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How to do MUSCLE UP? Our tips!

Hello fitness enthusiast!

Do you dream of mastering the muscle-up, that emblematic street workout move that blends strength and technique? Perfect, you've come to the right place! 💪

In this article, we will discuss several points: 

  • What is muscle up? 
  • Prerequisites
  • Understanding movement 
  • Master the muscle-up technique
  • Bonus tips
  • Mistakes to avoid

Whether you're a fan of street workout or just looking for a new challenge, follow these tips and you'll soon be over the bar! 🔥


What is Muscle Up? 

The muscle-up is an exercise that aims to rise above a bar orgymnastic rings. This performance requires strength, coordination and mobility, and is highly coveted by calisthenics, street workout and crossfit enthusiasts.

As well as being an impressive figure, the muscle up targets several muscle groups simultaneously, ideal for building an athletic physique


Prerequisites for Muscle Up

muscle up prerequisites

Before diving into technique, make sure you have a good base of strength!

We recommend that you should already be able to perform a dozen pull-ups and a dozen dips. If you can, you're ready for more specific muscle-up training. If not, concentrate on these exercises first to strengthen the muscles you need.

Explosiveness is also crucial, enabling you to propel yourself over the bar and stabilize at the top of the movement.

Impeccable coordination and appropriate mobility, especially in the shoulders, are essential for success.


Understanding movement

The muscle-up is divided into three phases: pull-up, transition and dips. The first phase consists of pulling yourself up, then passing your elbows over the bar during the transition and finishing with a dips.

Understanding and breaking down the movement into stages enables more targeted and effective work. Specific exercises such as pull-ups and negative dips help strengthen muscles and get them used to the full movement.

Explosive pull-ups: the key to success

muscle up pull-ups

Unlike conventional pull-ups, those required for muscle-ups are explosive and slightly inclined backwards.

Incorporate this type of traction into your training to prepare yourself effectively 💪

Dips on straight bar

dips straight bar muscle up

Another crucial element of the muscle up is the dips on a single straight bar.

Practice lower and lower dips to improve your strength and your ability to propel yourself over the bar.


Mastering the Muscle Up technique

1- Le Balancé

the muscle up balance

The first technical step is to master the swing under the bar. Find a bar high enough for you to grab it while keeping your feet on the ground.

Start by swinging with your feet on the ground as far as you can and mark this point. This is where you'll have to jump to start your muscle-up.

muscle up jump
repère muscle up

2 - The jump
muscle up jump

From the marked point, step back and gain momentum to jump to your feet. Aim forfull extension of the body at impact under the bar.

This is the crucial moment when you must explode upwards using the force of your arms and your legs to propel you.

3 - Winding and final dips

muscle up climb


After the explosion, pull hard to get your shoulders over the bar.

Once over the bar, the muscle-up ends with a dip. This is where you need to stabilize your body and push yourself up to stand completely over the bar.


Bonus tips to unlock your Muscle Up

If you find muscle up particularly difficult, here are two tricks you can perform:

1 - Use an elastic band: it helps you lighten up and explode higher.

muscle up assisted elastic band

2 - Train on a lower bar: Try muscle ups while jumping to familiarize yourself with the movement.

low bar muscle up


Different types of Muscle Up: bar vs. rings

Muscle up can be practised with either a barbell or rings. Each method has its own advantages!

The bar offers greater stability but is more demanding on the joints. Rings, on the other hand, emphasize balance and coordination and are gentler on the joints.

Bar muscle-up is ideal for those looking for power and speed, while ring muscle-up is ideal for those looking for more in-depth work on mobility and coordination, with a more natural grip and less strain on the wrists.


Common mistakes when performing Muscle Up

Avoid these errors for safe and efficient execution:

  • Passing one arm after the other: this can cause shoulder and elbow injuries, totally unbalancing the movement.

  • Letting go: maintain a firm grip throughout the movement for a smooth transition.

  • Not breathing properly: coordinate your breathing with your movement to improve performance.


Managing fatigue and recovery

Muscle up puts intense demands on the nervous system, requiring proper management of fatigue and recovery to prevent injury.

Tips for optimal recovery :

  • Avoid doing muscle ups every day: respect a rest period of at least 48 hours between your workouts for muscle and joint regeneration.

  • Vary your exercises: incorporate other bodyweight movements into your routine, and it's also a good idea to weigh yourself down.

  • Get enough sleep: quality sleep is crucial for muscle recovery.

  • Stay properly hydrated: drinking at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day is optimal for the body. 


Conclusion

The muscle up is much more than a simple exercise. It combines pulling and dips, guaranteeing an intensive upper-body workout. It requires a combination of strength, technique, flexibility and agility. As a result, it is one of the flagship exercises in street workout.

You now have all the keys you need to succeed with your first muscle-up!

You know the basics, the steps to success and the mistakes to avoid.

Don't hesitate to write us a comment if you liked this article 😃

If you need sports equipment to help you excel, you'll find everything you need in our store

See you soon!

Eric Flag

20 comments

Super blog you helped me unlock my muscle-up thanks to these few tips as I stagnated on this movement for several months thank you very much 😄

Matthias Biotteau-Vincenty

Great guide to muscle up success, short and effective! This is one of the goals I have and want to achieve with gym rings. Elastic bands are a great tool too. Thanks for the tuto!

Pierre

Great advice! Just have to try it out ✊

Lisa

Swinging is ok, I'm stuck on the "do a dozen pull-ups" prerequisite, but I'm not giving up Eric, I'm going to build up my body!
What I love about your content is all the steps you explain to break down the movement and even reduce its difficulty. Because even if I can't do pull-ups yet, I can do pull-ups without a lot of weight, and that's already a great victory for me. Little by little...

Myriam

Very interesting!

Ahmed

Too much of a fan, it makes me want to supplement my boxing with street. Thanks Eric. Bonne continuation.

Dewavrin

Hello,

Super interesting and complete article, it's a complex exercise to get to grips with, thanks for the advice, now all you have to do is persevere!

Thelma

Super comprehensive article 👍🏻 enough to motivate me to finally pass those muscles up!!!

Pieper

Well... all that's left is to learn how to do a pull haha!
Thanks for the super-complete explanations as always :)

Marine DENECHAUD

I can't wait to try it!

Amine Materac

I got the muscle up thanks to Eric flag's good advice and his methodology for the street workout 1 program!
Thank you

Tom Nachin

Great advice that helped me succeed with my first muscle up!

Berviller Yann

Thanks for these goodies I'm trying to progress in muscle up too and hope to unlock it before the beginning of July.

Adrien

Great article! The pulling part, I think this is the part where most people struggle the most, including me. If I may add something: what really helped me with this part were the weighted pull-ups. They make it much easier to achieve strict form. But for beginners, don't weight down too early. Start by reaching 15 reps in pdc to get a good base of strength.

Daniel

Thank you Éric and the rest of the team for this site and the articles! Looking forward to my first muscle UPs :)

POVEDA

Super precise 👍🏽

De amorim

Your articles are always very well done and motivating, thank you for all the energy you put into them!

Hayette virginie

Always at the top nothing to say
The article is complete, I can't wait to put it on!

Schlicklin

Muscle up unlocked after 8 months!

Adrien

My ultimate dream for this year is to finally make it!

Jonathan chanoine

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