Bodyweight Muscle-Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, ideally using a 'false grip' where the heels of your palms rest on top of the bar.
2. Position yourself slightly behind the bar to allow for a natural 'hollow body' swing.
3. Engage your core and glutes to create a rigid, stable torso.

How to do it

1. Pull explosively toward your lower ribs while driving your chest back and away from the bar to create a 'C' shaped path.
2. At the apex of the pull, aggressively lean your shoulders forward over the bar to transition into the bottom of a dip.
3. Exhale sharply as you press your body upward until your arms are fully extended at the top.
4. Inhale as you lower yourself back down with control, reversing the path of the movement.

Form checklist

• Avoid 'chicken-winging' where one elbow rises above the bar before the other.
• Keep your legs together and core braced to minimize inefficient energy leaks.
• Ensure your chest clears the bar completely before attempting the press.
• Maintain a tight grip to ensure stability during the high-velocity transition.

Pro tips

• Think about pulling the bar down to your waist rather than pulling yourself up to the bar.
• The transition is the hardest part; focus on a fast 'head-nod' forward to shift your center of mass over the bar.
• Maintain a 'hollow body' position throughout the pull to maximize tension and power transfer.

Make it harder

• Slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase to 3-5 seconds to increase time under tension.
• Perform strict muscle-ups from a dead hang with zero leg drive or momentum.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the bodyweight muscle-up work?

The bodyweight muscle-up primarily targets the biceps, lats, and triceps, and also works the abs, deltoids, forearms, obliques, and rotator cuff as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the bodyweight muscle-up?

The bodyweight muscle-up uses pull up bar.

Is the bodyweight muscle-up good for beginners?

The bodyweight muscle-up is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

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• Biceps Table RowIntermediate · biceps, lats, and rhomboids