Muscle Ups?

[John Seaburg]

Is anyone doing muscle ups? I've yet to do one on a bar or with rings. I know my technique isn't perfect but I think I lack some serious wrist strength and shoulder flexibility to make the transition. Anyone else having problems?

[Gabe Rinaldi]

I'm too weak to do it. I need to work on my bodyweight to strength ratio on many of the gymnastic movements. That being said, I would say your issue is mainly technique. Read the muscle-up articles in the CF journals.

Here's a recent discussion on the CrossFit forum:

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/22/23045.html

[John Nguyen]

I feel I'm getting close to accomplishing one. I'm working the pull-ups to the beginning of the transition point but not all the way into a dip. Then, seperately, I'm working the dip portion by initiating with a jump from below the rings.

It's definitely a technique element -- I need to lean my body forward rapidly after the pull-up portion in order to get leverage for the dip.

Give me two weeks. :)

-

[Gabe Rinaldi]

Coach Sommer's Muscle-up Article

The following information should give you a good headstart on muscle-ups.

Muscle-Ups: How to Do a Correct False Grip

I would recommend trying to set your grip in the following way:

Your grip should be pressing on the ring in a diagonal from the bottom knuckle on your index finger, across your palm to the heel of your hand as well as somewhat on your wrist as well (this is where those wonderful blisters on your wrist come from). In the beginning, you will probably find it necessary to keep your elbows bent in order to maintain this grip.

As you reach the transition point from chinup to dip, roll your hands out and press down to rotate your grip from a pull to a support.

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Muscle-Ups On A Straight Bar

Rings for muscleups, while preferable for comfort, are not necessary. It is also possible to perform muscle ups on a straight bar. For this you will need to use an exaggerated false grip.

At first, you will probably not be able to completely straighten your arms at the bottom of the movement and retain your false grip. This is fine, simply continue with the movement and, as you strength and flexibility improves, so will your bottom hang position.

The transition from the pullup to the dip is also harder as you are not able to lean forward, but this is actually preferable, as a perfect muscleup doesn't lean forward anyway.

In the event of getting "rips" or blisters on your wrists from the false grip, a little athletic tape will take care of the problem.

For additional information regarding muscleups, please see my post under "weighted muscleups".

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Progressions to the Weighted Muscle-Up

Many people on completing their first muscle-up are excited and immediately want to go to weighted muscleups. Now weighted muscle-ups are an excellent exercise and a staple in the conditioning program of my advanced athletes. However, I think that it is first important to progress through the variations of the bodyweight muscle-up in order to maximize the benefits of the weighted muscle-up.

The easiest variation is to perform the muscleup with the hands pulled in toward the center of the chest. At this stage, be sure to use a false grip.

Also, in order to build the most strength with this movement strive to perform the muscleup without piking the hips or leaning the chest forward. The only movement should be in the arms. Once on top (support position) be sure that the elbows completely lock out straight with the hands turned out to 45 degrees. Until you can achieve the correct support position, I would recommend staying with the easiest version.

The next version is to perform the muscleup with the hands shoulder width apart. A false grip may still be used. Same form requirements apply.

Hardest version is to perform the muscleup with the hands out wide of the shoulders and without using a false grip. This one is brutal and begins to mimic the stress and strain of performing an iron cross.

Once all three versions have been achieved with a correct support position on the top, then in my opinion, a strong enough base has been built to warrant working weighted muscleups.

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

OlympicBodies@msn.com

http://www.OlympicBodies.com

[John Seaburg]

I can't do a single false grip pull up. I think my forarms are just not strong enough. I'm going to practiced some fals grip pull downs with less than my body weight.

[Gabe Rinaldi]

I can't do a single false grip pull up. I think my forarms are just not strong enough. I'm going to practiced some fals grip pull downs with less than my body weight.

You might want to try eccentric ring pull-ups and limit the ROM at the bottom....usually going all the way down (so the arms are straight) with a false grip is the hardest part. If you watch videos of people who first get muscle-ups you'll see they often don't go all the way down at the bottom, then as strength and technique progresses, they increase ROM. This is from observation and reading because I am not strong enough either, but I plan to practice some eccentrics as well.

On a somewhat related note I saw Angelo whip out some muscle-ups last week....looked pretty easy for him during the transition.

[John Nguyen]

Got my first several muscle ups today (8 total). It just happened. Strength in the forarm is needed for me to lock into a false grip, but I definitely feel the challenge in the shoulders and upper arms, in addition to the typical muscle groups involved in the pullup and dip portions -- the lats and the chest.

My process is practicing the pull-ups going up as high as possible, as if going into the dip. I used a slight kipping motion. Then, seperately, I worked on the "transition" into the dip portion by jumping from the floor into the transition and moving immediately into the dip press-up. I did this for about a week. Then, seperately, I did just ring pull-ups while trying to hold a false grip as much as possible, just to increase my wrist/forearm strength.

JN

[Analisa Naldi]

Props for you Johnny! Saw your first muscle up this morning! You make it look so easy! Adding it onto the list of "things to conquer!"...:D

[Gabe Rinaldi]

Props to Angelo and Johnny for joining the muscle-up club. Who's next from FIT? I know I'm a long way off still :(

[John Seaburg]

Props to Angelo and Johnny for joining the muscle-up club. Who's next from FIT? I know I'm a long way off still :(

It better not be you or Scott or anyone around 200lbs. That would really tick me off.

[John Nguyen]

Thanks for the props! My arms were very sore this morning, but I expected them to be worse.
:)

[Gabe Rinaldi]

It better not be you or Scott or anyone around 200lbs. That would really tick me off.

In that case, now I'm motivated to try even harder :D

[Josie Douglas]

John, how about I try to be the next person at FIT? Will that make you feel better? Of course, I haven't tried one, but hey! I love a challenge. Sort of.:D

[Scott Kolasinski]

Considering I am in the 200+ lb. catagory, I'll make sure I've gotten one down by the end of this week.

[John Seaburg]

Has anyone been able to do a gymnastics style muscle up where it's a slow, smooth transition? After a few months of practice I can't even come close to doing that so I'm going to work on the ballistic style. I'm not even sure how possible that is going to be.

[John Nguyen]

I guarantee you my muscle up is slow, but smooth it ain't.

[gregEverett]

Article on developing the strict muscle-up with strength and technique progressions, etc. (free download):

http://www.performancemenu.com/freeissue/index.php?show=download&issueNum=18

[John Nguyen]

Greg,

Thanks for the link. Great information. It was a pleasure to have you train in the facility and to join us in Fight Gone Bad. We'll have to make our way up to your facility sometime soon to visit.

Regards,
John

[gregEverett]

Thanks. You're all welcome down at Mike's Gym.

[Josie Douglas]

Speaking of Muscle-Ups - Check out this guys attempt!


http://media.putfile.com/max_muscle-up_cheat_061906

[gregEverett]

perfect. he leaves nothing to coach.

[John Nguyen]

Whatever it takes to get out of a flipped vehicle. ;)

[Jay Cohan]

This was a great article. Thank you.
Does anyone have suggestions for the recommended frequency and volume of training that one should do when working toward developing the muscle up? I read another article which gave a suggested program: http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/muscleup.htm
Any thoughts or comments?