Kipping Pull-Ups Are Real. Your Take Isn’t.

Every CrossFit video has at least one comment: “Those aren’t real pull-ups.” Here’s why that misses the point entirely.

No one thinks kipping pull-ups are the same as strict pull-ups.

We know. We’ve known. That was never the point.

The problem isn’t that people misunderstand the movement. It’s that they misunderstand the purpose.

So let’s break it all down: what kipping pull-ups are, why they exist, how they’re used in functional fitness, and why the strict-only purists need to stop acting like they uncovered some grand truth.

Kipping Isn’t Cheating. It’s Intentional.

A kipping pull-up uses momentum generated through the hips, shoulders, and core to help propel the body upward over the bar. It involves coordination, timing, and body control.

It’s not easier. It’s not sloppier. It’s just different.

In functional fitness workouts, the kip is a movement tool. It allows for:

• Higher volume
• More metabolic output
• Better pacing in mixed-modal workouts

The goal is not to test strict pulling strength. The goal is to test work capacity, time under tension, or movement efficiency depending on the workout. If the goal was strict pulling strength, we’d program strict pull-ups.

The Origins and the Intent

The kip wasn’t invented by CrossFit. It’s used in gymnastics, calisthenics, and even military obstacle courses. Kipping up to a bar has always been a valid skill. CrossFit simply systematized it into conditioning formats.

In “Fran” (21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups for time), the workout is designed around cycling through movements quickly. Trying to do 45 strict pull-ups would completely change the intended stimulus from metabolic conditioning to a strength endurance grind. The intent is sustained output at pace, not maximum pulling strength.

Try doing that many strict in a fast workout and tell me what stimulus you’re actually hitting by the end. Hint: it’s not the one the workout was written for.

“That’s Not a Real Pull-Up!”

Cool. Then don’t do it.

But calling it a fake pull-up is like calling a push press a fake overhead press because you used your legs.

Strict and kipping are both valid exercises. They serve different functions:

Strict Pull-Up: Strength development, muscle recruitment, high tension.

Kipping Pull-Up: Conditioning, cycle speed, gymnastics skill.

Different tool. Different result. Still valid.

Yes, You Should Earn Your Kip

This part matters. Nobody’s saying kipping should be the first step.

If you can’t do strict pull-ups, your shoulders probably aren’t ready for the force transfer and eccentric control required for kipping. That’s how injuries happen.

In a properly coached environment, athletes build:

• Scapular strength
• Strict pull-up proficiency
• Kipping mechanics

Then, and only then, do they add volume. Most of the online critics are reacting to bad programming or poor progressions, not the movement itself.

Let’s Talk Injury (And Why Context Matters)

The number one argument against kipping: “It causes injury.”

Here’s what actually causes injury:

• Poor programming
• Skipping progressions
• Lack of strength prerequisites
• Bad coaching

Yes, poorly coached kipping can cause injury. So can poorly coached deadlifts, box jumps, or literally any movement. The solution isn’t to ban the exercise; it’s to teach it properly.

Kipping is no more dangerous than Olympic lifting or sprinting if trained and scaled appropriately. It’s a higher skill movement that requires proper progression. Treat it as such.

The issue isn’t the movement. It’s when gyms throw beginners into high-volume kipping workouts without building the foundation first. That’s a coaching problem, not a kipping problem.

The YouTube Commenters

You’ve seen them:

“LOL that’s not a pull-up, it’s a seizure on a bar”

“CrossFit ruined pull-ups”

“Why don’t you just do them properly?”

They aren’t trying to understand. They’re trying to feel superior.

These same people probably think a push press doesn’t count unless your legs stay frozen, ignoring that the entire point of the movement is to use your lower body to drive the bar overhead efficiently.

Form follows function. Movement follows intent.

Use the Right Tool

Ask what the movement is doing in context:

Is this about raw pulling strength? Strict.

Is this about gymnastics volume and control? Mix of both.

Is this a fast-paced metcon with 80 reps across 5 rounds? Kipping.

You wouldn’t do curls in a conditioning workout that requires cleans. So stop forcing strict pull-ups into a workout where the entire point is flow.

Final Word

Kipping pull-ups are not fake. They are not a cheat. They are a movement strategy used for a specific goal.

Can they be misused? Yes. Can they be dangerous if done too early? Yes.

But that’s not a problem with the movement. That’s a problem with the coaching.

If you don’t like them, don’t do them. But stop pretending your narrow definition of what counts is the only one that matters.

Understand context. Train smart. And if you still think kipping pull-ups are fake, maybe it’s not the movement that’s lacking.

Maybe it’s your understanding.

What’s your take on kipping pull-ups? Are you in the “strict only” camp, or do you see value in both movements? Maybe you’ve experienced the hate comments yourself?

Drop a comment below and let’s discuss. We read every single one and love hearing different perspectives on this controversial topic. 👇