Breaking Down the Butterfly Pull-up: Two Common Issues
Written by Lindsey Johnson
By now, hopefully, you’ve been practicing the drills we discussed in the previous two blog posts regarding the butterfly pull-up. Starting with the drill that had both feet on the box and then working our way into the drill with only one foot on the box.
Once we’ve mastered the drills from the first two parts, you’re ready to work on that butterfly pull-up without the toys! Watch me perform the butterfly pull-up on the video below and attempt the movement on your own.
At first, there are two fairly common issues. Getting the rhythm down in real time is one of the first hurdles. Keep trying! It can take a little while to train your body. If you’ve been proficient at the kipping pull-up it may be even more difficult to get the butterfly pull-up down since the movement itself is almost exactly opposite. Just like double unders, this rhythm is neurological and will get better with practice. Keep practicing!
A second common issue is that, even though you have the rhythm down, you’re not able to get your chin over the bar. Don’t worry about that just yet. Keep practicing and remember that the harder you kick forward the more power you have and that kick will assist you in getting higher in that pull-up. This will also come with practice, however.
Remember that when you’re training, you’re just training. Many people will not practice something in a workout that they have yet to master. By doing this, you’re just taking away another opportunity to get repetitions under your belt. If it helps, tell your coach, “I know I’m not getting high enough, but I want to practice them in a workout” and give it a try.
Good luck and post to comments and let us know how it’s going!