What are muscle ups?
If you have ever seen people doing a routine on an outdoor bar, they were probably doing muscle ups among many other exercises .
This exercise consists of starting hanging from the bar or rings until finishing above them with your arms extended. It includes a pull-up at the beginning to overcome the bar and then a dip to finish with the arms extended over the bar or rings.
Muscle ups involve a lot of muscle groups in their execution, which is why it is a very complete exercise.
It is an advanced movement in which apart from strength for the different impulses, good technique will also be necessary, so it is not recommended for beginners. Consult your coach in the box and he or she will surely help you achieve your first muscle up without risk of injury.
How to do bar muscle ups step by step
Let's see what the steps are to do strict muscle ups on the bar. First it is important to know what steps the exercise is divided into:
- Pull up : You have to perform a pull-up to place your body behind the bar to prepare for the next step.
- Transition: consists of placing the body on top of the bar.
- Dips: extension of the arms to raise the body and align it.
Steps to follow:
- Hang from the bar with your hands at a distance from each other equal to that of your shoulders. The arms must be extended.
- Lean back while trying to bring the bar as close to your chest as possible (pull-up).
- Lean forward and turn your elbows back when the bar comes into contact with your body (transition).
- Fully extend your arms in the dip position .
Types of existing muscle ups in CrossFit
As we saw for example with the HSPU , this time there are also different variations or ways to execute the muscle ups.
They can be done on a bar or on rings and, although they are less frequent, on parallel ones . Likewise, we can find strict muscle ups with kipping. Likewise, it can be executed ballasted.
strict muscle ups
It is the most common execution that we can find in CrossFit. It is usually executed more slowly than other varieties and the entire upper body is worked.
Muscle up with kipping
With a faster execution and transition , in this version we will use the swing to gain greater momentum. This way, we can apply more force when we want to raise the chest above the bar.
Strict Ring Muscle ups
Similar to strict barbell exercises, the only thing that changes is the grip and wrist movement necessary to make the complete transition.
Ring Muscle ups with kipping
Same as the previous one but with kipping, that is, that small swing that will help you make the transition with less effort.
What muscles are worked with muscle ups?
The question should be which muscles are not worked... As you may have seen, it is a very complete exercise that works the following muscle groups:
- Back.
- Shoulders.
- Pectoral.
- Biceps.
- Triceps.
- Forearm.
Additionally, it helps improve balance and coordination.
Other exercises that will help you get your first muscle up
By involving so many muscles, muscle ups will require good physical form. It is always preferable to master other less complex exercises than to try a muscle up and see that, when push comes to shove, we get stuck because we lack strength in a specific muscle.
To counteract this, we are going to see some exercises that will allow you to develop strength and work on some technique:
Pull-ups
The classic pull-ups , without any special grip or variation. With your arms extended and your hands shoulder-width apart, place your chin just above the bar. Here you will work arms and back.
Chest dips
They are the usual dips , and you can do them both on parallel bars and on rings. In a position with your arms extended above the rings or parallel bars, you must lower your body until your shoulders are below your elbows to go back up again.
Knees to elbow
Another exercise that will help you progress to get your first muscle up. On this occasion, the exercise may seem somewhat more complicated . In the same starting position as doing a pull-up, you will have to flex your hips, bend your knees and raise them until they touch your elbows.
Doing muscle ups can be challenging, but with the right preparation, every day you will be closer to your first full muscle up or improving your one rep max .
Sooner or later you are going to end up encountering it in any WOD, so it is better to be prepared and know how to perform this exercise. To improve your grip on the bar and to avoid leaving your hands training, you should take a look at 👉 our handles , which although they are not going to finish the muscle up for you, at least they are going to help you achieve it.
