The kipping pull-up uses a swinging hip drive to help carry the chin above the bar, letting you do many more reps than a strict pull-up. It is a conditioning skill rather than a pure strength exercise and trains the lats, shoulders and core to work together in a rhythm.
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5
Sets
10
Reps
Bar
Equipment
8.00
Cal/min
🎯 Muscles Worked
🎯
Primary
Back, Biceps
📋 How To Perform Pull-Up (Kipping)
1
Hang from the bar, initiate a swinging motion with your hips and legs.
2
Use the momentum from the swing to help drive your chin over the bar.
3
Coordinate your arm pull with the hip drive for an efficient rep.
4
Lower back down into the swing to set up the next rep.
5
Learn strict pull-ups first — kipping is a technique for volume, not raw strength.
💡 Benefits of Pull-Up (Kipping)
Builds endurance in the pulling muscles, shoulder coordination and grip, and is the basis for bar skills like chest-to-bar pull-ups and the bar muscle-up. It lets athletes keep moving fast through high-rep CrossFit workouts.
📈 Sets, Reps & Programming
Aim for 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 12 reps with a smooth, connected rhythm. Learn the kip swing first on its own, and make sure you can do a few strict pull-ups before building volume, so the swing assists the movement instead of replacing strength.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Pulling with the arms only and not using the hips
Making the swing so large that control is lost
Not reaching the chin over the bar
Kipping with a weak, unprepared shoulder
✅ Pro Tips
Start in a hollow position, then arch back and pull the hips through in a smooth swing
Time the pull with the hips so the chin clears the bar
Keep the hands tight on the bar and breathe at a steady rate
🛡️ Safety Notes
The swinging action stresses the shoulders more than strict reps, so build strict pull-up strength first, grip the bar firmly, and keep clear space around you. Stop if the shoulders feel irritated, and avoid it if you have a shoulder injury.
🔁 Progressions & Regressions
Make it harderbutterfly pull-ups or chest-to-bar reps.
Make it easierstrict pull-ups, band-assisted pull-ups or jumping pull-ups.
