Understanding the differences and progressions between strict and kipping toes to bar variations can help you identify which movement is most efficient for you to perform in a workout for time. Pamela Gagnon breaks down three T2B variations for you to work on!
For those needing more help with their T2B form, our Toes To Bar Overhaul plan is designed to build strength, coordination, technique, and mobility specific to this drill. Whether you are struggling to perform any reps, or regularly find yourself gassed after a set of T2B, this plan is for you!
Our FREE ebook “Five Keys to Great Toes To Bar” is another great resource for a better understanding of this movement.
Strict & Kipping Toes To Bar Variations
Video Transcript
What’s up Performance Plus nation? We’re going to talk toes to bar today. So there are three different versions. I’m going to demo them and talk about why each one, might be beneficial to you.
So the first version, we are going to look at strict toes to bar with straight legs. Why that is beneficial is it’s building lat strength, it’s building rib strength, it’s building core and hip flexor strength. All the things you need as a foundation to make your kipping toes to bar much faster and more effective. So my first recommendation is definitely to get better at that straight leg, strict toes to bar.
After that you can add a hip momentum to the straight leg, kipping toes to bar. It’s a longer cycle, so not as effective if you’re trying to get through a lot of reps for a competition. But I like it because again, it uses the quads and hip flexors in a way that a lot of the CrossFit movements don’t use those muscles.
So, then once you get good at that, you can go into the tuck kick method of kipping toes to bar. Watch as I tuck, watch the rotation on my pelvis. So if I tuck in tight, the pelvis is rotated more towards the ceiling. That makes it easier to get my feet to the bar. What I don’t want to do is pull way back, because what that does is arch, and now I am further from my body. So, if I tuck tight and then I pull into hollow, I’ve just gained about eight inches. So, it’s going to look like this. Tuck, kick. And then come back to a nice tight arch or inefficient swing from the arch into that top column.
Those are all things that you should be practicing starting from that strength and going in that order. If you follow that order, your tuck kick method will be much more efficient. And, ultimately, you will not tire out as much.
