How I Learnt To “Muscle-Up”

When I first started my journey towards achieving a muscle-up, it felt like an elusive goal, something we considered the pinnacle of difficulty, especially to my brother and me. It took us a dedicated six-month effort, with my brother achieving it before me.

Here’s the step-by-step process we followed:

1. Building foundational strength was crucial. I made sure I could perform 10 strict pull-ups and 10 strict dips before attempting a muscle-up.

2. To start, I employed the “false grip” technique, which shortens the pulling distance and reduces the overall load. This was my initial approach until I built enough strength to switch to a “neutral grip,” where I held the rings in the palm of my hand.

3. Next, I progressed to seated transitions using either a band for assistance or by keeping my feet on the ground to make it more manageable.

4. Over time, I gradually advanced to elevated transitions, preparing myself for the eventual transition from a dead hang.

5. Once I had mastered the basic movement, the focus shifted towards linking multiple repetitions together. My personal record was achieving 9 consecutive muscle-ups.

 

By following these steps and gradually progressing, I was able to conquer the muscle-up.