AFSCrossfit Muscle up Guide
The fabled Muscle Up is a dream of many of us. Once described as a really big Pull Up followed by the worlds fastest Sit-Up it sounds easy right. It is anything but. A huge amount of strength combined with a vast amount of agility and speed makes this one of the toughest exercises in CrossFit.
To begin the journey to a Muscle Up you first have to get your Pull Ups to around the 5 rep mark. See my previous Pull Up guide if you need help with that. If you don’t have a Pull Up yet but want to start working on the basics of a Muscle Up then feel free to add banded assistance or low bar alternatives so you can still build up a strong grip and the techniques.
Check out our YouTube Channel for tutorial videos on the exercises below. Now go get after it. Remember the more work you put in the luckier you will get. If you need any further help feel free to book in for a No Sweat Intro and we can get you started properly.
Week 1- session 1
• 3 Sets: False Grip Hang (hang at bottom for 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 30 Second Dead Hang
• 3 Sets: 6 to 10 Ring Dips
Scaled - 3x6 Banded Dips
• 3 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other)
Pulls Up - 5 x Best Effort (Active Hang or better)
• 5 Sets: 2-3 Slow-motion Negatives
Week 1- session 2
• 3 Set: False Grip Hang –30 seconds
Pull Ups - Dead Hang on Bar
• 4 Sets: 3 Ring Pull-Ups at a slow speed- Count of 3 (palms facing away from you)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts (Active Hang or Better)
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (pause at top between reps)
Scaled - 2x3 Negatives + 2x3 Banded Dips
• 5 Sets: 5 Muscle up progression
Pull Ups - 5x5 Banded Pull Ups
Week 1- session 3
• 3 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull-Ups (hang at bottom 10 – 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 3x3 Banded Pull Up (aim for the thick red band)
• 8 Sets: 3 Negatives at a slow speed
Pull Ups - 8x2 Negative Pull Ups on Bar
Week 2- session 1
• 3 Sets: False Grip Hangs (hang at bottom for 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - Dead Hang
• 4 Sets: 6 to 10 Ring Dips
Scaled - 2x5 negatives + 2x5 Banded Dips
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other)
• 5 Sets: 5 muscle up progressions (slow speed)
Week 2- session 2
• 3 Set: False Grip Hangs – 30 seconds
• 4 Sets: 3 Ring Pull-Ups at a slow speed (palms facing away from you)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts
• 4 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (3 sec pause at top between reps)
Scaled - 2x5 Negatives + 2x5 Banded Dips
• 5 Sets: 5 negatives at a slow speed
Pull Ups - Jumping Pull Ups
Week 2- session 3
• 3 Sets: 4 False Grip Pull-Ups (hang at bottom 10 – 30 seconds)
Pull Ups - 4x3 Pull Up Attempts
• 8 Sets: 3 progression with feet elevated
Pull Ups - 8x3 Ring Rows shoulders under the rings
Week 3- session 1
• 3 Set: False Grip Hangs (hang for 40 seconds)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips / Ring Dip Attempt
• 3 Sets: 5 Ring Pull-ups (palms facing each other) / Pull Up Attempts
• 5 Sets: 5 negatives (slow speed)
Week 3- session 2
• 1 Set: False Grip Hang- 40 seconds
• 4 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (Slow, palms facing away from you)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (pause at top between reps)
• 5 Sets: 5 Jumping muscle up / Jmping Pull Ups
Week 3- session 3
• 3 Sets: False Grip Pull-Up (2 sec pause at top, 5 second hang at the bottom)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle up (SUPER friend required) / Assisted Pull Ups
Week 4- session 1
• 1 Set: False Hangs (30 seconds)
• 8 Sets: 3 Negatives – faster speed.
• 5 Sets: 3 Ring Dips with a Pause (Explosive push after the pause)
• 5 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (fast, palms facing each other)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle ups / Assisted Pull Up
Week 4- session 2
• 8 Sets: 1 Muscle up progression – work on keeping in close
• 5 Sets: 3 False Grip Pull Ups (Fast, palms facing away from you)
• 5 Sets: 5 Ring Dips (Explosive push after the pause)
• 8 Sets: 1 Guided muscle up
Week 4- session 3
• 3 Sets: 3 False Grip Hangs (hang at bottom 30 seconds)
• 5 Sets: 2 guided muscle up
1 Full Muscle up! (Dave 1000 burpees)
Or 1 PULL UP!!!!