can build overall strength. Set a timer and do three to five rounds. Make sure you pull up out of your shoulders and engage your core. You should almost be in a hollow body position, just like you were performing a real pull-up.

Are bands evil? Of course not! Like most tools in the gym, you just have to know how to use them properly. Be sure that your pull-up programming is well-rounded and doesn’t solely rely on resistance bands, and you’ll have that first pull-up before you know it.

Ready to get to work? Shop our collection of resistance bands today.

As you get more comfortable on the pull-up bar, you’re going to start exploring new ways to use it. Eventually, you might wonder about butterfly pull-ups vs kipping pull-ups: how they’re alike, how they’re different, and which one you should be using.

Let’s go!

Butterfly Pull-Ups Vs Kipping: How are They Alike?

The two movements are indeed similar in two ways:

1. They both get your chin over the bar.
2. They’re more efficient than strict pull-ups.

How Do They Differ?

While the end goal might be the same, when it comes to butterfly pull-ups vs kipping pull-ups, the technique is quite different.

The kipping pull-up involves alternating between a Superman and hollow body position and using the tension and momentum to sort of “whip” your chip over the bar. In a butterfly pull-up, you’re moving in a continuous circular motion. So, the main difference is that in a kipping pull-up, you push away from the bar. And in a butterfly pull-up, you move forward and through the bar.

Check them both out in action. Here’s a kipping pull-up:

And here’s a butterfly pull-up:

Which Type of Pull-Up Should You Be Using?

This depends on two things:

1. Your skill level.
2. Personal preference.

Similar to how you really shouldn’t be doing kipping pull-ups until you can do strict pull-ups, you shouldn’t be doing butterfly pull-ups until you can do kipping pull-ups. Once you’ve got the strength, technique, speed, and timing, if a WOD calls for pull-ups, opting for butterflies is a smart move to knock out your reps more efficiently. You’ll be able to cycle through your reps faster, which means you’re not going to fatigue as quickly when it comes to shoulder, forearm, and grip strength.

We still highly recommend you use grips to prevent rips, tears, and blisters.

In the butterfly pull-up, your hands might experience even more friction against the bar than they do with kipping. Grip up, chalk up, tape up — whatever you need to do to keep your hands in one piece.

Psst! Don’t forget to read the Ultimate Guide to Gym Grips and Hand Care.

Is One Type of Pull-Up Easier Than the Other?

Yes and no. The more advanced you are, the easier you’re going to find butterfly pull-ups vs kipping. This is because, again, you’ll be able to do them faster.

However, until you’ve really got butterflies down, if you attempt to do them in a WOD (when time is of the essence), you might end up frustrated. Just like most of what you learn in functional fitness, you might only be able to string a few reps together before your timing is off, or your grip gives out. In that case, you might opt to stick with kipping — which is totally fine! Be patient with yourself and eventually, butterfly pull-ups will feel like the norm.

If you’re ready to work on the more advanced movement, check out our blog for a complete breakdown of butterfly pull-ups. It’ll show you how to do the movement step by step.

One of the easiest ways to start a debate in the functional fitness community is to bring up kipping pull-ups. You’re guaranteed to start a chorus of, “Those aren’t even real pull-ups!” to “They don’t even count!” to “They make it possible for more people to get on the bar!” and our favorite, “They’re going to D.E.S.T.R.O.Y. your shoulders!”

Settle down, team.

Are kipping pull-ups as horrible as some people would like you to believe? Is there a way to do them that’s safe and effective? Should we banish them from the world of CrossFit forever?!

There are numerous points we want to touch on. Let’s discuss.

First, Are Kipping Pull-Ups Even Safe?

This one is a lot simpler than some athletes will believe. When done properly, yes, kipping pull-ups are safe.

Note this very important phrase: when done properly.

Do anything wrong and you stand the chance of hurting yourself.

Where People Go Wrong With Kipping Pull-Ups

When it comes to this movement, there are three key areas where things tends to go south.

Strength

Athletes will go HAM on the pull-up bar before they’ve built up the necessary upper-body strength. This can absolutely lead to injury.

Does this mean kipping pull-ups are inherently bad? No. It means you need to be stronger to do them injury-free.

Form

One misconception here is that kipping pull-ups remove the element of strength entirely (which you now know isn’t the case).

To compensate, athletes will flop around like a fish and try to throw their body over the bar. Not only isn’t this sustainable, but it also puts you at greater risk of hurting yourself.

Volume

Imagine doing kipping pull-ups without the proper strength or form for a few reps. Now, imagine doing the exercise like this for dozens of reps — because that’s typically the volume you’re looking at when KPUs are programmed in a workout.

Doing rep after rep after rep of a movement incorrectly? Yes, you might hurt yourself. This goes for just about everything, from kipping pull-ups to squats to presses to the Olympic lifts.

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One Disclaimer…

We want this to be a fair argument, so it only makes sense that we mention this.

When you do a high volume of any exercise, there’s a greater likelihood of injury due to overuse. And because athletes tend to do kipping pull-ups at high volumes, this could lead to seriously sore shoulders and even strains/tears.

In this case, we would caution you to be mindful of how many reps you’re doing and breaking them up appropriately to give your body a moment of rest.

Furthermore, if you did 50 KPUs yesterday, it hopefully goes without saying that you should take it easy on them for the next few days.

We want to echo a previous sentiment: Overuse can happen with any exercise.

Should You Be Able to Do a Strict-Pull Up First?

This is another big part of this discussion. And the answer is… probably. (Glassman certainly thinks so.)

Athletes love to skip ahead to kipping pull-ups because it helps them get over the bar without needing to build as much strength. You can easily get a kipping pull-up before you land your first strict pull-up.

Does that mean that this is what you should do? No.

Building that very important strength that allows you to pull your own weight over the bar is going to be vital in keeping your shoulders and back healthy. You should not skip this step.

That being said, should you avoid KPUs entirely until you can do pull-ups strict? Meh. This could go either way. If you want to take a stab at kipping, go for it. Just don’t let those be your excuse for not rehearsing strict pull-ups.

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Are Kipping Pull-Ups Even Pull-Ups?

Ah, yes. Another important question in this debate.

KPUs are pull-ups in the sense that you start by hanging from the bar and finish with your chin over the bar.

But are they essentially the same movement? No.

While they’re closely related skills, you also need to understand that at the same time, they are indeed different exercises with different purposes. Strict pull-ups are mostly about developing strength and improving muscle health. Kipping pull-ups are more about speed, power, repetition, and efficiency.

And importantly, you should develop both of them.

This leads us to another important question…

Are Kipping Pull-Ups Cheating?

Because they shouldn’t be considered the same thing as strict pull-ups, our vote is no: Kipping is not cheating.

Kipping is simply a way to do pull-ups more efficiently. In other words, kipping allows you to bang out more reps, faster. If it were “cheating,” then it would allow you to achieve the same benefits of strict pull-ups without having to do the work.

You know by now that this isn’t going to happen, since strict pull-ups are mostly about strength-building. You’re not going to get this from the kip.

How to Do Kipping Pull-Ups Safely

We want to leave you with a few quick tips for executing this movement without destroying your shoulders.

Mobility Should Come Before and After

Hanging from the bar is going to do a number on your upper body if your muscles aren’t ready for it. Therefore, taking care of your shoulder mobility is going to be a game-changer here.

Never hang from a bar before your shoulders are ready.

Keep Your Core Tight

Kipping doesn’t mean flinging your body over the bar. It means tightly whipping back and forth between hollow body and Superman. While it might seem more “powerful” to throw your body around, this is actually working against you.

Keep it tight! You’ll be able to launch your body upward far more easily.

Always Rehearse Strength-Based Upper-Body Drills Simultaneously

Remember what we said: It’s when you skip the strength-building that you risk injury. Always kip alongside strict pull-ups, push-ups, presses, and other upper-body exercises that build strength.

Combining strength with form/technique, speed, and power is going to give you the best of every world. Yes, kipping pull-ups are safe — if done the right way!

Learn more about how to scale strict pull-ups without bands.

Pull-ups are an integral part of many WODs. It’s one of the first things functional fitness novices should learn — but not everyone will be capable of doing an unassisted pull-up on their first day. Many athletes will immediately switch to banded pull-ups, not knowing the drawbacks. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to scale pull-ups without bands.

Bands are looped over the pull-up bar so you can place a foot or knee in them. They remove some of your own body weight, thus allowing you to pull yourself up over the bar more easily. Bands come in different levels of resistance and are color-coded for that purpose.

While athletes should ideally use bands to gradually work their way toward an unassisted pull-up, some athletes come to rely on them a little too much. Progress might be slower and the athlete might run into stagnation. Bands shouldn’t be a crutch.

Another option is to do exercises that engage the same muscle group and build your strength from there.

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Here are four ways to scale pull-ups without using bands.

1. Practice the Negative

Negative pull-ups are called such because they only focus on the negative — the lowering part. They are also called pull-up negatives or descent-only pull-ups. This is a popular way of building strength for a full pull-up. It works all of the muscles needed to execute the full movement.

Get into the topmost position of a full pull-up with the help of a partner or by stepping onto a box or bench. Your arms should be flexed with your chin above the bar. This is your starting position.

Then, slowly lower yourself down for a count of three to 10 seconds (although you can slow it down as much as you want). The key to this exercise is lowering yourself as slowly as possible, resisting as much as possible, until your arms are fully extended.

Return to the starting position and repeat.

Bonus tip: Doing the negative of just about any movement can help you get stronger for that movement. This includes chin-ups, dips, and even dumbbell bicep curls.

2. Inverted Row

This exercise is also known as a horizontal barbell pull-up.

To execute, place a barbell over the rack at around the height used to perform a bench press. Grip the bar a little further than shoulder-width and hang under the bar with your legs straight, feet on the ground and your arms fully extended. Your body should not be touching the ground.

Pull your chest toward the bar, starting by flexing your elbows. The bar should touch around your sternum area. Pull your shoulder blades back as you perform this movement.

If you can’t perform it with your legs fully extended, attempt it with your knees bent 90 degrees and your hips forward. You can also slide your body further back, so the bar touches lower on your body.

Another alternative is to start with your hips on the ground and in one motion, raise your hips and pull your chest up to the bar. This almost mimics a kip.

Repeat for the desired number of reps.

3. Ring Rows

Similar to inverted rows, ring rows involve hanging low from the rings and pulling yourself upward.

Keep in mind the more horizontal you are, the harder the ring rows will be. Thus, to scale it, simply stand more upright when you perform them. Grip the rings and lean back until your arms are straight.

Keep your body straight and core engaged, and pull yourself up until the rings are by your armpits. Keep your arms close to your body. Pause briefly when you reach the top, squeezing your shoulder blades together, and return to the starting position. That is one full repetition. Repeat as needed.

4. Partner-Assisted Pull-Ups

Bands come sometimes help you in ways that make it harder for you to get stronger while using them. Executing pull-ups with a partner is the perfect compromise. They can give you just a tiny bit of help only when you really need it. For instance, they can gently push up on your back to help give you a boost. Also, try tucking your legs when you perform your pull-ups. Your partner can gently push up at your knees. This scaled version is ideal when you’re almost able to perform a full strict pull-up, but can’t quite yet.

Doing these exercises is a great way to work toward executing full pull-ups. They build your upper body strength in a way that using bands might not. Constructing a strong, sturdy, and healthy foundation is everything! Keep practicing these and you’ll be doing full, unassisted pull-ups in no time.

Want to build your upper body strength even more? Check out this blog with push-up variations!