I got the Muscle-up!

Today I finally did my first real MU on my parallel bars, I got it in 1 day actually

The reason I couldn't do it yesterday was because I was using the wrong grip: I was hanging myself just with my fingers, which is the grip I always use for pullups, chinups and the lever work, since it doesn't damage my hand too much with it, and so I tried doing the MU with that same grip but it was near impossible.

When I went back to the tennis court today, I tried doing them in the corner that I did them yesterday, and I could do them easily, but I hadn't noticed that the grip I was using on the tennis court was with my palm over the bar, not with my fingers like in my bars, so I tried doing them with the other grip there and naturally I couldn't do it.

When I came home a little while ago, I tried doing one with my palms over the bar and I did it on my first try.

Just wanted to post this in case someone else might make the same mistake I was doing lol (unlikely haha).

false grip

nickvb said:

false grip

No, I didn't use a false grip: my palms were still facing away and my wrists were below the bar; all I did was place the base of my knuckles over the bar, which I didn't do before, I just hanged with the fingers. I know what a false grip is and I didn't do it with that, not once.

Congrats! that's great!

Congrats! There must be something in the air because this weekend (well Friday night actually) I got my first muscle-up as well.

I was completely stoked and, I have to say, totally surprised as I had not been able to get the transition prior to this. This was on the rings by the way starting from a dead-hang, false grip with little or no swing, inertia, kip. I had promised myself when I started the progression for this about 4 months ago that I would try to do it straight.

I had been training using the assisted dip/pullup machine at the gym. I was doing sets of 4-5 and working down the weight assist progressively over time from 40lbs down to 20lbs. But I didn't seem to be able to get past 20lb assist. Using the machine really helped me work on my form to keep my elbows into my body and work on the transition of rotating the elbows back and up so I could press from the dip.

I was only able to do 1 rep and then after 3 minutes rest 1 more. But still have to say I was happy...

viking said:

Congrats! that's great!

Thanks man!

Great work guys! I'm jealous, my false grip sucks My elbows still hurt when I try that stuff, it's really amazing how hard this all is on the connective tissues.

jl5555 said:

Congrats! There must be something in the air because this weekend (well Friday night actually) I got my first muscle-up as well.

I was completely stoked and, I have to say, totally surprised as I had not been able to get the transition prior to this. This was on the rings by the way starting from a dead-hang, false grip with little or no swing, inertia, kip. I had promised myself when I started the progression for this about 4 months ago that I would try to do it straight.

I had been training using the assisted dip/pullup machine at the gym. I was doing sets of 4-5 and working down the weight assist progressively over time from 40lbs down to 20lbs. But I didn't seem to be able to get past 20lb assist. Using the machine really helped me work on my form to keep my elbows into my body and work on the transition of rotating the elbows back and up so I could press from the dip.

I was only able to do 1 rep and then after 3 minutes rest 1 more. But still have to say I was happy...

Thanks man, to tell you the truth I don't even know how am I able to do them, because I didn't even practice for them, like doing negatives, or with bands or using false grips and things like that, I didn't do any of that. I also hadn't done pullups and dips for like 4 days, until yesterday; I was more busy with HS and the FL progressions and L-sits.

The only other time, or rather the first time I ever trid doing MU, was last year, like 8 months ago maybe, for a few days (then I gave up) but back then I didn't have any strength because I remember I used the same grip I used yesterday and wasn't close.

Of course I can't do them without moving my legs, but I don't move them that much either.

slizzardman said:

.....my false grip sucks My elbows still hurt when I try that stuff, it's really amazing how hard this all is on the connective tissues.

From my point of view I agree that the false grip is an odd thing. Somehow, I think it's connected to shoulder flexibility (what isn't???) I have really worked on my shoulder flexibility (countless wall extensions, yoga down dog) and I think that has really helped with the false grip hang/pullup. When I first began there was a lot, and I mean a lot of splaying out of the elbows when I hung in the false grip. With the shoulder flexibility work I have seen much improvement in the false grip abilities other than just getting used to the damn thing...

Rampage said:

....I also hadn't done pullups and dips for like 4 days, until yesterday; I was more busy with HS and the FL progressions and L-sits.

The specific muscle groups required were probably well rested as a result of the 4 days rest. I suspect all your work on HS has helped with your shoulder girdle flexibility/strength which led to the completed reps on the MU....

I can get my chest completely over the pull up bar in a slow, controlled false grip pull up, but I can't push through the transition! It might just be mental since I haven't done it before, or I may just not know what the hell I am doing

slizzardman said:

I can get my chest completely over the pull up bar in a slow, controlled false grip pull up, but I can't push through the transition! It might just be mental since I haven't done it before, or I may just not know what the hell I am doing

Same with me Slizzard. For bar muscle ups I can do a pull up past my nipples but when I go to rotate the elbows up I can only get my elbows even with the bar! Maybe a little screaming would help me break through the sticking point! I think I just need to work a bunch of negatives for a week or two and then I would get it but right now I dont have access to a horizontal bar of any kind! :cry: Ring muscle ups I can do sets of 5 so I am now working on not leaning forward during the transition.

Nice! I haven't been doing much work on these, I am still pretty sure my shoulder isn't up for it. It's getting better though!

I do notice that on the way down I feel an incredible amount of strain on my elbows. I suppose some OAC training is necessary in order to fix that

For you guys working on your bar MU I really recommend using the assisted pullup/dip machine. It helps you figure out the mechanics necessary for getting the elbows around.

slizzardman said:

I can get my chest completely over the pull up bar in a slow, controlled false grip pull up, but I can't push through the transition! It might just be mental since I haven't done it before, or I may just not know what the hell I am doing

You can do FL pulls and front pulls and a straddle FL, etc., and you can't do a muscle-up? :shock:

You just gotta grab hard and push as strong as you can!

jl5555 said:

slizzardman said:

.....my false grip sucks My elbows still hurt when I try that stuff, it's really amazing how hard this all is on the connective tissues.

From my point of view I agree that the false grip is an odd thing. Somehow, I think it's connected to shoulder flexibility (what isn't???) I have really worked on my shoulder flexibility (countless wall extensions, yoga down dog) and I think that has really helped with the false grip hang/pullup. When I first began there was a lot, and I mean a lot of splaying out of the elbows when I hung in the false grip. With the shoulder flexibility work I have seen much improvement in the false grip abilities other than just getting used to the damn thing...

No. Probably you had your palms at the bottom of rings curve.. For the false grip you have to grasp a litlle higher at the curve, so your wrist would be at the bottom of the curve.

slizzardman said:

I can get my chest completely over the pull up bar in a slow, controlled false grip pull up, but I can't push through the transition! It might just be mental since I haven't done it before, or I may just not know what the hell I am doing

Post a video.

I don't do it with false grip (on a pull up bar of course). I just turn explosevly my wirsts in at the right moment.

Gregor said:

No. Probably you had your palms at the bottom of rings curve.. For the false grip you have to grasp a litlle higher at the curve, so your wrist would be at the bottom of the curve.

Ok, thanks, I'll make sure I do that....

Gregor said:

slizzardman said:

I can get my chest completely over the pull up bar in a slow, controlled false grip pull up, but I can't push through the transition! It might just be mental since I haven't done it before, or I may just not know what the hell I am doing

Post a video.

I don't do it with false grip (on a pull up bar of course). I just turn explosevly my wirsts in at the right moment.

On a fast muscle up or a slow one? I'll try to get a video up soon, I've been sick. Bad food, I think. I haven't been using chalk, which I suppose would be a smart thing to start using while I am learning

On a slow one. Fast part is just in the midle where you have to rise above a bar. Ok it's not extremly slow...

You can do it with false grip to.

I totally did a slow muscle up on the pull up bar at the gym tonight. Hell yea! I don't know how, but what you said helped gregor! Thanks

slizzardman said:

I totally did a slow muscle up on the pull up bar at the gym tonight. Hell yea! I don't know how, but what you said helped gregor! Thanks

hehe, I knew you are capable to do it

No problem!

I got my first strict hanging no-kip muscle up this weekend as well. And I'm 43 years old with no past gymnastics training. I've been a long time lurker on this board who started doing gymnastics exercises last year after a back injury due to dead lifting.I bought Coach's rings and books and just started working slow and steady. The transition always got me. I've been doing jumping muscle ups as part of the beginner ring series. And I always started my workouts with static planche and front level progressions (both straddle at this point). So Friday, I said what the heck and just started out trying to get one muscle up before I did anything else. Sure enough, I got one strict no kip muscle up. I did another one on Sunday. I can't get a second one yet even after a brief rest, but I am happy that I got one.

I ran upstairs to tell my wife and of course she looks at me like I'm nuts. I reminded her that gymnastics is a much better mid life crisis than a mistress and she agrees. In any event, the progressions do work--even for an old man like myself. I went from barely able to do a handstand to doing ladders sets of handstand pushups on my parallettes. And from basic frog stands to passable straddle planches. My FL straddles are downright respectable.

Thanks for all the advice on the board. Getting my body forward and over the rings at the top of the false grip pull up seemed to be the key. I just wish I started this stuff in my teens.

That's awesome man! Congratulations

Really great!!!

I'm 46 now hoping to get it by 47.