August 19, 2006
The Muscle-up, by Greg Glassman - Nov 02 CFJ
The muscle-up is astonishingly difficult to perform, unrivaled in building upper body strength, a critical survival skill, and most amazingly of all, virtually unknown.
This movement gets you from under things to on them.
Though containing a pull-up and a dip, its potency is due to neither. The heart of the muscle-up is the transition from pull-up to dip - the agonizing moment when you don’t know if you’re above or below.
That moment - the transition - can last from fractions to dozens of seconds. At low, deliberate speeds, the muscle-up takes a toll physically and psychologically that can only be justified by the benefit. No other movement can deliver the same upper body strength. Period.
This Frankenstein’s monster combination of pull-up and dip gives the exercise advantages that render it supreme among exercises as fundamental as the pull-up, rope climb, dips, push-ups, and even the almighty bench press.
We do our muscle-ups from rings chiefly because that’s the hardest place possible.
Very insightful article. I received my rings about a month ago and haven't come close to a muscle-up...yet. But, now that I've got some specific information, I feel more confident that it won't be much longer!
After a month of trying, I cranked out my first, then first successive (2) muscle-ups just hours after reading this article and on my first attempt. I believe the key for me was to just keep straining to push through the transition, rather than giving up when it didn't come quickly. Thanks Coach.
It is hard to imagine this "impossible" task is so fundamental and easy for the gymnastic community. This move was introduced as the "mother of all excercises" by my coach and mentor George. One of my first CF workouts was the sub for the 30 MU. Doing the 120 Dips and 120 Pull ups was painful and sobering.
I appreciate the articles specific coaching and tips now that I have rings in the garage. My goal is to be able to do the 30 MU by the end of the year.
Really great video of Eva T. in the beach bikini muscle-up.
Regarding the article on muscle-ups it was helpful in actually practicing it. First I learned how to "kip" into one and then after 2 months of kipping, learned how to slowly go into one. What a thrill it was. Now I can only 2 in a row, but at least I can say "I'm part of the Club".
At 46 years of age I want to thank Coach Glassman and the CrossFit Community.
From a psycological viewpoint...I cannot tell you how "badass" I feel at my age to be able to do the things with my body that I could not at age 40, age 30, or even at 20...not only that, I'm able to smoke younger guys at many exercise combinations. What a Confidence builder CrossFit has become for me. And if it works for an "old-fart" (but still extremely handsome) individual like me, imagine what it can do for you?
