WOD: Kipping Chest to Bar
Thursday, September 17, 2026 | CrossFit MYO, San Jose CA
The Workout
Kipping Chest to Bar
10 Sets 3-5-7-9
Score type: Reps
What Makes This Workout Effective
Today’s ten sets of kipping chest to bar run 3-5-7-9 and score by reps, which means the target is quality kips rather than a finish time. Chest to bar asks for a harder pull than a chin-over-bar rep: the hips snap, the elbows drive back toward the ribs, and the chest meets the bar just below the collarbone. Ten sets is enough volume to expose whichever part of your kip you have been getting away with, so treat every set as a technique set that happens to be tiring.
Scaling Options
| Level | Modifications |
|---|---|
| Rx | Kipping chest to bar through 3-5-7-9 for ten sets, with the chest making contact below the collarbone on every rep. |
| Intermediate | Chest to bar on the sets of 3 and 5, kipping pull-ups to chin over bar on the 7s and 9s. Stop each set the moment the kip rhythm breaks instead of grinding out singles. |
| Beginner | Jumping chest to bar from a box with a slow three-second lower, or banded kipping pull-ups, plus five hollow-to-arch swings on the bar before each set to build the hip drive chest to bar needs. |
Full Session Breakdown
| Block | Duration | What You’ll Do |
|---|---|---|
| Warmup | 10 min | Dynamic stretching and heart rate elevation. |
| Skill/Strength | 20 min | Movement prep and technical review. |
| WOD | ~20 min | The main metabolic conditioning piece. |
| Cooldown | 10 min | Recovery and mobility. |
FAQ
Q: How do I get through a set of 9 without falling apart?
A: Set the rhythm on rep one instead of hunting for it at rep four. A set of 9 is won in the first three reps. The kip is a pendulum and it only stays free if you push away from the bar at the top of each rep, so when the swing shortens and your feet start dropping straight down you are about two reps from a no-rep. Finish the one you are on and come off the bar clean.
Q: How much rest should I take between sets?
A: Enough that the next set looks like the last one. Nothing here is scored against a clock, and the ten-set structure exists to give you repeated exposure to a good kip, not to build a lung burner. Two to three minutes before the bigger sets is normal. If your grip is still fried when you jump up, you rested too little.
Q: I can’t do a chest to bar pull-up yet. What am I doing today?
A: The same ten sets, on a version you can actually repeat. Jumping chest to bar from a box with a slow lower trains the top half of the pull, and hollow-to-arch swings train the hip snap that gets you there. Both are the real work, not a consolation prize. Grab a coach during the warmup and they will set your box height and band before the first set.
Ready to Try It?
CrossFit MYO offers 2 free classes for newcomers. Every workout is scalable — coaches meet you exactly where you are.
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