Back / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Muscle Up

A bar exercise for the lats, with the abs, biceps and forearms assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Lats

Secondary

Abs, Biceps, Forearms & grip, Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps), Rear delts, Upper traps, Triceps

Equipment

Pull-up bar

Movement pattern

Vertical pull, Elbow flexion (curl)

Level

Intermediate

Type

Back, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the shoulder. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Grip the rings using a false grip, with the base of your palms on top of the rings. Initiate a pull up by pulling the elbows down to your side, flexing the elbows.
2. As you reach the top position of the pull-up, pull the rings to your armpits as you roll your shoulders forward, allowing your elbows to move straight back behind you. This puts you into the proper position to continue into the dip portion of the movement.
3. Maintaining control and stability, extend through the elbow to complete the motion.
4. Use care when lowering yourself to the ground.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Trying it before having strict pull-ups and dips.

  Why it hurts: The transition loads the shoulder and elbow hard; without base strength it strains the joints.

  ✓ Instead: Build to about 8–10 strict pull-ups and 10 dips first, and practise the transition low on rings or with a band.

• ✗ Dropping straight from the top.

  Why it hurts: Falling into a dead hang jolts the shoulders and elbows.

  ✓ Instead: Lower through the dip and the pull-up under control.

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