first XR muscle up

[Kenneth Manning]

I had another nice little improvement yesterday with playing around with muscle ups. As I stated in previous posts, I have decent chinup strength (bodyweight [195lbs] + 135lbs for 1RM) and can perform a set of 3 PB dips with BW+110lbs. I've been able to perform straight bar muscle ups with a very slight kip - not an exagerated swing or "fish out of water" movement that is seen in CF videos, etc. However, I've never been even close to getting a muscle up on rings. Well, yesterday I performed 5 singles of ring muscle ups (total attempts around 12). Was extremely pleased, as I haven't done any heavy weighted chins/dips in a couple of weeks since starting the BtGB program. I'll be toying with these a little more to try to become more efficient in my technique, but feeling pretty good.

[Timeline]

Weird, considering I find ring MU to be a lot easier...there is no bar in your way!

[Gregor]

Weird, considering I find ring MU to be a lot easier...there is no bar in your way!

Once you have proper technique it's easier...

[Kenneth Manning]

Yeah, that's what I was told, that ring MU's are easier than bar MU's once you get the technique down. With the bar, I found I was really able to put everything into the pull and propel my body upward; not so with the rings. However, as Gregor pointed out, when I really mentally focused on thinking about the transition before each attempt, it was doable.

[Timeline]

Weird, considering I find ring MU to be a lot easier...there is no bar in your way!

Once you have proper technique it's easier...

I wonder then why the bar muscle-up in Coach Sommer's book is shown as being harder than the ring muscle-up in various forms to include a wide grip. If technique is the deciding factor, would it not be better to learn to do the bar muscle-up first in the progression with applicable technique thus making rings easier later?

In fact Coach Sommer says:

If you are not allowing yourself to kip, the transition from the pull-up to the dip during a straight bar muscle-up is also much harder as you are not able to lean forward.

I agree with his assessment.

[Kenneth Manning]

Perhaps the progression listed in the book is true for the vast majority of people. And it would seem that, since, the bar is indeed "in the way" of the transition, that the ring MU "should" be easier. Believe me, when I first received my rings, I was extremely frustrated in not being able to immediately bang out some MU's, as I could do singles on a bar. My only explanation is that I've been doing all kinds of chinups/pullups on a bar for years. Max number of bodyweight pulls, heavy weight/low rep/1RM work, and plyometric type pulls, where I would pull up as fast and hard as I can and try to "launch" myself upwards, catching on the way down and rebound back up; or, pull up hard and fast and upon reaching the top, switch from a pronated grip to a supinated grip on the way down, switching back and forth on consecutive reps, etc.... So, I was used to exerting a lot of force on a pullup bar, but the rings were more awkward for me. I had to deal with swinging and momentum that was foreign to me versus just pulling on a bar anchored into a wall.

After reading the posts today, I decided to do another round of a few MU's. After warming up/loosening my shoulders, I performed 2 bar MU's. Then I hit the rings, and missed on my first 10 or so attempts. I finally got 1, and called it a day, as tomorrow is my real "scheduled" workout.

[Gregor]

I wonder then why the bar muscle-up in Coach Sommer's book is shown as being harder than the ring muscle-up in various forms to include a wide grip. If technique is the deciding factor, would it not be better to learn to do the bar muscle-up first in the progression with applicable technique thus making rings easier later?

First on a rings, then on a bar...When you will have both solid, you'll see that bar MU is easier.

[Coach Sommer]

In my opinion, if someone is finding a bar MU easier than a XR MU it is simply because they are kipping into the bar MU.

The bar MU being rated more difficult than a wide XR MU is a judgement call and is also entirely dependent on how "wide" the XR MU actually is and the "verticality" of the body. For most trainees, they will have a great deal of difficulty even attempting to perform a wide XR MU that is wider than shoulder width, let along actually succeeding with one. Once you begin to perform wide XR MUs that are substantially wider than the shoulders and remain completely vertical at all times, than the wide XR MU will be harder than the bar MU.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Gregor]

In my opinion, if someone is finding a bar MU easier than a XR MU it is simply because they are kipping into the bar MU.

The bar MU being rated more difficult than a wide XR MU is a judgement call and is also entirely dependent on how "wide" the XR MU actually is and the "verticality" of the body. For most trainees, they will have a great deal of difficulty even attempting to perform a wide XR MU that is wider than shoulder width, let along actually succeeding with one. Once you begin to perform wide XR MUs that are substantially wider than the shoulders and remain completely vertical at all times, than the wide XR MU will be harder than the bar MU.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

For me is easier (althoug diiffrence is not big and for me are both very easy), maybe it has with my high velocty of MU (no kiping). I think only problem is how to go with chest over the bar and here plays all wrist turning and speed burst with (again with no kiping).