Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The butterfly pull-up might be one of the most misunderstood and misused movements in CrossFit. Before you coach an athlete through it, you need to understand what it actually demands, who it's right for, and what it will and won't do for their long-term development. This video gives you a clear framework for evaluating readiness, teaching the skill safely, and making smart decisions about whether it's even worth pursuing for a given athlete.
- Understand why the butterfly pull-up belongs at the top tier of pulling skills, and why so many athletes are attempting it before they've earned it
- Learn how global extension into flexion generates power (and why athletes who skip this understanding are just flying on the bar)
- Walk through a three-step readiness test, from arch-to-hollow on the floor to strict pulling at the rig, that tells you exactly whether an athlete is prepared to add momentum to the skill
- Know the key technical difference between the butterfly and the kipping pull-up, and why that distinction matters for body positioning and shoulder health
- Weigh the honest pros and cons: why the butterfly pull-up is a dead-end skill for some athletes and a smart investment for others, depending on their goals
#CrossFit #CrossFitCoach #ButterflyPullUp #CrossFitGymnastics #CoachEducation
—
CrossFit is the world’s leading platform for improving health and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world’s most effective program for improving health and performance through nutrition and exercise. CrossFit is the world’s leading provider of accredited performance-based training courses and certifications and has more than 125,000 credentialed coaches across the world. The program can be modified to welcome people of all ages and abilities and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit’s transformational benefits in more than 13,000 affiliated gyms across 158 countries. CrossFit also directs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®.
Learn more about CrossFit → crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find CrossFit Courses near you → crossfit.com/courses-near-you?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
View CrossFit workouts → crossfit.com/workout?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Subscribe to CrossFit email newsletters → crossfit.com/newsletters/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Learn more about the CrossFit Games → https://cf.games/games-learn-more
The butterfly pull-up might be one of the most misunderstood and misused movements in CrossFit. Before you coach an athlete through it, you need to understand what it actually demands, who it's right for, and what it will and won't do for their long-term development. This video gives you a clear framework for evaluating readiness, teaching the skill safely, and making smart decisions about whether it's even worth pursuing for a given athlete.
- Understand why the butterfly pull-up belongs at the top tier of pulling skills, and why so many athletes are attempting it before they've earned it
- Learn how global extension into flexion generates power (and why athletes who skip this understanding are just flying on the bar)
- Walk through a three-step readiness test, from arch-to-hollow on the floor to strict pulling at the rig, that tells you exactly whether an athlete is prepared to add momentum to the skill
- Know the key technical difference between the butterfly and the kipping pull-up, and why that distinction matters for body positioning and shoulder health
- Weigh the honest pros and cons: why the butterfly pull-up is a dead-end skill for some athletes and a smart investment for others, depending on their goals
#CrossFit #CrossFitCoach #ButterflyPullUp #CrossFitGymnastics #CoachEducation
—
CrossFit is the world’s leading platform for improving health and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world’s most effective program for improving health and performance through nutrition and exercise. CrossFit is the world’s leading provider of accredited performance-based training courses and certifications and has more than 125,000 credentialed coaches across the world. The program can be modified to welcome people of all ages and abilities and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit’s transformational benefits in more than 13,000 affiliated gyms across 158 countries. CrossFit also directs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®.
Learn more about CrossFit → crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find CrossFit Courses near you → crossfit.com/courses-near-you?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
View CrossFit workouts → crossfit.com/workout?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Subscribe to CrossFit email newsletters → crossfit.com/newsletters/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Learn more about the CrossFit Games → https://cf.games/games-learn-more
