If you engage in CrossFit, then you’re likely more than familiar with the muscle up. And while it may look relatively easy if you’re watching someone who has mastered this particular exercise, the reality is that it is anything but. So, if you are considering doing your very first muscle up, here are three training steps you’ll want to complete first:
Practice your dip. Since the second movement is essentially a dip, you’ll also want to practice and master this move before putting the two together. To make it closer to the actual move that you will do with a muscle up yet do it safely, you might want to consider installing a bar close to the ground so you can practice the movement necessary to transition from pull-up to dip without doing it from a higher height.
Practice your pull-up. Because this is the first movement in a muscle up, you’ll want to master it before moving on to an actual muscle up. This requires practicing this exercise over and over again, helping you to build more muscle in your upper body area. Once you can do several repetitions in a row, make them harder by adding more weight to your lower body. You can do this by wearing ankle weights, strapping weights to a belt, or by holding kettlebells between your feet.
Do both moves on a lower level bar. Now that you’ve got the two major muscle up movements mastered, it is time to put them together. However, since you are just beginning, it is recommended that you use a lower level bar just in case you are unable to complete it effectively as you don’t want to risk injuring yourself by falling. Once you can do that, then you can move to a bar that is at the standard height for a muscle up and progress from there.
What have you done to help you complete your first muscle up?
