Please don’t kip in your handstand push ups

[bradleykeithtate]

@channel7 This is basically the same argument people use against the kipping pullup. It isn't a valid argument to say oranges are better than apples.

 

[the7thcolporteur]

@channel7 Yeah, and lifting a heavy metal object overhead needs to stop too. You might get tired and drop it on yourself.

 

[neowatchman]

@channel7 In order to get better at my gymnastics, I completed the gymnasticbodies.com programming for handstands. The initial work up to get to a handstand started with working up to holding a tripod style headstand to build up the neck muscles. I built up to holding the headstand for 5 x 1min. The whole time on my head it was important to focus on not letting my neck relax. Imagine trying to keep your neck elongated while holding the headstand. This has helped immensely with making sure I can better sustain the HSPU. Along with that though I don't just drop down during the HSPU. Takes me longer and makes me tired sooner but no neck issues. Like any movement though if you don't practice good movement then injury will result given time. In the aspect of coaching a client, I never push for someone trying to do a HSPU until they have proper strength and even then, I let them know there is no point unless you want to compete.

 

[dawn16]

@channel7 From a coaches perspective, I agree - to a degree.

From a members perspective, I follow the program at my box. We tend to do more strict that kipping.

Anecdotally, I spend 3 months working on my strict with a progressive overload program, twice a week. I activated my lats during my warm-ups for it. Anything overhead or inverted has become better, and anything hanging from a bar has become better too as a result.

 

[p8089]

@channel7 For me, agree.

Kipping lets you do more hspu to a more fatigued state, and for me I come down on my head progressively harder.

I'd be curious if anyone else has/had this issue.

 

[wangsamax]

@channel7 I agree with you. They teach in the L1 that safety should be top priority. I see too many people trying to kip before having strict which is a huge no, no. I've never been a fan of kipping myself. My neck always hurts after and I really don't see the benefit in terms of overall strength. You get way more out of strict. We can also say the same for pull ups as well. You won't believe how many people want to learn to kip before they have their first strict pull up.

 

[pianofreak88]

@channel7 Agree!

 

[dawn16]

@channel7 #2 makes no linguistic sense at all... Please rephrase.

 

[channel7]

@dawn16 No problem let me give it a go.

 

[channel7]

@dawn16 Alright I reworded it. I hope it makes more sense to you but if not I’m sorry bud just think on it.

 

[mayesh]

@channel7 What are some ways of avoiding the impact on your head and reducing stress on the cervical spine? At my gym if this is ever the case we put an ab mat under the athlete's head to reduce the hard surface impact. We also stress negative HSPUs diligently so even during a fast paced workout the athlete is able to control the descent into the next HSPU.

 

[channel7]

@mayesh Those are both fantastic ways to manage the impact. Simply coming down slower will produce a better exercise with less impact at the bottom. When someone is unable to do a significant number of HSPU this is when the coach needs to step in to ask the athlete to scale. There are great HSPU scales out there.

 

[mayesh]

@channel7 I agree I dont think that kipping HSPUs should be completely ruled out, but I understand when an athlete has the disposition against scaling. It took me a few years to get kipping HSPUs with confidence to where I was controlling the descent and not risking my neck.

 

[christissaviour_1992]

@channel7 I watched Annie Thorisdottir’s tips on the HSPU in preparation for 20.3- she specifically mentioned kipping as a way to maintain efficiency in order to get through the workout without blowing out your shoulders.

I definitely get where you are coming from, and agree to a point. The trouble is, there will always be people who have more competitive drive than the discipline to maintain form, and that proportion seems inversely related to experience.

You’re a coach, so I think it is admirable to hold safety as a high priority- as you should.

 

[dawn16]

@channel7 Totally agree. I started to get a pinch on the right side of my neck/shoulder blade while lower my knees for the kip. Needless to say I have stopped kipping and only do strict even though the volume I can perform is much, much less. Don't kip people you are asking for a neck injury like my dumb ass. If you get too tired to strict HSPU have a set of DBs just in case. You don't want to fall on your head like I have also almost done when trying fatigued strict HSPUs.

 

[mixedupnicely]

@channel7 As my username indicates, I have an advantage when it comes to HSPUs. When I started CrossFit in 2012, very quickly my coach told me: “We’ll get you the strength to do strict. I never want you to kip.” And I’ve worked on that strict strength for YEARS.

However, again, I realize I am at a serious advantage here with my size. But I think strict IS the right way to teach HSPUs!

 

[tomasio]

@channel7 I think strict movements are always better for strength but I've also seen people do strict HSPU and slam their heads on the ground regardless. I do agree that the kipping should not be taught until an athlete can perform 10+ strict HSPU. The same rule applies to strict pull ups, but we often don't see it applied to HSPU. I can say I've personally never seen an athlete get injured from HSPU's though.

 

[guidinglight]

@channel7 Wouldn’t this be an argument on every kipping movement though? Isn’t that the whole thing with people hating kipping pull ups because they aren’t good form or you can injury yourself easier by doing them?

 

[channel7]

@guidinglight Yes the case can be made but I believe kipping our handstand push ups was where I draw the line because receiving a slap tear from a kipping pull up is different from collapsing an entire segment of your spine into the ground.

 

[guidinglight]

@channel7 I mean I agree I was just wondering about every kipping movement. It’s about getting the most amount of reps in the shortest timeframe but yeah sometimes CrossFit needs to prioritize the well being vs how fast they can do it.