The muscle-up is a very demanding exercise and can be done on a straight bar with a set of rings. The rings will make it more difficult since you have to have the strenght to stabilize them as you do the exercise. For this reason I would recommend that you start on a straight bar and work your way up to the rings.

I suspect that as you first begin to attempt this exercise you will need to add a little bit of a kick to it to get you going. Once you have mastered that you can then work on mastering going slower so that it requires more strength since all momentum will have been removed.

So lets start looking at the muscle-up with a kick.

Grab a bar suspended over your head in a normal pull-up position. Your palms should be facing away from you. As you begin to pull up to the bar, keep in mind that you do not want to perform this like you would a normal pull-up. In a normal pull-up you are in essence pull yourself up from underneath of the bar. This may be difficult to understand but you need to move yourself away from the bar as you rise. This is where the kick comes in handy. The kick will give you the swing you need to move away from the bar.

Try to keep your hands away from your body and only partially flex your arms. If you flex your arms too much you will end up pulling your chest to the bar. If this happens you will not be able to get over the bar.

Kick your legs up as you are nearing the top and then kick them back. This should give you enough momentum to move away from the bar. Continue to power yourself up over the bar. As you start to get over the bar shift your weight forward so that you don’t fall back. Also remember to rotate your wrists from below the bar to above the bar. If you have such a tight grip on the bar that your wrists are still below as you get your upper body above the bar you won’t be able to hold your positions. At this point all that is left is to power yourself up with the strength of your triceps.

You have just completed one rep. Keep up the good work until you can do several reps. I know this will be very difficult as you start but don’t give up. Keep working at it until you get it. Once you get the first the others will seem easier. At least until your fatigue. Never give up. You will succeed.

The stronger you get the smaller the kick that you will need. So get to work and try some muscle-ups. If you don’t have a straight bar then buy one or build one or head off to your local park.

I have also included a training video from Crossfit on performing the muscle-up. He does his muscle-up on rings. Once you have mastered the straight bar buy or make yourself a pair of rings and try these out.
Enjoy the video.

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