The Butterfly Effect
I’m a purist at heart. I like it when baseball players don’t use batting gloves, wear their socks up high with a helmet full of pine tar and play in a stadium that’s not named after a major corporation. So when I first saw this new-fangled pullup variation called the butterly kipping pullup, I labeled it blasphemous. Then I realized how much I sounded like those people that are deeply offended by our use of the standard kipping pullup. Ignorant. So I half-heartedly began to try to learn this new technique but could only manage about 5-7 consecutively. Half-ass effort equaled half-ass results. However, after seeing the amazing ability of athletes employing this technique to quickly turn over the pullup portion of their workouts at both the SoCal Regionals and CrossFit Games, I knew there was no denying the efficiency of the butterly kip.
After returning from the Games, I dove right into trying to learn the butterfly with the help of Chris R. who had already begun to master it. I cannot express enough how valuable this technique can be in shaving seconds (even minutes) off your pullup intensive workouts. This, of course, is only to be attempted once you have mastered the kipping pullup. Like many movements, we must begin with the basics but can look forward to attempting more advanced variations of those movements down the line (e.g. band-assisted pullups and dips >unassisted pullups and dips >muscle-ups). An often forgotten variation of the pullup that can help you cycle through pullups a bit quicker is the frog-kip. Compare Connor Martin’s times of CrossFit BrandX as he attempts Fran using both techniques:
[Frog-Kip (low 3 minutes)] vs. [Butterfly Kip (2:54)] vs. [Butterfly Kip (2:30)]
Although he switched away from the butterfly in his later sets, you can see that the more he used the butterfly, the lower his time became. That said, a 3ish-minute Fran is damn impressive with no butterlfy involvement. So, the frog-kip can be something to consider before you transition to the butterfly as well. I encourage you to try them all eventually and figure out which suits you best during the course of your CrossFit journey.
WOD – 9.02.09
Hang Power Cleans 5 X 5
AMRAP 10
10 Shoulder Press
10 Good Mornings
Use same weight for both
All I have to say is the butterfly is AWESOME!!!
HPC 5×5: 135-145-150-140-140
AMRAP 10 mins 10 SP, 10 GM: 9 rounds 5 SP
95 shoulder press at 6 in the morning, not a good way to begin the day id say
HPC 85-95-100-115-125
8 rounds plus 3 sp @65#
Man I do not know how you morning folks do it, that 6am WOD is no joke……
HPC: 135, 145, 150, 155, 155
AMRAP: 10 rounds + 4sp @75# (plus 1 thats whats she said to stephen mid wod)!
Awesome! I totally want to do more shoulders after Fran and Karen.
Awesome post Al!! I’m a believer now. Must work on my butterflies…
135, 155, 165, 175, 195 hpc
8 rounds @ 95#
word up Stephen, my day was done at 7am
95# for all 5 sets
6 rounds @ 65#
10 rounds, 8 sp @ 55#. Sore from my tatt
ryan and ryan, please come back to the 6 am classes. jacob you too! the “thats what she said” was pretty amazing… if you missed it too bad
HPC: 75-85-85-95-95 / 6 rounds @ 45
SP were brutal after Fran and Karen!
Came back for Karen- 6:53
HPC: Ouchy Vagina
WOD @ 75# 9 rounds + 6 Should Press
HPC-115-135-140f@5-135-115
WOD at 65# – 7 rounds 10 SP
HPC 135-145-155-165-185
WOD 65# – 7 + 10 SP
HPC 45-45-45-55-55
WOD 35# 3 rounds 25# 7 rounds + 10SP
Hey to all my new CF friends…just wanted to let you know that my friend and I are throwing a Labor Day party this Sunday off 21st and the strand. He has a great house up from the strand and will be supplying drinks, food, and beach activities. For all you Paleo peeps Subway will be served during the day (just take off the bread:) and fish tacos/hawaiin poke will be served in the early evening. It is a bring who ever you want party. The more the merrier and if you can’t tell already I love meeting new people:) You can call or email me for further details. 949-290-9763 or nwinters2983@yahoo.com
5×5 HPC:95-135-155-165-175
WOD @ 75#: 10 rds + 4 SP
6 rounds at 95#
[...] a trainer at CrossFit South Bay, wrote an awesome post on the efficiency of the Butterfly Kip (BFK). He crushed his already sick Fran time and [...]