Muscle Up

How to do the Muscle Up

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.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	lats
Secondary	abs, biceps, forearms, middle back, shoulders, traps, triceps
Equipment	other equipment
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No other equipment? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Chin-Up Bodyweight V-Bar Pullup Bodyweight Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up Bodyweight Pullups Bodyweight Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover Barbell Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown Cable Machine

Easier than the Muscle Up

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Chin-Up beginner · Bodyweight Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown beginner · Cable Machine Underhand Cable Pulldowns beginner · Cable Machine

Superset the Muscle Up with

Opposing chest and shoulders work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Dips - Chest Version chest Front Plate Raise shoulders Battling Ropes shoulders Sled Overhead Backward Walk shoulders

Common questions

What muscles does the Muscle Up work?

The Muscle Up primarily works the lats, with the abs, biceps, forearms, mid back, shoulders, traps, and triceps as secondary movers. Kipping Muscle Up, Rope Climb, and Side To Side Chins train the same muscle, across 7 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Muscle Up?

The Right Equipment. Without the right equipment, Chin-Up, V-Bar Pullup, and Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up train the same muscle, and 8 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Muscle Up suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Chin-Up, Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown, and Underhand Cable Pulldowns and work up.

Where should the Muscle Up go in a workout?

Early — the Muscle Up is compound, working 8 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Dips - Chest Version and Front Plate Raise later.

Similar exercises

Kipping Muscle Up Other Equipment Rope Climb Other Equipment Side To Side Chins Other Equipment Chin-Up Bodyweight Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown Cable Machine Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown Cable Machine