Muscle up Training Guide

The Muscle Up, simply stated, is a combination of a pull up and a dip. It consists of three main elements; the pull up, the transition and the dip. It can be performed either on a bar or on a set of gymnastic rings. Each requires a different approach to training.

Muscle Ups on a Bar
I first learnt the muscle up on the bar and it is the medium I would most recommend if you're completely new to bodyweight training or if the rings tutorial fails to work for you. A Muscle Up on a bar is usually performed much more dynamically than a Muscle Up on a set of rings. This is due to the bar not rotating like the rings during the transition, necessitating a rapid shift of grip during the transition when performed on a bar. To train the Muscle Up on a bar you will need to:

1) Grip the bar with a false grip
2) Build up explosive power in the pull up range of motion
3) Work on building a deep dip range of motion


Muscle Ups on a set of Rings
In opposition, the Muscle Up on the rings can be done much slower as the rings naturally rotate to allow the easy transition between the pull up and the dip. This does not mean however, that the Muscle Up on rings is easier. Most people will actually find it harder due to the unstable nature of the rings. To train it you will want to focus on:

1) Gripping the bar with a false grip
2) A slow controlled pull up in which the chin raises as far above hand level as is possible.
3) General all round ring strength and stability
4) Building a very deep dip in which the hands touch the chest at the bottom.


The False Grip
One of the most common mistakes that people make when trying to do a Muscle Up is using the wrong grip. The false grip is the foundation of the Muscle up. Without it, you're likely to struggle to do one on a bar and unlikely to ever achieve it on the rings. To false grip, you simply need to hold the ring/bar in your palm as opposed to the natural method of holding it in your clenched fingers. If you're doing it correctly, your wrist will be resting against the ring/bar on the little finger side of your hand (see pictures below). It's important to ensure you maintain the false grip when you're lowering yourself back down from the Muscle Up as you'll need it in order to perform multiple repetitions later on.

Explosive Pull Up Power
To Muscle Up on a bar you'll need to have enough power in your pull up to pull the bar right down to your lower chest. Once there, the transition is simply the motion of extending your wrist and shifting your bodyweight over it. This makes the bar transition significantly less technical than the rings transition. The two exercises I would recommend for building up explosive pulling power are:

• Weighted Pull-Ups
• Increased ROM Pull Ups

Weighted Pull ups are simply normal pull ups with the addition of weight. (I hope you already figured that one out). Start with a low weight (around 5% bodyweight) and aim to keep the repetitions fast and explosive. Build up to 3-5 sets of eight reps at the current weight and then increase the weight and repeat. Gradually increase the weight over time to a maximum of 15-20% bodyweight.

Increased ROM pull Ups are something I came up with in first teaching someone how to do a Muscle up. They're basically an explosive Pull Up in which you pull the bar as low down your chest as you can. When you reach the highest point, contract your core and shoulders tightly as if to try and hold the position -which wont happen-. Aim to build up to 3-5 sets of eight reps again.

In both these cases, the power needs to come from your upper body alone. Kipping to get results now will only slow down your progress in the long run. Don't do it.

Building a Deep Dip
You're going to need to work on extending the range of motion of your dip as far as possible. To do this, practising dips on a bar or on rings is the way to go. If you're training to Muscle Up on Rings, make sure you train the dip on rings; if you're training to MU on a bar, a combination of both bar and ring dips will be beneficial. The most important thing to remember is to dip as deep as possible. I aim to brush my hands against the front of my chest during ring dips. You'll only build the range of motion that you train in so be disciplined about going all the way down and all the way back up.


The Slow, Controlled pull up
This is pretty important for a solid muscle up on the rings although you can just pull dynamically if that works for you. I'm a great believer in the value of controlled movement against resistance and so the slow Muscle Up is the greatest variant in my humble opinion (Excluding the inverted muscle up). You'll want to improve the control of the pull up and the height up to which you can comfortably pull your chin past hand level.

To build up the control of your pull up, I find pull ups with static holds to be very useful. Start in a hanging position from the rings and pull up ten degrees or so and hold it for 5-10 seconds. Pull up ten degrees further and hold again for the same amount of time. Continue to do so until you are at the top of the pull up with your palms facing in and elbows tucked into your lats. Hold this final position for 10s and reverse. If this is too difficult, try starting from the top of the pull up and working your way down. Do not neglect to hold in the top position as this is the most important part for the Muscle Up. Build up your hold time up as you become stronger.


All round ring strength
The rings are an unstable and tricky apparatus. In order to accomplish even the simplest of ring based skills, you will first need to build up a level competence in the support position. Start by dropping the height of the rings if you can so that they sit just below chest height. Grip each ring with a normal grip and jump or press yourself up so that both arms are straight and each ring is locked in close to your body at about hip height. (See diagram in my post "The Iron Cross"). Aim to turn the rings so the palms are facing forwards but holding the rings parallel will suffice to begin. Do not allow the hands to turn inwards and do not brace your arms against the straps.

Build up the amount of time that you can hold the support position for. When it becomes too easy, try doing it in an L-sit position or get a friend to give you a push so that you're swinging.

Additional Training

If you have strengthened all of the above and are still having issues with the transition, I would recommend getting a spotter to aid you through the transition. Personally, I prefer a spotter to a passive form of decreased resistance (e.g resistance bands, pulleys etc.) due to their ability to judge exactly how much aid you require. This is useful especially if you're not feeling particularly strong on a given day and require a greater aid than usual. The downside is that you can't accurately judge just how much aid you're using.
 

When your spotter aids you, pay attention to where they're giving you the most help. I recently trained with a guy who could pull his elbows back through the transition easily enough so long as you aided him in getting his chin higher during the pull-up. After a few weeks of static holds at the top of the pull up and he can now Muscle Up with ease.

If you have no-one to spot you; the transition can be worked by lowering the rings to a height at which you can just barely do the transition by standing on your toes. Practise the technique described below a few times and then begin to increase the height of the rings a little at a time. It will gradually get harder provided you never jump into it. With trial and error, you should find the point at which you can just barely complete the transition. Practise at this level until you can lengthen the rings further, always using strict form. This is the most successful method that I've used in training others to do the Muscle Up on the rings.
 

Finally, Muscle Up negatives are a very useful means of strengthening the full range of motion. Be sure to maintain strict form or else you wont see any benefits and you'll be no closer to achieving a Muscle Up.

The Technique for the Muscle Up on the Rings

1. Hold the rings with a false grip
2. Pull up slowly until your chin is as high past hand level as you can comfortably go
3. Turn the hands inward so that the palms face together and the rings are parallel
   
4. Lock the elbows in at the sides so that they are touching your lats
5. Draw the elbows backwards as if you are elbowing an opponent directly behind you. Ensure that you do not pull your elbows away from your body.*
6. Press upwards slowly through the dip motion, turning the rings outwards at the top of the movement when the arms are locked straight.
7. Reverse the movement ensuring that the false grip is maintained throughout.
8. Do it again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again...
   

* This is the most common mistake after failing to use the false grip. Keep your elbows locked against your body even as they move through the transition from the front to the back. if you are failing during the transition, not doing so is the most likely cause.

There are one or two little tricks you can use to first achieve the Muscle up but make sure you unlearn them before you start building the reps up. Each tip will slot into the list above.

3a. Pick up speed as you pull up to gain a little momentum to aid you in the transition
4a. Pike (bend) at the hips slightly
5a. Lean forwards as far as is needed to roll the elbows back. this also makes the push easier.

Remember to wean yourself off of these as they can become bad habits.

The list will become more and more merged together as you practice and improve, making for a smoother more aesthetically pleasing Muscle up. You'll find you'll begin to turn your hands in (3) as you pull up (2), the elbows will also draw into your sides at this time (4).

I wish everyone the best in training for the Muscle Up! If this guide has been of any use, please let me know, any comments are appreciated. Any recommendations for improving it or ideas/points of view that differ from my own would also be very welcome.

Slow Muscle Up on the Rings

 After capitulating to the demands of her majesties finest (can you believe the Police would threaten to arrest us for hanging rings from "The Queens Trees" in Hyde Park due to a law passed in the 1600's?!), my friends and I decided to set up our rings in the specially designed training area on Primrose Hill.

After the usual training session -Progressions for the Iron Cross, Front Lever, Inverted Muscle Up etc- we had a shot on a super slow muscle up. Here's mine. Please comment.

Ring Training Aids Comparison

Before I first tried to hold a simple support position on the rings last October, I didn't fully appreciate the immense level of strength that Olympic gymnasts possess through training with this relatively simple apparatus. Of all the training tools that i have used, they are the most efficient tool for strengthening athletes of all levels using only bodyweight resistance. The question is; How do the rings give such potent strength (and often muscle) gains without using greater than bodyweight resistance? The answer is quite simply leverage. Many of the positions on the rings are what we call "disadvantaged leverage" positions. In the same way that lifting a weight attached to your elbow is a lot easier than lifting the same weight attached to your wrist despite no change in mass, holding many static ring positions require an enormous degree of strength due to their tendency to place much of the mass away from the pivot. It is with this principle in mind that the following two tools were designed. They allow the force generated by bodyweight and leverage to be adjusted. This opens up the option for gradual progression of such feats as the Iron Cross by reducing the leverage variable. There are two models that I have tried over the past five months, Ring Training.coms Elite Strength Trainer and the Gymnova Educano.


The Price

Gymnova Educano $309.75 (£211.50)*
Elite Strength Trainer $110.95 (£75.75)

*Gymnova is a British company, therefore sold in sterling

There is clearly an enormous price difference between these two pieces of kit. While this is in part due to the exchange rate bumping up the price of the Educano once it's converted into dollars, it has to be said that £211.50 is a huge sum to be charging for a ring training aid.

Comfort

I would say that this could be down to just a matter of preference if it weren't for the fact that the majority of people I've tested this with hadn't voted in favor of the Educano when the question of comfort was raised. It's up to the user to decide whether this is an important point but the Elite Strength Trainer does feel somewhat harsh to use - particularly in the wrist. It is not painful however.


The Design
Educano

The Strap

The Educano fits snugly onto the arm and reaches just up to my elbow. You grip one end while the other is attached by a Velcro strap on the upper forearm. I have used the Educano slightly longer out of the two and have found that in six months of use, the strap has failed only once -the Velcro simply opened up- and it was possible that this was due to it having been poorly attached in the first place by my spotter. I have seen it undo only a handful of times with other people and only ever on people with large forearms. The reliability of the strap is due to two things. Firstly; the end attached to the Educano is stitched in, turning this potential point of failure into a point of strength. Secondly; the Velcro strip on the strap is very long, allowing for maximum surface area contact and a stronger link.

Progressions

The Educano allows for five incremental progressions. These five levels are each five centimetres apart and stop 10cm away from the hand. One thing I found was that five centimetre jumps towards the hand made for very big leaps in difficulty between levels. Especially now I've progressed to level 4, the jump from level 4 to level 5 is enormous. This is the Educanos first main weakness.

It's second soon follows. Upon reaching level 5, you realise that the jump from level 5 to the ring itself (see diagram above) is 10cm -the equivalent of two levels!-. Combine this with the fact that each level increase is greater the closer to the hand the ropes are attached, it becomes very difficult to progress to the Iron cross from level 5 using solely this device.

Flexibilty

A strength of the educano is its flexibilty of use. The above weakness in which the hardest setting only reaches the wrist is also a strength. The design allows a wide gap at wrist level (see photo at top) which allows the wrist to flex. While wrist flexion should be avoided during the Iron cross progressions, it is completely nessecary in performing Butterfly pulls (see previous post). Without this gap allowing the wrist to flex, the wrist would be forced into the metal housing making the butterfly Pull far too painful.

I have attempted to use the device to progress towards Front levers and even Planches on rings but found it to be inappropriate for these purposes.


Elite Strength Trainer

The Strap (Rant warning - Please don't judge the EST on the strap alone)

I'm going to go right ahead and say it; the strap for the Elite Strength Trainer needs further development. I believe the limitations of the strap add an unnecessary element of frustration to an otherwise great piece of kit. The problem is quite simple; while the Educano's strap is attached with velcro at only one end -allowing only one point of weakness-, the strap of the Elite Strength Trainer is held with velcro at both ends (Thus two points of weakness!!). Unfortunately, it doesn't end there. The band of velcro that secures the strap to the device (but not the one that binds your arm to the device) is only 3cm wide! This is insufficient to afford any confidence to an 80kg man working the cross, I can attest as it failed on me three times in a row on the first use. This is not the end of the world however: I borrowed a friends sewing machine and did some serious stitching along that 3cm piece of velcro, binding that side of the strap in place and thus removing the biggest problem altogether. It worked so well that I was surprised to find the EST had more strength on the other side of the strap than the Educano due to a very adhesive velcro.

Progressions

Now this is why I urged you to read on past the strap rant at the begginning. The Elite Strength Trainer has a total of eleven levels! Each level is only three centimetres apart as opposed to the Educano's five levels with a five centimetre gap between each. This makes gradual progressions much easier to handle as they are broken down into small incremental levels. Additionally; the Elite Strength Trainer lacks another of the Educano's weaknesses. The progression holes reach right up to the hand and don't just end frustratingly at the wrist. This means that you can gradually train your cross strength with the device right up until you're lifting the equivalent of full bodyweight if you like.

Flexibilty

As the Elite Strength Trainer lacks the Educano's above weakness, it also lacks its strength in the flexibility of use. Without the gap at the wrist (bearing in mind that it's the same gap that prevents progressions right up to wrist level in the Educano), training Butterflies on the EST are just far too painful. The wrist is forced against the metal housing which hurts.. a lot. I believe that having the progressions up to the hand level and being able to do butterflies comfortably are mutually exclusive and it is therefore a positive point for each device that each one takes care of one so that you can decide which it is that you require. The EST has a great little feature in that the handle can be moved between one of the positions to cater for people with different length arms. It's not a problem I've really noticed with the Educano but it's certainly a feature that makes the EST more comfortable than it would be without.

Overall

Educano

Strap: 4/5
Comfort: 5/5
Flexibility: 4/5
Progressions: 3/5
Price: 1/5

Total: 68%

If you weigh more than 95Kg or wish to train Butterfly Pulls to supplement your cross pulls then this is definately worth thinking about. The price is my biggest issue with this one as it'll have you reaching deep into your pockets - especially if you're not in the Uk.


Elite Strength Trainer

Strap: 2/5
Comfort: 4/5
Flexibility: 3/5
Progressions: 5/5
Price: 5/5

Total: 76%

If you wish to use the device right up to the cross and don't mind stitching up one side of the strap, the EST offers far more gradual progressions and a well thought out design.


Note: I have done my best to be as unbiased as possible while reviewing these two items and have relied heavily on the opinions of many others and their feedback on many points.

Iron Cross Training Session 01/07/2009

I had my best overall session last night training static holds for the Iron Cross! Here is a video of my best level 4 hold that night. Level 3 has also now become very easy and i can hold it without pulling the sex face.

From here, I aim to build up the amount of time holding level 4 so that my body is completely prepared for the inevitable strain of moving up to level 5. Thirty second holds seems like a suitable target as it would ensure that I'm completely adapted to the current load before increasing it further.

The overall session went as follows:

Level 1: 15 seconds
Level 2: 20/26 seconds
Level 3: 15 seconds
Level 4: 7/6/4 seconds

The Iron Cross

Progress report: 6 Months

I have been training for the Iron Cross for six months now once or sometimes twice a week. Despite only averaging once a week, my progress has been satisfyingly steady.

Every Wednesday (and more recently also Fridays) I head down to the East London Gymnastics centre in Beckton with a friend and we train to build the requisite strength to perform the Iron Cross on the rings unassisted.

We began using a device called the Gymnova Educano which allows the ropes (normally attached to the rings in the hands) to be attached further up the forearm. In being closer to the shoulder, the leverage of any downward force exerted by the gymnast is increased making the Cross much easier. There are five levels on the Educano which can get you close -but not close enough- to performing the cross. Realising that the jump between hardest level on the Educano and the unassisted cross was too high, I invested in another similar tool; the Elite Strength Trainer from ringtraining.com. I will be reviewing both these devices soon as I believe that each has its individual merits and weaknesses.

All that needs to be understood to read my training progress is that the Educano's five levels will be referred to as level 1 (the easiest and closest point to the elbow) through to level 5 (the hardest and closest point to the hand).

I began on level 1 in January and have made steady progress through to level 4. Here is an overview of my progress:

January 2009
I began by training Cross pulls on the 20th of January. This is where you begin holding the Educano by your hips with arms locked straight (the support position) and you gradually lower yourself -keeping arms locked straight at all times- into the cross position (Position A in the diagram). From here, you simply reverse the motion by pushing downwards with your arms until you're back in the support position. This is one repetition.

By the end of January, I could do five sets of three reps on level 1.

27/01/2009
Cross pulls
Level 1: 3/3/3/3/3 reps


February 2009
I continued training the cross pulls throughout February and by the 19th (one month into training), I could pull out a few on level two. Here's my training record for that day:

19/02/2009
Cross pulls
Level 1: 7 reps
Level 2: 2/2/2/2 reps


March 2009
I transitioned from cross pulls to butterflies during March. The difference is that you lower down past the cross position into a straight armed hang (Position B in the diagram). From here you reverse the motion, ensuring the arms are kept straight at all times and finishing where you began in the support position. Below is one of my training sessions from mid March:

18/03/2009
Butterflies
Level 1 - 5 reps
Level 2 - 3/3/3/3 reps

April 2009
Continued training Butterflies until the end of April by which point my best session was:

29/04/2009
Butterflies
Level 1 - 8 reps
Level 2 - 4/4/4/4 reps

We also introduced maltese pulls to the session which is a cross pull with your legs raised on a table so that they're level with the rings. I have not detailed this to avoid cluttering the post.

May 2009
We transitioned from dynamic training to a cycle of specifically static training with the intention of focusing on this for eight weeks. My second session was as follows:

15/05/2009
Level 1 - 10sec warm up hold in Iron Cross
Level 2 - 10sec warm up hold in Iron Cross
Level 3 - 13sec hold in Iron Cross
Level 4 - 2/3/3 sec hold in Iron Cross (First time at level 4!!)

June 2009
This week (the last week of June) saw my best session yet! As you can see, there has been a huge increase in strength and endurance since mid May:

Level 1: 15 seconds
Level 3: 15 seconds
Level 4: 6/5/9 seconds

It's also worth noting that my longest holds on each level so far are as follows:

Level 1: 25 seconds
Level 2: 20 seconds
Level 3: 17 seconds
Level 4: 9 seconds

Throughout the last six months I have also been spending one night per week where possible, practising the basic support position while I practise my handstands and handstand push ups. I believe this to be very important as most people appear to bend their arms as they tire and training the support will help prevent this.

Upon reaching level 5 I intend to start practising unaided cross negatives on the rings. I believe this will be essential for strengthening the elbows for the cross as they are somewhat supported by the Enduro.

Review: Captains of Crush grippers

One of the biggest indicators of strength when you first meet someone is when you shake their hand and feel either a vice like grip or a sweaty, limp hand. The strongest grip that I ever came across still remains in my memory as a humbling experience.

I was working on a building site aged sixteen and the site foreman, Tim was renowned for his grip strength. Not knowing this, upon meeting him I offered my hand (I later found that it was common knowledge on-site never to shake his hand) and immediately felt a crushing force unlike anything I'd encountered before or since. He didn't do so in malice, his grip was apparently so strong that he could not gauge it's affect on "normal" people.

I've always had a good grip but this was something else. Which brings me to my point; we all train in different ways for different activities but one type of strength remains universally important and that is grip strength. Lifting heavy loads every day for forty years, it's not difficult to imagine how Tim developed his amazing grip nor is it hard to see the benefits it no doubt brought him at work.

But what for the rest of us? Climbers such as myself require a strong grip as it is our last point of attachment to the rock, it is also generally accepted to be the weakest and therefore the most important. Gymnasts and acrobats need a firm attachment to what they're holding, be it rings, parallel bars or silks. Finally weightlifters require an increasingly strong grip as they improve and lift heavier and heavier weights. I've heard several power lifters complaining that they'd have made that last lift if only their grip was stronger.

So how do we train our grip? It differs from sport to sport; climbers mainly improve through climbing but lifters and athletes whose sport requires a crushing or pinching type grip can benefit from grip enhancers. These are the sprung "gripper" devices that we've all seen and most of us have tried. I began using them years ago but quickly became frustrated with how easy even the hardest store bought grippers were. Then I discovered the Captains of Crush grippers by Ironmind.

Made from aircraft grade aluminium in the USA, these are the worlds toughest grippers. There isn't a man on earth (not even my old site foreman Tim) who could complain about these being too easy; the number four has only been closed by five men in the entire world! Here is a list of the force required to close each:

Guide: 60lbs (27kg)
Sport: 80lbs (36kg)
Trainer: 100lbs (45.5kg)
Number 1: 140lbs (63.6kg)
Number 2: 195lbs (88.6kg)
Number 3: 280lbs (127.2kg)
Number 4: 365lbs (166kg)

There is also a 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 gripper but the exact force required to crush these is not listed.

I own the "1", "2" and "2.5 "and can close the number 1 for sets of 25-30reps. The number "2" I can close for 5reps and I cannot yet close the 2.5. My target is to close the number "3" and get certified on the Ironmind website. (Only twelve people last year managed to).

As advice on what to go for first; if you consider yourself to have an already very strong grip, start with the "1" or "1.5". I bought the number "1" first and found it to be OK but don't be fooled, most people can't fully close this one. If your grip is average for a guy, get the Trainer and when this becomes easy, you'll be ready for the "1". If you have average strength for a woman, you'll be fine with the Sport or if you're confident, take the Trainer.

At about £22 each, they're not that expensive. Buy them one at a time so that if the one you purchase is too easy/hard, you can get the one above/below and use the original as a warm-up/goal.

As a climber, I didn't feel that training with CoC benefited me at the wall (except on pinch grips on which I now rock!) but it was well worth the investment in training time and money for the simple but satisfying reason that I can now crush an apple into mush!!

General Aims: Cast away your limits, they are illusions

I want to define some of the general aims of this blog. Having been brought up by a father who was a pretty fanatical fitness freak himself, I began emulating him from a very young age. I was always inspired by gymnasts, circus performers and other bodyweight resistance trained athletes whose seemingly disproportionate levels of strength shattered my early ideas of more bulk equals more strength.

For the next eight years I focused on four main exercises with a few variants; sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups and dips. I approached training with a youthful lack of structure and the haphazard "training to failure" approach which as you might have heard previously is "failing to train".

At age sixteen I started rock climbing and have been climbing about three times a week for the past six years. I soon found that my years of bodyweight conditioning had made me ideally suited to the sport and improved quickly. During these years I also began learning Parkour and more recently, gymnastics. Through a combination of these sports, an understanding of sports science and nutrition gradually developed and I came to realise the fallibility of my teenage approach to training.

I picked some of the most inspiring basic bodyweight feats and decided that with discipline and a scientific approach, I -and anyone else for that matter- could achieve every last one of them. I'm still very much a beginner despite years of training and I aim to use this blog to share training ideas and experiences and to learn from the experience of others.

So we will be primarily concerning ourselves with four areas of training:

1) Muscular strength: The amount of force a muscle can sustain in a single contraction. This is where performing one rep max skills like the one arm pull up comes in. (Though later you can build up to more reps in these).

2) Muscular endurance: The ability of a muscle to sustain a contraction or make multiple contractions over an extended period. Cardiovascular endurance falls within muscular endurance.

3) Mental training: This is an area I became interested in after a plateau of climbing ended when I read a book "The Rock Warriors Way" by Arno Ilgner. The book was dedicated to the art of mental training ranging from our approach to training and our sport through to actual mental training methods. I will review this book soon, the only shame is that the tips in this book can be applied to any sport but it was written specifically for climbers and requires a knowledge of climbing terms.

4) Nutrition: I believe that proper nutrition is imperative for optimal performance and find this to be an interesting area for enhancing performance. However, it is riddled with pitfalls and biased studies and it often seems that there is so much false science funded by the multi-million pound supplements industry that it's easier to avoid it altogether. I experiment regularly with nutrition and will submit reviews of different things that I try. One thing to remember is that some things work for some of us and not for others and that the only way to know what works for you is to try it.

You may well think to yourself "you've been training for years, what can I do at my level?". I recently began training with a guy ten years older than I who hasn't trained a day in his life. He told me that one day he just decided that he was going to get his act together and reach levels of strength that he'd always dreamed of when he was a child. He was one of the first to join the facebook group that later became this blog. Four months on and with a higher bodyweight to lift than I, his strength has multiplied and he is the fittest he's ever been (in his own words). He constantly challenges me every single session. The point is; forget your limits, they exist only in your mind.

Any and all comments, ideas and tips are welcome though please be constructive.