Pull-ups, in all their variations, are everywhere - kippate included. The muscle ups have been cleared by the invasion of calisthenics on Youtube, along with other unusual poses.
Of all the exercises you can do with a pull-up bar, toes to bars are probably the least usual ... at least for those who have never tried CrossFit.
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Toes to bar: an easy movement ... at least to see
It is easy to describe, because its name says it all. In toes to bar you're hanging on the bar for pull-ups, and with one swing decided to bring your feet over your head, to touch the bar itself.
A no-brainer, right?
If, however, toes to bars seem to be an easy skill to acquire, in reality to get to line up a bit of consistent repetitions it's all another pair of sleeves.
A progression can then be useful for you to make the transition from complete bar beginner to toes to bar master.
A progression for perfect toes to bars
Let's start with a warning right away.
Correct movement: as always, go activated the right muscles.
Reality (often): a sweaty guy who swings like a madman from the bar, and at each recovered follows a certain number of adjustment oscillations, like a drunk pendulum.
1. Swing rhythm
The simplest part of the movement. Hung on the bar, core and legs hired, swing back and forth alternately hollow position and arched back. The shoulders are doing the work, and the fluidity of movement it is essential.
2. Kipping levers
Similar to the previous ones, but their movement is wider. Activate the backbones to carry shoulders and torso higher, accentuating hollow position and arch of the back.
Absolutely do not use legs for kipple the movement, but keep them engaged so that in hollow position the feet are always beyond the perpendicular of the bar.
3. Knees up
Still maintaining the rhythm of the movement that we started with the swings, it brings the knees progressively closer to the chest.
Warning: the knees must not reach the elbows, much less the bar. The navel, for now, is a good goal.
4. Knees to the chest
It explains itself. To succeed, the movement must become more aggressive. Shoulders and ridges are always engaged to push the torso as far away from the knees trajectory.
It is important at this point to maintain a fluid movement. If you go down to swing more than expected, it means you have to limit the height you reach with your knees.
5. Toes to bar, mission accomplished!
It is a matter of giving one last tap with the feet, and the bar is reached.
Why the toes to bar is valid - and accounts like rep - the feet must reach the bar in unison.
At this point you have reached the goal we have set ourselves: not so much the execution of a toes to bar, but the possibility of doing them in long series.
This movement is indeed present in many WODs - for example, in 13.4 - and failing to do rep on rep risks slowing you down more than you should.
© photo: Victor Freitas @ Pexels