Considered a “cheat,” kipping is essentially swing energy that helps you convert into exercises like pull-ups and muscle-ups. In simplest terms, it means rocking back and forth. I racked up 3 minutes of kipping his swing every day for a week to see if intensive practice made a difference in his training. And here’s what I learned:
To kip or not to kip, that’s the question. While the CrossFit community loves Kip, opinions are divided elsewhere. This is especially true for those who believe that kipping allows them to escape from severe pull-ups and properly train their muscles for long periods of time under tension. I have some experience with kipping, but this time I decided to dig deeper into my technique.
What does kipping mean in CrossFit?
Although kips can be practiced as a standalone drill, during class, kips are most often accompanied by other movements such as muscle-ups, chest-to-bar, toes-to-bar, butterfly pull-ups, or pull-up variations. It’s not fair to call this a transition because it requires skill, but it kind of is. A kip creates momentum in your lower body by swinging your body forward and then back. This momentum will help you reach the bar (depending on the exercise you’re practicing).
According to CrossFit, it “comes from a strong and athletic hip reversal,” and “extends the primary movement from just the back and arms through the torso and hips into the power zone.” Imagine drawing a line from the top of your chest to the top of your thighs. The area in between is the power zone.
As you practice kipping, you’ll notice that you can generate momentum during both phases of the movement, while testing your grip strength, forearm strength, and muscle coordination. Regardless of whether you plan to use kip or not, many people agree that kip is a gateway skill worth learning, especially if you plan on participating in CrossFit competitions or playing around with bars or rings. thinking about.
How to start kipping
Whenever people ask me what kipping means, I tell them to imagine a combination of the hollow rock exercise (hollow position) and the superman exercise (arch position). But moving from one thing to another requires more technicality than that. According to the CrossFit Beginner video above, it’s easiest to try it on the floor and then transition to the bar.
I will show you how to do a kip swing in the hollow phase and arch phase.
Hollow:
- Start on your back, legs away from your body and arms extended behind your head.
- Gently squeeze your stomach.
- Practice using your entire body to maintain good posture by raising your arms and legs and keeping them straight.
- If done correctly, you can create a banana shape with your shoulders and hamstrings off the ground. Hold position.
- Get down on the floor and relax.
arch:
- Roll toward your stomach, stretch your legs away from your body, and extend your arms overhead.
- Once again, use your whole body to create tension. Tighten your glutes and lower back, then lift your arms and legs so that your feet and chest are off the floor.
- Hold the position and lower to the floor.
In CrossFit classes, I’ve always been taught to move between the depressions and arches on the floor using a 20-second hold, followed by 10-second transitions and repetitions.
According to the folks at WODprep, you’re now ready to practice on the bar. Remember to use your core, glutes, and hips to generate power, moving from the hollow to the arch, building momentum in your power center and transferring it to your outer arms and legs. In other words, don’t jump around like Mr. Tickle of Mr. Men fame.
Start on top of the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, holding a hollow position, then practice holding your arches. While under the bar, slowly build up momentum, keeping your movements well controlled. When you get the rhythm, this is called beat swing.
In Hollow, place your feet in front of the bar and your shoulders back, then arch, shoulders in front, feet back. Press your feet and legs together to maintain tension throughout your lower body. Although I have some work to do in the future, I decided to continue this practice for a week.
I tried 3 minutes of CrossFit kipping exercises every day for a week – here are the results
i enjoyed it
People hate kipping, but I love kipping. Kipping can help you accomplish more in less time, especially if you’re trying to achieve high rep numbers during class or competition. So while it’s called a “cheat exercise” by gym purists, many people out there think it’s a skill worth taking a chance on.
I’ve been practicing kipping in CrossFit for a while, but since I don’t have a bar at home, I haven’t been able to increase the intensity of my practice outside of class. I really enjoyed being able to set aside dedicated practice time. After revisiting the basics on my own, I sought the help of a certified CrossFit instructor to help me strengthen it even further. It has helped me think more carefully about every part of my workouts and has made me more aware of my body.
Tired
Although this exercise looks easy, it puts strain on your grip, wrists, forearms, arms, and shoulders. I set a 3 minute timer each day and after each jump I paused, rested and reset. I continued this until I accumulated time on the bar, and also completed a Tabata His 20 Seconds On and His 10 Seconds Off warm-up using the hollow and arch exercises on the floor.
After a week of practice, my upper body was smoked, especially my shoulders and arms. Haters say the exercise requires less effort because the lower body helps drive the movement, but think of the power centers (think core, hips, and glutes) that move the car. And I don’t agree that the lower body takes over.
feel more prepared
Unfortunately, I haven’t done any muscle ups or kipping pull-ups on the bank yet, but I feel more effective now that I’ve strengthened my skill set and have a solid foundation from this short week of practice. Prepare for when you return to your normal routine.
That said, it’s worth remembering that this is a short-term challenge and you don’t plan on kipping every day. Remember that your body needs time to rest and repair. Overexerting a muscle group by continuously repeating one movement pattern can lead to injury, so if you plan to practice kipping on your own, talk to a coach (or equivalent) about it. Let us guide you on the best programming method.
verdict
I enjoyed spending more time on the bar and specific skills. My grip strength isn’t very good, but miraculously it didn’t change after a week. By practicing hanging on the bar and building my kipping skill set, I also learned that I needed to work more on my shoulders, forearms, and grip to reach my goal position. But I enjoyed it and the kipping is worth it. Mastering the technique will help you succeed with other popular CrossFit and calisthenics exercises like muscle ups and toe-to-bar.