How to Muscle-Up

Hey guys,

I recently posted a video tutorial on how to handstand. I thought I would post another I made on how to muscle-up (MU) on the rings. The MU on the rings requires a lot more strength than the MU on a bar (relying a lot more on momentum). That being said, it can act as a great muscle building exercise for the upper-body.

Thanks, excellent and informative.

I enjoyed the emphasis on the transition. The transition phase really needs to be drilled over and over by all seeking mastery of the muscle up.

Very nice tutorial and really solid Muscle-Up technique. So refreshing to see someone actually do a video on a strict, smooth, full ROM MU. So many videos of sloppy kipped MU’s on youtube.

Interested that you feel the bar MU is easier though. Maybe a kipped or power variation, but I was always under the impression that a slow, strict bar MU was more difficult that a slow strict (narrow grip) ring MU.

Impressive and informative!

[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
Very nice tutorial and really solid Muscle-Up technique. So refreshing to see someone actually do a video on a strict, smooth, full ROM MU. So many videos of sloppy kipped MU’s on youtube.

Interested that you feel the bar MU is easier though. Maybe a kipped or power variation, but I was always under the impression that a slow, strict bar MU was more difficult that a slow strict (narrow grip) ring MU.[/quote]

I’ll chime in by relaying my experience with the strict version on the bar vs. rings.

Assuming you are using a false grip for the strict bar MU (as with the rings), then the variation which will be more difficult is the one you don’t practice (due to a lack of movement-specific neural efficiency).

With the bar, you push away from it (it won’t move obviously) and guide your body around a fixed object (bar).

With rings, I found that this “push away pattern” wasn’t as efficient (rings move away).On the other hand, not having to maneuver around a fixed object allows you to keep your mass centered between the points (rings) of force transmission.

One easier or harder than the other? I would say they are different and proficiency in one doesn’t equate to instant proficiency in the other.