In Level 2 you should be able to complete a strict pull-up. This means no little thrusts with your hip to get your chin over the bar. Additionally, you should be able to do this any day of the week. If you got one chin-up that one time on a very good day, that doesn’t count. You should be able to walk into the gym cold, jump into a hang, and pull yourself up, any day of the week.
There are two goals in level 2.
First, we want to continue building strength in the strict pull-up. Having a solid base of strength will help with our goal of mastering kipping pull-ups. At this level, we will work our way up to getting 5 strict pull-ups in a row.
Kipping Pull-Up Practice
Second, we will begin practicing the motion of kipping. In the programming, we have “Kipping pull-up practice” as a prescription. There are four levels of practice. The videos are in the video library. They go from easiest to hardest.
- Kipping Pull-Up Practice – Swing
- Kipping Pull-Up Practice – Hand release
- Kipping Pull-Up Practice – Strict pull-up/hold/push
- Kipping Pull-Up Practice – kipping pull-up/hold/push
When kipping pull-up practice comes up, what I would like you to do is start with the swing. The kipping swing is the base of all the kipping pull-ups. You’ll need to practice this and get this down to do a kipping pull-up. Feeling comfortable with this before moving to hand release. The swing involves external and internal rotation of the scapula and shoulder blades. It also involves coordination of movement with your hips.
When you feel comfortable with the swing you’ll then move to hand release. This is the same as the swing but as you come up you release your hands for a split second and then come back down into the bottom of the swing.
Once you have hand release down we’ll combine your strict pull-up practice with the kipping swing. You’ll pull yourself up, hold for a second, and push away down into the bottom of the swing. This drill mimics the movement pattern needed to string many kipping pull-ups together.
Finally, we are going to do a kipping pull-up! Well, almost. In this drill we do every part of a kipping pull-up except at the top we hold for a split second.
Mastery of these four drills will establish a solid base for kipping pull-ups in level 3.
- Current ability: 1 strict pull-up any day of the week.
- Goals: 5 strict pull-ups in a row with no kip. Additionally, you should be able to do all four kipping pull-up practice drills.
- Objectives: Every week do more pull-ups than the last. Develop a good technique for kipping. Become stronger in hollow rock position.
- How to: Do 3-4 workouts a week. Rest day from pull-ups before day 2 and 4.
| WHEN | DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOLUME | VOLUME | ASSISTANCE | INTENSITY | |
| BEFORE WOD | EMOM 1-3 strict pull-ups for 5 Min. Every week either try to get more consecutive pull-ups or add a minute. Do not go over 10 minutes. The goal is to do more each week. | Tabata kipping pull-ups. Try to get more reps each week. When starting out you may not be strong enough to do at least one pull-up in the later rounds. That's OK. It will improve. | Kipping pull-up practice. | As many strict pull-ups as possible in 4 minutes. |
| AFTER WOD | Kipping pull-up practice. | Accumulate 40 banded face pulls. | Barbell curls 3×10-12. You can do your hollow rocks between sets. | 3×1 pull-ups with 3-4 second negative on the way down. Go up 1 rep a week. Focus intently on lowering very slowly. |
| AFTER WOD | Accumulate 20 hollow rocks. Add 5/week until you go to level 3. Do a max set of strict pull-ups before and after hollow rocks. | Accumulate 20 hollow rocks. Add 5/week until you go to level 3. |