Efficiency Tips: Pull-ups with Chris Spealler

This video was originally published on March 7, 2012.

Chris Spealler, six-time Games competitor and owner of CrossFit Park City, teaches athletes to be efficient in various pull-up techniques. The session covers the kipping pull-up, the butterfly pull-up and the butterfly chest-to-bar pull-up.

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[Pudakillz]

I don't know what I hate more. Watching people think that they can do 50+ pull ups, or Kali Muscle telling me to eating top ramen with cheezles.

[TheSBleeder]

I have a 48" vertical jump.

I use a trampoline- it's more efficient.

[SgtBenasfre]

Mark Rippetoe:

Kipping chin-ups/pull-ups are a derivative of the jumping version. The movement is performed using the momentum of a slight swing preceding the pull, when the swing is converted into an upward roll of the hips, translating the swing energy into upward movement. The kip distributes the movement over more muscle mass, using the abs, hip flexors, and lower back in addition to the lats and arms, so that more muscle mass is used in the exercise and more reps can be done. The strict versions concentrate the effort on less muscle mass and work it harder.

The strict pull-up is to the strict standing press what the kipping pull-up is to the push-press. Both the strict press and the push-press will get the weight overhead, but the latter way would get it there faster, just as would the kipping pull-up. Think of it from a functional perspective; if you needed to get up on top of a wall as fast as possible would you do a strict pull-up or would you use your entire body to heave yourself up on top of the wall as fast as possible? (and if dogs were chasing you would you even have to consider this?)

Mainly it depends on your goals. I think it's worthwhile for many of us to train as many grips/variations as possible, like thickbar pull-ups, rotating bar pull-ups, ring pull-ups, towel pull-ups, kipping pull-ups, L-sit pull-ups, prone/supine/neutral grip pull-ups, one arm pull-ups, wide, narrow, etc! I don't believe there is any one "best way" to pull our bodies up from a hanging position given the variety of physical obstacles that could fit the bill. These range from tree climbing, to wall climbing, to rope climbing, to sport climbing, to anything climbable. I relate this to the variety of ways that an object can be picked up off of the ground. Sure it would be nice to always lift things up with a straight back, but that isn't always practical, so it makes sense to train with a rounded back too. Ultimately it needs to meet your goals though. So if you just want big strong biceps, do chins, but if you want to climb a tree or use gymnastic rings, better train them all. And if you never have any ambition of competing in Ninja Warrior or scaling the Eiffel Tower there's nothing wrong with that either.

That's really all I have to say about it... I've seen arguments over the legitimacy of kipping go on forever and that's not what this article is about. Look over at crossfit.com and you'll see this already hashed out. It's a personal decision in the end; if you don't like kipping and you prefer to isolate the pulling muscles, do strict pull-ups. It's no big deal.

Hope that clear it up at least a little bit.

[showjumping]

Kipping in gymnastics is for doing tricks on the bar. Not for half assing pull-ups.

[alishin]

No one would be hating if you didn't call them "pull ups" and then brag about being able to do 100+ "pull ups". Can you understand that? All this conflict rises because people call them "pull ups".

You have your own method of pull ups, good for you and whatever your goal is.

Then people brag about being able to do over 100 pull ups and that's when it becomes a joke, because they never put it into context that they're doing their own special pull ups.

It's universally known that a pull up is simply pulling your body up. No tricks no magic, that's it. So when someone brags they can do 100 in 1 set, but fail to specify they're not doing regular pull ups, but kipping which utilizes momentum instead, that's where this all looks incredibly stupid.

Just be clear and no one will have an issue with this lol.

[TheSaikou]

The correct way to do an incorrect pull up got it!

[solngv]

I will never ever do a kip pull-up. It's a very inefficient way to work out the lats using momentum to cheat yourself into thinking you are doing work compared to the tried and true basic pull-up.

[Hakuna_My_Tatas]

The man, the legend, is back at it again

[haris]

I laughed when I read Efficiency Tips for pullups froma crossfiter ... funniest thing I read today

[DeadPuppy]

I love watching the comedy section of YouTube fitness

[toben]

There are some things I enjoy about crossfit, especially the butterfly pull up. When I turn my phone sideways, it looks like they are swimming upstream, now that's entertainment!

[foreverxundefined]

Kipping Pull-ups. A great way for beginners to fuck up their shoulders. Trashing your cartilage with multiples of body weight.

[murilomichelassi]

On 3:55 he starts to explain about elbow Position. But I didn't understand. Is it good or bad to put elbows back? Because he says it is good to stay Elbows Back, but on the practical explanation, he says 4:19 (BAD with elbows back), and 4:21 (Good with elbows in front).

I saw and re-saw the explanation, but maybe I got an English difficult here. Not my native language.

[thebaconmatrix]

WOW a cross fit instructor teaching real legitimate pull-ups as a different exercise than kip ups. it's about time.

[ryuhadouken]

beanie...hipster pull-ups....crossfit is the new hipster fit scene

[ashleycostigan]

exactly, i don't know if you've ever done a crossfit class but the way it is laid out is, part 1, warm up, part 2: strength eg, 1rm's or strict pull ups etc, phase 3: conditioning, this is where you would do the kipping pullup, and part 4: the warm down/stretching.
and i agree it is a dead horse, no matter how you say it or how many times you say it people just don't want to listen because they're always right

[billionaire]

Awesome tips and the guy showing all the wrong ways then the right way to do things really helps! Thanks I think i'll try butterfly pull ups now!

[stp]

Unless you try it, don't talk trash about it. I once looked down at crossfit due to their unusual movements, especially the kipping or butterfly pull up. I'm all about strict movements and strength. But once I tried it, I loved it! It pushes me to new limits I didn't think I could attain. It's super effective and works if you are focused, dedicated and give it your all. If you try it and still don't like it, that's cool. I suppose not everyone is cut out for it. 

[Nihilnovus]

Why not just stick with what's been proven to work for centuries with the original pull up? nothing wrong with crossfit but don't cheat yourself out of a proper pull up smh

[Marnus]

Was that Michael Phelps around 2:04 in??