Muscle-ups are a technical, highly advanced movement that few people will ever be able to perform. For 61-year-old Antony, the calisthenics athlete behind the Instagram account @fun_with_calisthenics_, it took three months of dedicated training to achieve his first rep – with most of his workouts completed in his back garden.
By training just twice a week, Antony has worked up to muscle-ups with a 5kg plate, dips with 80kg strapped to his waist and countless pull-ups.
'I have two workout programmes,' Antony says. 'Heavy and volume. But I try to spread them over four or five days. Consisting of weighted pull-ups and chin-ups, weighted dips, back squats and bodyweight muscle-ups. That's it.'
It takes time to achieve your first muscle-up, but once you get there, you'll be hooked. The best approach is to work towards that first rep through a series of progressions. Here's how.
How to Work Towards Your First Muscle-Up
1/ Master Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are a fundamental part of the muscle-up. The first phase of the movement relies on having both the strength and explosiveness to pull yourself into the transition. They're also one of the simpler elements – without a strong pull-up, you won't get very far.
Working up to double-digit pull-up reps will put you in a good position to start chasing your first muscle-up.
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2/ Incorporate the Straight-Bar Dip Into Your Training
Whenever most people perform dips, they're usually done on parallel bars, with the hands in a neutral position. That's very different from a muscle-up, where your hands are positioned on a straight bar in front of you. Learning the straight-bar dip helps mimic the second half of the movement.
Getting strong at dips is essential for building the chest, shoulder and triceps strength needed to press out of the bottom of the muscle-up.
3/ Learn to Bring Your Hips to the Bar
Gym bros might not like it, but kipping is an important part of the muscle-up. Without learning how to bring your hips to the bar efficiently, you'll struggle to generate the momentum needed to transition over the top.
Start by getting into a hollow body position on the bar. Brace your core, bring your legs slightly in front of your body, then swing them backwards and forwards to create the kip. As your legs move forwards, pull hard with your arms while driving your hips towards the bar. Push away and swing back into the next rep.
4/ Use Resistance Bands
While Antony is able to add extra weight to his muscle-ups, he still regularly warms up using resistance bands. Choosing a heavier band makes the movement easier, while lighter bands bring you closer to performing an unassisted rep.
Loop a resistance band over the pull-up bar and place one foot inside it. This will assist the pull-up phase and provide some of the momentum needed to complete the transition.
Resistance bands also play a crucial role in rehearsing the movement itself. Moving smoothly from a pull-up into a dip isn't a familiar pattern for most people, so learning how to transition from pulling to pushing is essential. It sounds simple, but it's a key part of the movement.
How to Do Your First Muscle-Up
- Hang from a pull-up bar, keeping your core tight and lats engaged to create a hollow body position.
- Swing your legs forwards while keeping your body rigid.
- As your legs reach their furthest point, pull hard with your arms while driving your hips towards the bar.
- Use that momentum to get your chest over the bar until your hips are resting above it and your hands are in a pressing position. Pause briefly if needed – this is often the hardest part of the movement.
- From there, simply press yourself up as though you're performing the top half of a dip.
- Lock out your arms at the top and enjoy the feeling of mastering one of calisthenics' most iconic movements.
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