Muscle-Up: Top 5 Tips

In this post we are looking at our top 5 tips to improve your technique for Muscle-Up!

Quick disclaimer, this article is not looking at how to develop strength, we are only focusing on the technique and body alignment required to achieve your muscle-up. The video is linked below, with a more detailed breakdown for each section provided, to give you more guidance on each progression. Any questions we would love to hear from you!

Step 1: False Grip

Our first step is to work on our false grip. This means our wrists are flexed and come over the bar, as close to a ninety-degree angle as possible. This requires the ability to maintain good wrist flexion, and the reason for this movement being so important is because if we remain in a neutral grip, the position of our wrist in a neutral position won’t allow us to drive over the bar.

Step 2: Avoid Straight Pull-Ups

First off, we are not condemning pull-ups! They are obviously paramount to bodyweight training and a mainstay in most calisthenics athletes training programmes. But for the sake of muscle-up technique, this position won’t help us to get over the bar. When working to improve your muscle-up technique we need to swing forward, away from the bar and pull at 45 degrees. This is the angle that enables us to get up and over the bar.

Step 3: Boomerang Swings

The boomerang swing teaches us how the correct timing for the muscle-up, pulling at a forty-five degree angle rather than a straight pull. Getting used to the timing and body alignment when you are meant to push the bar down is crucial for the muscle-up.

Step 4: Walking Muscle-Up

The walking muscle-up teaches us the lead with the head, and avoid the ‘chicken-wing’ muscle-up. This is when you usually see people try to force the movement, thinking it’s to do with flicking the elbows over, instead focus on driving the bar down and leading the head and chest forward, the arms will follow - ‘flick your hood’.

Step 5: High Pull

With a high pull, you are aiming to push the bar down and get as high as possible over the bar. Think of the movement as a ‘push down’ as opposed to a pull-up type of movement. The higher you can get, the more likely you are to ‘flick your hood’ rather than the ‘chicken wing’ as you will be high enough and just need to lean forward at that point.

Step 6: Full Muscle-Up!

With these tools in your arsenal you will be on your way to full muscle-up in no time! Quick reminder that these are steps to improve technique and body alignment, people are always quick to say ‘oh but the walking muscle-up’ won’t make me stronger - correct! But with the muscle-up it’s not only about strength, you can be strong enough with 20 pull-ups and 30 straight bar dips, but if the technique isn’t there you won’t come over the bar. Use these to develop the correct mind-body connection when training the movement pattern along with your strength movements and you will be up and over the bar in no time!

To take your calisthenics training to the next level take a look at our upcoming seminars and see how you can progress your bodyweight skills!