Master the Elusive Muscle-Up

The term “muscle-up” has become as mainstream as “selfie” and “turnt up”. But unlike these modern day phenomenons, the muscle up requires strength, discipline and self-control. In layman’s terms, it is the hardest pull up you’ll ever have to master.

Pull ups are hard all by themselves. The muscle-up takes the pull-up to the next level. It’s the pull-up supreme. While most people would be ecstatic to merely get their chin to the bar, the athlete will pull their chin to the bar and then keep going! Crazy, we know. But anyone who has ever tried it will tell you that the muscle-up is the holy grail of exercises and it’s not for beginners.

The muscle-up explained

The muscle up starts with hanging from a pull-up bar and pulling yourself up. Remember, you’re gripping over the bar, with your thumb on top of the bar, not around it. Then you pull yourself up, and when your chin reaches the bar you keep pulling yourself up, and up and up until your arms are stretched, pushing down on the bar. Your core should be tight throughout the exercise. Once you are in the highest position, you “dip” down, pull up and “dip” down again.

The term “muscle-up” refers to the smooth transition between the pull-up into a dip. Most would be satisfied with simply mastering a pull-up, some can do the dip once they are in the final pull up position, but mastering the transition between the two take a lot of strength and training.

Gymnastics training will help any athlete master the muscle up.
Photo: Rings, i99Fit in Colorado

Training for the muscle up

If you want to challenge yourself, build strength and master the muscle-up, find  a local box and start training. Group workouts and personalized training with skilled instructors is the best way to ensure that you improve strength, mobility and flexibility without hurting yourself in the process.

Start with a pull-up and with the right training and a little professional guidance, you’ll master the elusive muscle-up in no time!