MovementsGymnastics
Chest-to-Bar Pull-Up
Also known as: C2B · CTB Pull-Up
A pull-up with a higher range of motion where the chest must actually make contact with the bar. It demands more pulling power and a taller, more aggressive kip than a standard pull-up.
Chest-to-Bar Pull-UpGymnastics
The standard
From a full dead hang, the rep counts only when the chest touches the bar at or below the collarbone.
How to do it
- 01Hang from the bar with a slightly wider-than-shoulder grip and arms fully extended.
- 02Engage the shoulders and set a tight hollow position to start the swing.
- 03Drive the hips to generate an aggressive kip that sends the chest upward and toward the bar.
- 04Pull the elbows down and back forcefully, leading with the chest rather than the chin.
- 05Make clear contact between the chest and the bar just below the collarbone.
- 06Lower under control to a full hang and reset the swing before the next rep.
Common faults
- · Only the chin or neck reaches the bar instead of the chest making contact.
- · Failing to return to full arm extension at the bottom.
- · A weak kip that leaves the pull short of the required height.
- · Contacting the bar too low, around the sternum or stomach, rather than at the upper chest.
Scaling & progressions
- · Standard chin-over-bar pull-ups until strength allows the extra range.
- · Banded chest-to-bar pull-ups to assist the top portion of the pull.
- · High pull-ups where you aim to bring the collarbone as close to the bar as possible.
- · Chest-to-bar ring rows set at a steep angle.
Coaching tips
- · Lean the head back slightly at the top so the chest, not the face, meets the bar.
- · A bigger, faster kip is usually the key to closing the final few inches of range.
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