Kipping Practice

The past two weeks we have worked diligently on the positioning of our body. Whether it be feet together burpees, a beautiful superman, or a strong hollow body your coach has yelled or corrected you for a reason. Of course, we want you all to have nice abs like Paul Jones but the real reason behind all the tabata is to build your core strength and teach you correct positioning. As we dive deeper into our gymnastic cycle those positions will become much more important.

Tomorrow we have kipping practice. All the supermans and hollows laying on the ground you’ve done to this point were to prepare you for kipping in a vertical position, hanging from the bar. Your strong midline will help you perform this core-to-extremity movement and you will be off the bands and doing Rx pull-ups before you know it.

Remember when you are in hollow you are globally flexed. Feet are together, core is engaged, and lats are activated. This means there shouldn’t be any bend in the knees or bend in the elbows. Arms and legs stay locked out until you begin to ascend and begin the pull-up. Your coach will talk more about this tomorrow.

In superman you are now globally extended. The larger the superman you create, the more spring you will have in your pull-up. Be sure to open your shoulders up as much as possible and when your feet go behind you try and keep your toes together. This will ensure all energy you store up can travel in a straight line and be used to lift your body above the bar.

Practicing the kip can put some wear and tear on your hands so take the time to watch this video and prepare before class.