If you’ve spent any time in a CrossFit gym, you’re familiar with kipping pullups. This pullup variation involves using a swinging, kip-style motion to generate momentum, allowing athletes to perform more reps in less time. Notoriously, they boost power, raise the cardiovascular intensity of a workout, and fit perfectly within the conditioning goals of many WODs. But that doesn’t mean they’re the safest or best option for everyone.
In general, strict pullups are a great compound exercise, targeting the back, shoulders, and arms while building strength and control. But kipping pullups are harder to perform correctly, especially when you’re fatigued, says Zach Smith, PT, DPT, founder and owner of HIDEF Physical Therapy.
“I see a lot of athletes with labrum and rotator cuff injuries from the kipping pullup,” he says. “It’s a lot of unnecessary stress on the shoulder just to create a movement to get more pullups done.”
Even seasoned CrossFit athletes can struggle with kipping pullups. In a survey of 187 CrossFit athletes, 44 reported a total of 51 past shoulder injuries, with the most common culprits being overhead presses, snatches, and kipping pullups.
“I would much rather see someone do strict pullups or even a lat pulldown to work the same muscles and put less stress on the shoulder,” Smith says.
Plus, research has found that the muscular demand on the upper body during kipping pullups is significantly lower than during strict pullups. Strict pullups are the opposite: with no momentum to help you, you must fully rely on your back, shoulders, and arms to lift your body.
If you’re using kipping pullups as a shortcut to build strength for strict pullups, there are safer and more effective options. Banded pullups, assisted pullup machines, or even eccentric pullups can help you build the necessary back, shoulder, and arm strength while keeping your shoulders safer.
