Tip Master the Muscle-Up Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Master the Muscle-Up It looks cool and it' s a tough exercise but most people can' t even do one rep Don' t be most people by Drew Murphy December 11, 2016March 14, 2022 Tags Athletic Performance, Metcon, Tips, Training Harder Than It Looks Pull-ups? No problem for you. Dips? Easy. But each time you attempt a muscle-up, which looks like a simple combination of a pull-up and a dip, you hit a brick wall. What's going on? A muscle-up seems easy enough. Get really good at pull-ups and dips, then find a bar or a set of rings. Do a pull-up, follow it with a dip, and you'll have done a muscle-up. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't happen that easily. First, don't associate a muscle-up with a pull-up. In karate, you're taught to think "through" a board in order to break it. The same thing applies to the bar during a muscle-up – think through it. If you only pull yourself to the bar you'll never get high enough to transition into a dip. Here's where the bar is relative to your body at the end of a pull-up: This position is far from where you need it to be in order to complete a muscle-up. For a successful muscle-up, the position of the bar will look more like this: Notice that the bar has been pulled all the way to the bottom of the chest. This will be a good position to complete a muscle-up from. If you initiate a muscle-up by simply doing a pull-up, you'll only get to the bar, not "through" the bar. A pull-up is complete when the elbows are driven completely down. With your elbows down, it will be impossible to transition into a dip. Pull-Up If you cue yourself to pull through the bar, you're much more likely to be able to get your elbows rotated around the bar. This will put you in position to complete a muscle-up with a dip. Muscle-Up You'll need to apply two different forces to the bar. If you sequence these forces correctly with enough power, the bar and your elbows will be positioned accordingly. First, pull the bar down. This closely resembles a pull-up and is what will help peak your body above the bar. Right after initiating the pull, begin to push the bar down. This will help guide the bar to the bottom of your chest and most importantly, start to rotate your elbows around the bar. Note the two different types of pulls in the video below. The left shows the pull that's described above, while the right shows a simple pull-up. Muscle-Up Types of Pulls When you approach the bar to do a muscle-up, ditch the pull-up motor pattern. A muscle-up is an entirely different exercise that requires an entirely different pull. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Powerlifting The Definitive Guide At some point, every strong guy wants to test his mettle in competition. Here's everything you need to know to make your first powerlifting meet a success! Powerlifting & Strength, Training Jordan Syatt April 2 Training Tip The One Mobility Move You Need to Master Build strength and flexibility throughout the back and posterior chain with this exercise. It Hurts Fix It, Mobility, Tips, Training Eric Buratty November 23 Training Tip Bench Press With One Arm Strengthen your pecs, shoulders, triceps, and core with this exercise. Here's how to do it. Tips, Training Eric Bach November 17 Training Tip Do the Aipa Row One row to build your back and biceps, boost your deadlift, and even improve your posture. Check it out. Back, Bodybuilding, Tips, Training Daniel Aipa April 16