The Muscle-Up is a very hard exercise that requires an incredible amount of strength. It will work all of the muscles of the upper body including the back, the chest, the arms, shoulders, and the core. The strength gained from muscle-ups will also follow up in other sports and exercises. Executing the movement with perfect form will have many benefits for the athlete.
In this guide, we have prepared a list of exercises that will prepare your body for your first muscle-up.
How to do Muscle-ups?
The Muscle-up is an advanced-level exercise and before starting to practice you”ll need a basic level of strength and muscle mass built from your compound upper body movements such as Pull-ups, Dips, and Push-ups. Once you can perform 3 sets of 15 reps for Dips and Pull-ups with strict form you are ready to begin.
Here are the steps that you need to follow to achieve your first Muscle-Up:
- 1.Master The Pull-Ups
- 2. Chest To bar Pull-Ups
- 3. Core to Bar Pull-Ups
- 4. Straight Bar Dips
- 5.Transition Practice
- 6.Work on your technique
- 7.Practice, Practice and Practice
1.Master The Pull-Ups
The pull-up is half of the muscle-up movement. A perfect pull-up should be with a full range of motion starting from the hanging position with fully extended arms. Begin the pulling by engaging your back and retracting your shoulder blades. Then focus on driving the movement with your back and arms. Pull until your chin is above the bar. Lower yourself back down to the starting position with control. Repeat the movement 15 times for 3 sets. Try not to swing and control every repetiton.
Most people try to learn the muscle up too early. If your pull-ups are with poor form and short range of motion then muscle-ups will be mission impossible.
2. Chest to bar Pull-Ups
The Chest to bar pull-up is an improved version of the regular pull-up. The difference here is that you need to pull your chest to the bar rather than just bringing your chin over the bar. Chest to bar pull-ups will engage your back and shoulder muscles to a greater extent than regular pull-ups. This increased pulling strength translates directly to the muscle-up, making it easier to initiate the movement and pull yourself up to the bar.
After you’re able to execute 15 perfect regular pull-ups you are ready to start working on your chest-to-bar pull-ups. Engage your core muscles and squeeze your shoulder blades together. This will help stabilize your body throughout the movement. After you reach the chin over the bar level don’t stop. Instead, continue and try to hit the bar with your chest. If you still don’t have the strength to do that just go as high as possible for every rep. Practice this technique between 1 and 3 times per week and sooner or later you will be able to perform your first chest-to-bar pull-ups. The again increase the number of reps till you hit 10 reps of 3 sets.
3.High Pull Ups
After mastering the chest-to-bar pull-ups it’s time to level up the game. With every chest-to-bar repetition try to pull just a bit higher. Your first milestone should be to pull your body until the chest is just above the bar. From there continue on your explosive pull-up practice until the bar touches the middle of your abs. And the final level of the high pull-ups is the bar touching the pelvis.
Let’s Summarize:
- Level 1: Chest is just above the bar
- Level 2: The bar touches the middle of the abs
- Level 3: The bar touches the pelvis
Practice every level until 10 repetitions for 3-4 sets. Perform the negative part of the movement slowly and with control.
4. Straight Bar Dips
Straight bar dips will increase upper body strength and will develop the chest, triceps, and shoulders. This exercise perfectly mimics the last part of the muscle-up movement where the body is above the bar. Mastering the straight bar dips will help you push yourself over the bar with ease.
Exercise Technique:
Start by gripping the parallel bars firmly with your palms facing downward (pronated grip). Your arms should be fully extended, and your feet should be off the ground. Keep your elbows slightly bent to maintain tension in your muscles. Engage your core and keep your body upright with your chest lifted. This is your starting position. Begin the descent by bending your elbows and lowering your body in a controlled manner. Aim to bring your shoulders down to or below the level of your elbows. Keep your elbows close to your sides, and avoid allowing them to flare out too much. Pause for a moment at the bottom position, feeling a stretch in your chest and shoulders. Push through your palms and extend your elbows to return to the starting position.Keep your movements controlled and avoid locking out your elbows completely at the top to maintain tension in your muscles.
5. Transition Practice
The transition is the part of the movement when you move from the pulling phase to the pushing phase. After you build significant strength with high pull ups for the pulling and straight bar dips for the pushing it’s time to start practicing the transition.
Here are a few tips to improve your transition:
- False Grip Hang: Builds the necessary grip strength to perform the transition. It will also help for smoothier transition due to the position of the hand.
- Assisted Muscle Up with elastic band: The band provides assistance during the transition phase, allowing you to practice the movement with less body weight.
- Negative Muscle-ups: This eccentric (negative) movement helps build the necessary strength and stability in the transition.
- Jump Assisted Muscle ups: Use jumping muscle-ups to practice the explosive element of the transition.
- Focus on Core Strength: Developing core strength is crucial for maintaining control during the transition.