Getting a slow muscle up

I wanted to get a slow muscle up and started to focus on the transition (following coach's advise). Initially, I needed quite a bit of assist from a basketball (see video) and it did not feel as if I would ever be able to do without. However, to my surprise, after diligently doing my toe-assisted transitions for about 6 weeks, I did get my slow controlled MU when I tried it today. This, after discovering that I could do the transitions without any assist. I had a pretty bad case of the flue last two weeks. So, that must be the explanation. Anyway, I am stoked. Here is how I got there and what it looks like. I still lack some strength in the transition, but realistically that should come with more practice, I think:

Note: it would be nice if I could find this youtube button that I am supposed to use to get my video embedded.

S6cYaBi8gn8

Inspirational work, Frits! And as for embedding YouTube, use these tags: [youtube) [/youtube) with only the part after v= (from the youtube link) in between. Edit: use square brackets only for the tags, but if I type it like that the system thinks I'm posting an empty link (if you know what I mean )

Yeeeeeeeesssssss, i see you have follow my ideas...great result...my father is learning in the same way using a ball like you...

like my father sometimes a week of rest completely from muscle up work can help.

My tips can be to start the MU froma lower position everytime, not to much, a little bit. when the strentgh increased in the past i usually did a complete pull up ending in this isometrich contraction that you are doing at he start.

After i focuse myself to not try to lean forward with shoulder to make the dip more easy but try ONLY to press down on the rings maintaining the body straigth

Thanks alex87. Yes, I did follow your suggestions that you gave a while ago. I now plan to gradually bring my hands out (to a more than shoulder width position) at the start of the transition while trying to stay more upright. Meanwhile, any shoulder problems that I had, have been ironed out with this kind of transition training. I think that there is a lot of stretching of the shoulder girdle going on as well as strengthening while doing these moves. Anyway, it is encouraging to make progress.

Hi biomieg. Thanks for the pointer. One of these months (next year) we should see if we can get together. I will e-mail you my where-abouts so you can contact me, if you feel like it. I noticed that you are going to Helsinki for Ido Portal's workshop. Unfortunately, the workshop is one week before the Heineken (rowing races), so I can not go. En, natuurlijk nog een gezellig kerstfeest en goed nieuwjaar gewenst.

Hey Frits, that would be really nice! Feel free to contact me anytime and we will work something out (en jij natuurlijk ook fijne feestdagen en een goede jaarwisseling gewenst!)

Really nice!!!

Impressive once again Frits! :shock:

Going to take that one to heart Frits! Great Job!

Thanks, guys. I will keep plugging away.

Biomieg. I did try to send you a private message, but I am not sure it will ever reach you. So, if and when you feel like it, give me a call or send me an e-mail. I live in Heemstede. Cheers.

Frits, I didn't get a PM but I have copied your email/phone #/address. Thank you! I am in Delft nowadays, by the way (I recently moved there from Wageningen), so that's not extremely far from where you live.

(you can edit your previous post and delete your personal information now, if you want to).

Inspirational, Frits!! To the point that I've decided to throw some MU practise in on top of my morning mobility work.

I've been able to do a MU for a number of years now (ex-crossfitter), but through lack of practise and a waivering commitment to my fitness, I'm back to having to put a fair bit of kip into it.

My first attempt this morning at grooving the transition with the basketball showed me that I have neither the active flexibility or full ROM strength to hold a false grip at dead hang. So I guess I'll be practising that too!!

Anyway; once again, top job!

Pogo69. I found that both my active shoulder flexibility and false grip strength improved a lot from just practicing the transition. So, in the end holding the false grip in the dead hang ended up just being a matter of turning my hands out. Before I started, I had difficulties doing that too. Don’t forget to chalk your hands (and, maybe, tape up a section of your rings). I forgot to chalk my hands before I made the video and you can see that I had to regrip twice on the way up. Anyway, glad to to help you get out of the wavering mode. I have been there myself more times then I can remember. Have fun.

So, I've supplementing my morning mobility work with 3 x slow controlled, med ball assisted MU transitions. Been at it for the better part of 2 weeks.

While I've a way to go before attaining a full slow controlled MU, I discovered an unexpected positive side-effect yesterday; I got my first forward roll to MU as part of last night's WOD!! In fact, I got two!! Couldn't manage it in the 3rd round, but that's two more than ever before!! It seemed like I was able to apply a lot more pressure in the false grip, so that I could maintain it through the roll.

Anyway... I'll keep at it, but thanks again for the inspiration, Frits!!

Well, that is interesting. I had exactly the same experience two days ago. About half a year ago I tried very hard to get a forward roll and had to decide “no wayâ€. So two days ago, after my basket ball MU practice, I tried again and just did one. Still a long way from doing it consistently, but there is hope now.

I am really happy to have inspired you. You probably know how that works. I get inspired by inspiring you. Keep having fun.

Awesome!

That's how it works, consistent realistic practice bring progress!

Nice work again Frits!

Thanks, Mr Brady. You can imagine that I am stoked. I also found that (from doing these MU transitions) my shoulder flexibility has improved significantly. I can now balance on my forearms with my forearms almost parallel and my elbows under my shoulders; My HS is getting better aligned too. I think it is time to start doing the (scaled version of the) WOD consistently.

Small update on my Frits-inspired MU practise.

I'm still nowhere near the quality of MU that Frits displays in his video; I'm getting stronger and the MU is more controlled, but a loooooong way to go.

However; during Tuesday's WOD I managed the MU -> fwd roll -> MU portion of the ring series in each of my 3 sets without any trouble at all. The 3rd set was ugly, but no problem pressing it out. I'm sure if I was more diligent with it I'd be seeing better results, but it is, without doubt, helping me along.

Pogo69, thanks for your update. It took me a while, but I finally got my forward-roll-to-MU under control. For your interest, here is a post to Kilroy (under the WOD110214 thread), who seems to be struggling with the same problems I had.

"Killroy, I saw your post about the elusive forward roll to MU. I had exactly the same problem and seem to be progressing with my MU and FL to MU in the same manner you describe. So maybe it will help you to know how I finally got my elusive forward roll to MU. You have to bear with me, and may not need all the steps that I needed.

In my case, it turned out to be mostly a lack of coordination so I tried to break down the movement into more doable parts. As a warmup, I first do a couple of pullovers (including the forward roll back) on a bar that I hang from my rings (it helped me to learn to control my legs during the first part of the forward roll, plus you get a feel for the timing of the pull into the MU). Then I do a couple of MUs from a hanging upside down piked position. Just go into reverse hang and pike your straight legs by bringing your knees to your nose and go into a controlled roll towards a MU. You will be surprised how easy the MU becomes if you use the momentum from your forward roll. Lastly, with rings at almost chest high, jump up into the forward roll. First, you can check your forward speed with your legs against the straps. After a while you will find that you can slow down your forward roll and control your MU pretty well without having to straighten your arms to absorb the shock load from your legs dropping down. I managed to complete the whole sequence for the first time yesterday (first time, I tried it that way) and ended up practicing the jump-into-a-forward-roll -plus-MU for at least half an hour because it felt so good. To make sure I “got itâ€, I finally did a couple of forward rolls starting from a L-sit in the rings.

I hope, this helps."

Pogo directed me here.. So sweet. These are going in my warmup. 3x3 I'm thinking