Strict Pull-up is a gymnastics movement on Fiz. Pull-up with no kip — dead hang to chin over bar using upper-body strength only. Also known as strict pull up, strict pullup, spu. Primary muscles: lats, biceps. Scored by reps. Featured in Strict Pull-Up Day, The Pull-Up Test.
Strict Pull-up
also strict pull up, strict pullup, spu
Pull-up with no kip — dead hang to chin over bar using upper-body strength only
Category
Gymnasticsbodyweight work on a bar, rings or the floor
Logged as
Reps
Primary muscles
Lats, biceps
Secondary
Upper back, forearms, core
Appears in
Strict Pull-Up Day, The Pull-Up Test on Fiz
How to do a strict pull-up
3 steps- Hang from the bar with straight arms and your legs still.
- Pull your chin over the bar without swinging, kicking or arching.
- Lower all the way to a dead hang under control.
What counts as a rep
Movement standard- No kip of any kind. The hips and legs stay quiet for the whole rep.
- Full extension at the bottom and chin over the bar at the top, same as the kipping version.
Common faults
2 faults
A small hip flick creeps in on the last reps of a set, which quietly makes them kipping pull-ups.
FixCross your ankles and squeeze your glutes. If the legs move, the rep does not count as strict.
Dropping fast out of the top and bouncing out of the bottom.
FixControl the descent. The bounce is borrowing from a tendon that will want it back.
Scaling ladder
3 harder, 2 easier
Strict Pull-upWorks lats, biceps
Banded Pull-upPull-up with resistance band assistance
Ring RowHorizontal rowing on rings
Workouts using the strict pull-up
2 on FizFrequently asked
6 answersWhat muscles does the Strict Pull-up work?
Strict Pull-up primarily works lats, biceps, with secondary engagement of upper back, forearms, core.
How do you do a Strict Pull-up?
Hang from the bar with straight arms and your legs still. Pull your chin over the bar without swinging, kicking or arching. Lower all the way to a dead hang under control.
What counts as a rep on the Strict Pull-up?
No kip of any kind. The hips and legs stay quiet for the whole rep. Full extension at the bottom and chin over the bar at the top, same as the kipping version.
What's an easier alternative to the Strict Pull-up?
Scale it to Banded Pull-up or Ring Row.
What's a harder progression from the Strict Pull-up?
Progress to Weighted Pull-up, Pull-up or Chest-to-Bar once the Strict Pull-up is comfortable.
What else is the Strict Pull-up called?
Strict Pull-up is also written strict pull up, strict pullup, spu. Fiz resolves all of those spellings to the same movement, so a workout written either way logs to the same history.