False Grip Problems

[Indy]

I have been working my dips, pull-ups, false grip pull-ups (via slizzardman's video), etc in my quest for the slow muscle-up, but I am having trouble even holding myself on the rings with the false grip. What is the best way that I can remedy this? I would like to work false grip ring pull-up to get the muscle-up, but they are simply too difficult right now. I am not sure if it is a technique problem or a wrist strength problem. How many "false grip pull-ups' should I be able to do at once on the bar before having an effective ring false grip. I can do sets of 2 on the bar with my wrists goosenecked over it, but they become quite difficult to hold the position after a few sets.

[David Picó García]

i find much easier to false grip on rings. Assuming you dont have any problem with your writs, is totally normal to find the false grip unconfortable at first. i would recommend starting at low rings and try to do negatives as far as you can, or chin ups with false grip, but starting at the top position and descend until its confortable, at first perhaps just try to hold at top position, and eventually you will go deeper and deeper until you can extend your arms fully.

Once you can hold it it feels even more natural than standar grip :wink:

[Darius]

I found false grip really hard at first too, so what I did was just incorporate hanging in false grip on the rings for time. I did that for a few weeks and my wrists adjusted to the new strain. Its quite simple now.

[jl5555]

I may be wrong (usually am) but I'm of the opinion that false grip issues are strongly related to lack of shoulder (elbow, arm, wrist, etc.) flexibility. If you cannot fully extend the arms you end up relying more on strength to hold the position. As serotonin says, work on opening up those shoulders...

[Indy]

i find much easier to false grip on rings. Assuming you dont have any problem with your writs, is totally normal to find the false grip unconfortable at first. i would recommend starting at low rings and try to do negatives as far as you can, or chin ups with false grip, but starting at the top position and descend until its confortable, at first perhaps just try to hold at top position, and eventually you will go deeper and deeper until you can extend your arms fully.

Once you can hold it it feels even more natural than standar grip :wink:

Thanks for the insight, everyone. Ok, serotonin, 'from low rings' meaning that my feet still spot me as I do negatives? Or stay in an 'L.' I will probably have to keep pressure on the ground because as soon as I free hang I lose the false grip.

[Blairbob]

Work simple false grip hangs if you can. If you cannot, lower the rings till you can do false grip rows horizontally or even diagonally if need be.

Wrist/forearm flexibility is part of it as well. The wrist protocol would be sufficient in solving this.

[Tarun Suri]

It's usually an issue of either wrist strength or flexibility. Find which is your limiting point and work on that. For me it's my flexibility but only on my left wrist... odd.

[David Picó García]

I mean for low rings a high were you can hang without having to extend fully your arm, at head level or a bit more would be fine so, you can grip well, and start at a flexed arm position, and from here try to do chin ups as far as you can. maybe the ROM is little, but i found than the false grip strength is gained very quickly, specially because there may there is not lack of strength, also uncomfortable position for wrist but this goes away very quickly.

[Indy]

Yesterday, I found that I can do bent arm holds with my feet off the ground in the false grip. So, I worked a few sets holding for time. I am gonna work these until I can do full ROM false grip pull-ups. Yeah, my limiting factor is not strength, but probably wrist flexibility.

[Aushion Chatman]

Yesterday, I found that I can do bent arm holds with my feet off the ground in the false grip. So, I worked a few sets holding for time. I am gonna work these until I can do full ROM false grip pull-ups. Yeah, my limiting factor is not strength, but probably wrist flexibility.

Perfect...idea...keep working it and you'll be there in no time. I would do the holds for time and then after you feel pretty comfortable play with trying to hang in full extension and false grip pull-ups.

Those wrist push-ups that Coach posted about in the joint prep forum would also be a good additional tool as you build this strength IMO.