A kip is a move used on the horizontal bar and uneven bars in gymnastics. It is an intermediate-level gymnastics move that is primarily a way to mount the high or low bar or to move from one bar to the other. The gymnast first grabs onto the bar and swings under it. While underneath, they bring their toes up to bar height before swinging back to gain momentum. The gymnast then hoists their torso up so the bar is at waist level. Throughout this movement, the gymnast’s arms and legs remain straight.

Learning how to do a kip requires a lot of upper-body strength, and the motion is unlike previous skills a gymnast has learned. Therefore, it’s important to understand the muscles you need for a kip, the exercises you can do to strengthen those muscles, as well as the drills you can do in order to learn a kip. The three most important areas of focus for this move are your abdominal, arm, and shoulder muscles. Some drills and exercises that can help you learn a kip include:

• Glide with Sliders
• Rope Kips
• Leg Lifts
• Pull-Ups
• Push-Ups

Its important to have a trained gymnastics coach present with you while you learn and practice kipping. He or she will need to spot you and assist you with the different components until you master it.