Muscle-Up

An elite pulling movement combining a high pull-up with a dip transition to get your entire torso above the bar.

How to Perform

  1. Grip the bar with a false grip (wrists over the bar) or a standard overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart
  2. Hang with arms fully extended and engage your shoulders
  3. Pull explosively, driving your chest as high as possible above the bar, aiming to pull to your lower chest or waist
  4. As your chest reaches bar height, lean your torso forward over the bar and transition your wrists from below to above the bar
  5. Press yourself up by straightening your arms, finishing in a support position above the bar with arms locked out
  6. Lower yourself back down in a controlled manner: dip down, transition back under the bar, and return to the dead hang
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions

Form Cues

Do:

  • Generate explosive pulling power from the dead hang
  • Lean forward aggressively during the transition phase; your chest must get over the bar
  • Practice the false grip to make the wrist transition smoother
  • Keep your core tight throughout the movement to control your body

Don't:

  • Use excessive kipping unless specifically training a kipping muscle-up
  • Pull only to chin height; you need to pull significantly higher for the transition
  • Chicken-wing by pulling one arm over at a time; both arms should transition together
  • Neglect the negative; controlling the descent builds strength and protects your shoulders

Progressions

The bar muscle-up is a terminal pulling progression. To continue advancing, work on ring muscle-ups (which demand more stability), slow muscle-ups (with a pause at each phase), or weighted muscle-ups.

Common Mistakes

  • Insufficient pull height: If you can't pull your chest to the bar, you need more high-pull and chest-to-bar pull-up work before attempting muscle-ups
  • Chicken-winging: Getting one arm over the bar at a time creates asymmetrical loading and injury risk; build strength until both arms can transition simultaneously
  • Ignoring the false grip: The false grip dramatically reduces the wrist transition difficulty; train it even though it's uncomfortable at first
  • Fear of the lean: The forward lean during the transition is essential; practice it on a low bar first to build confidence