Please don’t kip in your handstand push ups

[purinachick]

@celticghirl I would agree but this " We don’t teach butterflies to people who can’t do strict pull-ups, for example. "

Because I travel extensively for work, I drop in on a ton of boxes throughout the US and the majority, including my own home box (which I have said something to the owner) I have seen coaches trying to show people how to kip pull ups before they can even do 1 strict pullup. I know we would like to think that coaches and boxes do better, but sadly by my sample size I can extrapolate that a fair amount don't and risk injury to their members bc their members are eager to "rx" a wod.

 

[celticghirl]

@purinachick That’s a fair assessment. However, I think that the premise that a coach should not be teaching a member how to do butterfly pull-ups if they can not do strict pull-ups is a pretty universal and fair statement. This is not to say that it isn’t happening, I’ve seen it firsthand myself, as well. I’m only saying that it should not be happening from a safety standpoint. The boxes that teach members movements before they have the requisite strength and knowledge to perform them properly is a box that is plagued with injuries and is contributing to the “CrossFit will hurt you” mentality that many people have.

 

[cybermintz]

@celticghirl Not true. Kipping requires fully resting the head on the ground. With strict, you only have to lightly touch and then come back up.

 

[dawn16]

@cybermintz Not true.

 

[celticghirl]

@cybermintz Incorrect. The standard for a kipping HSPU is no different than a strict HSPU, the head need only come in contact with the ground/mat/whatever. It does not need to rest there. As the arms lower the body to the ground the legs should simultaneously be lowering and preparing for the next kip so that as the head comes into the bottom of the rep, the arms and legs are ready to explode again propelling the body back up into the top of the rep. If the athlete is allowing their head to rest on the ground, they are not performing the HSPU as efficiently as possible.

 

[cybermintz]

@celticghirl Then what is he doing in this video?

 

[celticghirl]

@cybermintz A demonstration. Which is done at a fraction of the speed of an actual rep so that people can get a good look at what’s happening. Look at any videos of 20.3 done by games athletes or look at any of the Games WODs that has HSPU’s in them to see how they’re done in real-time and then compare them to the video you posted.

Here’s Annie’s submission:

 

[cybermintz]

@celticghirl I just watched Annie’s submission. She is definitely resting her full bodyweight onto the top of her head, even if it’s just for a second or half second. Also, her head touches down, then her knees finish bending (to “load up”). A few times it looks like she actually went down onto her head too hard. It’s basically the same as the demonstration video except that she starts bending her knees on the descent and spends less time on her head. This is definitely different than a strict handstand push-up (for which you never have to rest on the top of your head - even for a second or half second).

 

[celticghirl]

@cybermintz Do you have any videos to prove your claim? Because a HSPU, kipping or strict, requires the head to touch the ground for the rep to start. So, the head must touch the ground... even for a second of half second or else it’s not a rep.

 

[cybermintz]

@celticghirl I mean, this is a a CrossFit forum of people who actually do these movements. I’ve personally done both enough to know there’s a difference. It’s a difference you feel more than you see. There’s a difference between fully resting (even for a second) and actual touch-and-goes. Think of it like the kind of pushup where the bottom is your nose touching the ground. You don’t have to rest your weight onto your nose - that would hurt. You just lightly touch your nose and then come back up. That’s what a strict HSPU feels like. Very different than what Annie does here.

 

[toserve]

@channel7 My (very prominent) box has banned kipping HSPUs. Even for the last Open WOD - except, I assume, for the Games-caliber athletes - we were all told to only do strict.

 

[dawn16]

@toserve That’s awful. If I can and wanna do kipping hspus, I do kipping hspus.
Did they also banned snatching because you can get a shoulder impingement? Or box jumps because you can get hurt? Or rope climbs because you can fall?

 

[t1m]

@dawn16 Same. I’d tell them I’m an adult and can make that decision for myself. Next time, “advise” that I don’t do them. Otherwise I’m out.

 

[toserve]

@dawn16

Did they also banned snatching because you can get a shoulder impingement?

They never program barbell snatches or OHS anymore (seriously, never...). We have a dedicated weightlifting class where you can learn and work on those movements. But we do lots of dumbbell snatches in WODs. I can't remember the last time I saw rope climbs - maybe two years ago. But box jumps are still in regular rotation.

 

[dawn16]

@toserve That’s an awful “CrossFit” gym.

 

[christtubot]

@channel7 I don’t know if this is the solution, but I will say I’m almost done with doing HSPU’s in WOD’s . I’m about to start replacing them with barbell push press. My neck often feels strained and sore afterward - even when I’m careful. I don’t even struggle with them, it’s just the repeated pounding the head takes.

 

[tomasio]

@christtubot I've been doing seated strict DB presses to scale HSPU's, another great alternative

 

[channel7]

@christtubot I believe part of it is the high activation of your upper trapezius but I’m happy you made that decision man. It speaks highly of your lack of ego.

 

[dawn16]

@channel7 I always scale kipping exercises to strict. Handstand pushups or pullups. I'm not a coach or an expert in any way, so I have nothing of value to add. But the movements feel safer and more controlled when I do them strict, and it's not like strict HSPU or PU are easy.

 

[dawn16]

It’s not always right. Different excercise, different stimulus, so if you change the intended stimulus, you are not doing the workout right.