That is the question I will attempt to help you answer in this article. When done well, butterfly pull ups look really cool and they will help you to move quickly and efficiently. For competitors, looking cool and moving fast is essential. For most of us who are just looking to get stronger and not compete, really well done kipping pull ups may serve you and your fitness goals better.
About 4 years ago I got my first strict pull up ever in my life. It was a momentous occasion. Shortly after that I began to use kipping pull ups in my workouts and after a few months of doing that I decided I wanted to make it a goal to get better and more efficient at doing pull ups in WODs- it seemed like other people did pull ups so much more quickly and with less burnout than me, and I wanted to get better. All the really skilled pull up masters at the gym were doing these really cool looking butterfly pull ups, so at that point I decided it was time for me to learn how to do butterfly pull ups. I practiced them for a couple months and couldn’t seem to get the rhythm down and every time I practiced would get a strange twinge in my shoulder. Right around this time, I attended the CrossFit Gymnastics seminar. I was super excited to go to this thinking that maybe they would share the secret to being able to do beautiful butterfly pull ups. To my dismay, butterfly pull ups were left out of this course entirely. The reason being, that according to the trainers the butterfly pull up is a “dead end” movement. This means that they don’t serve as a progression toward any higher level gymnastics movements (like muscle ups), but they are the fastest way to do a pull up so they aid competitors and anyone who is really gunning for a fast time in a workout. After hearing this point of view and rethinking my goals as a CrossFit athlete, along with other tips from the gymnastics course, I decided to change my pull up strategy. Instead of focusing my energy on learning the skill of butterflying, I switched my focus to getting as strong as possible in strict pull ups, and spending more time on the ground in the hollow and arch positions. Over time, I began to see significant improvements in my kipping pull ups and was gaining endurance and strength in WOD’s. For me, I believe this shift in my focus ultimately allowed me to become stronger at pull ups than I would have had I just switched to learning and mastering butterfly pull ups in metcons. Here’s a few reasons why:
-Developing a specific skill versus strength are two different concepts. Assuming you have a limited amount of time to spend doing CrossFit, time that you spend learning a new skill will take away from time you could have spent developing your strength. Unless you have the time to develop both skill and strength simultaneously, always prioritize improving your strength and technique over finding ways to quicken or speed up a movement (this applies to barbell movements too – before you become concerned with fast barbell cycling, make sure your form in the lift is on point).
-Butterfly pull ups can and have caused injury to those who aren’t “ready” for them. Really good shoulder health- including strength and range of motion- is an essential prerequisite for practicing any kipping pull ups, but especially butterfly pull ups.
-If you are looking for a way to make pull ups feel easier, reconsider your intention altogether. The purpose of this movement is not to make workouts easier, it is actually the opposite. Doing faster pull ups allows you to do everything in a workout faster – which means you will be working harder.
In summary, if your goals are to compete or be the number 1 pull up ninja in the gym, spend some time learning and mastering your butterfly technique. Make sure that you are also continually developing healthy and strong shoulders with pulling and core strength work (strict, negatives, hollow/ arch holds etc.), in addition to developing your butterfly skillz. If you are not concerned with being the fastest or the best, your goal is just to be your strongest self, butterfly pull ups won’t necessarily help you to get there – apply your time towards developing pulling and core strength instead. I hope these tips help you to answer the age old question – to butterfly, or not to butterfly.