When you’re concerned about your physique, you will follow many exercises the fitness instructor will suggest. But, did you know that muscle ups can actually tone your body in the best way? Well, this exercise requires practice and you have to progress with the exercise steadily. Having said that, you also have to practice some progressions to accomplish precision. So, in this article, we shall cover more about muscle ups benefits.
What is a Muscle Up?
Muscle-up is known to be a strength training exercise that requires a lot of physical strength. While you’re performing the exercise, you have to hold an overhead bar firmly. A bit later, when you become stable, you have to lift the entire body. In fact, you have to pull yourself up till the level of your chin.
Muscle Ups Benefits
Now if you’re wondering why muscle-ups are good for your health, then let’s check out its benefits.
Enhanced Stability
If you wish to lift heavy weights, then you have to improve your grip. So, when you do muscle-ups repeatedly, you are actually holding a bar every time. Moreover, when you do muscle ups regularly, you will be enhancing the grip strength.
Developing Your Arm Muscles
At the first glimpse, a muscle-up is just perfect for enhancing muscular strength. Hence, when you perform muscle-ups regularly, you will be boosting your triceps and biceps. You are also helping yourself grow both muscles together. As a result, you will observe symmetrical muscle growth with time.
Helps to be in shape
As you continue to do muscle-ups, the arms do the maximum work. Over a period of time, you will also feel the upper body clenching. The exercise also affects the core muscles in a good way. Eventually, fat around the belly will vanish and you will develop abdominal muscles. In fact, muscle-ups help to speed up the burning of belly fat.
Makes Glute Muscles strong
Glute muscles are yet another set of muscles that become strong through muscle-ups. But, even when this exercise can’t be compared with crunches, the impact is significant. Doing muscle-ups regularly will improve your personality with a lean posterior.
Strengthens Back Muscles
Strengthening the back muscles is also one of the muscle ups benefits. With the precise motion, the back muscles around the shoulders become strong. If you incorporate muscle-ups into the core workout, then you will develop broad shoulders. This can eventually form a V-shape for your body.
How to do a muscle up?
After speaking with a trainer, we have made the muscle-up exercise seem easy. Let’s check out the tips ahead.
Part 1: Muscle-ups
Muscle-ups require a lot of strength when you’re pulling your body up. But, if you wish to boast a pleasing physique, then here’s what you need to do.
Chest-to-bar Pull-up
The first step primarily involves developing strength. This can be accomplished by doing pull-ups in a controlled manner. You first have to simply hang and keep your legs tight. Later, you have to bend the lower portion at an angle of 90 degrees. Way ahead, you have to pull the upper body till it reaches the overhead bar.
Straight Arm Pull-down
When you’re doing this exercise, you have to use a resistance band. Soon after looping the band on the bar, you have to keep your arms straight. Later, you have to push your buttocks back and bend your knees slightly. After getting into the pose, you have to pull the band down. But, make sure you stretch till your hips.
Hip-to-bar Pull-up
In this exercise, you have to bring your hips closer to the bar. Once you settle in the hanging position, you have to move your shoulders backwards. Now, you have to move your legs to get into the ‘kipping’ motion. As you move your legs in the forward direction, you have to raise your body. In the end, you have to push yourself away and move your legs again.
Straight Bar Dip
While you’re performing this exercise, it will help develop your chest, triceps and shoulders. First and foremost, you have to place the barbell in a rack. As you hold the bar firmly, you have to bring your shoulders to the bar. In a few moments, you have to keep holding the bar and move your upper body.
Part 2: The Bar Muscle-up
As the bar muscle-up comes under advanced exercises, here are the steps to follow. In fact, we have made it simple for you as you go through the phases.
Phase 1
Initially, you have to hold the bar and keep your body dangling. Later, you have to move into the kip swing. Then, you have to move the legs in the front and towards the backside. But, do ensure that your body is in the central position.
Phase 2
Once your body is stable, you have to pull down the bar with your shoulders and back. You also have to lift your hips till they reach your hands. Now, you have to move your head towards the bar to gain more momentum.
Phase 3
After phase 2, you have to use your strength to move ahead with the final progression. At those instances, you have to press your body upward. You further have to engage your core and keep your legs in the front.
What progressions to follow for gaining muscle ups benefits?
Now, let’s check out the progressions related to muscle ups. But, let’s check whether you must do exercises with a bar or move ahead with kipping.
What to do when you’re gymnastically challenged?
If you’re not good at gymnastics, then you will have a tough time performing muscle ups. This is because such exercises need mobility, speed and strength. On the other hand, if you really wish to build muscular strength, then it’s time to grow your upper body muscles. But, even when you’re quite strong like a bodybuilder, you can still do the muscle up exercise.
Bar vs. Ring?
When you’re choosing between rings and bars, the choice depends on you. A pull up bar is good for enhancing strength in the upper body. It also offers stability for conventional pull-up variations. But, using rings can make your body insatiable during the exercise. Additionally, you can do diverse exercises in addition to standard pull-ups. Ultimately, you have to decide what you must incorporate.
Kipping vs. Strict
While you move ahead with workouts, kipping helps to increase the repetitions during pull-ups. But, if you’re a beginner, then strict movements can be beneficial. These will certainly enhance your body and foundational strength. But, those who have a certain amount of strength shouldn’t try kipping. This can exacerbate the issues when you might have injury concerns. So, when you are trying to perform kipping, do it with great care.
What to Work on to Get Your First Bar Muscle up
Now, let’s check out the muscle ups progressions in detail. Here’s what you need to do.
#1 Pull Up Strength
If you can do muscle ups successfully, then you can gain lat strength. But, many individuals state that repetitive sets of muscle ups can affect their lats. Once you observe your personality in the mirror, the lats will appear tender. So, while doing pull ups, activate your scapula and descend properly.
#2 Horizontal Pulling Strength
Many people avoid engaging in horizontal pulling movements. This is because they like doing pushups and bench presses. But, if you do bench presses in excess, then it can lead to bad posture. The health of your shoulders will also not improve in the long run.
#3 Core Area
It’s always better to develop the core of your body. So, while you accomplish the hollow body position, you can develop six-packs just like a gymnast. The core weaknesses will also be diminished when you do toes-to-bar or hanging knee raises.
#4 Honing your skills with kipping
Many fitness enthusiasts perform kipping pull ups, and butterfly pull ups. But, if you observe these variations, a few movements are common. Once you’re confident in performing every variation, you will be able to do bar muscle ups naturally. In contrast, you can get into superman's hollow body position and then move on with the rest.
#5 Jumping to Hollow Position
Technically speaking, maintaining a hollow body position is the fundamental part of bar muscle ups. If this pose isn’t maintained then you will not perceive muscle up benefits. So, while you practice this, you have to jump up and try holding the pull up bar. Once you get used to such a type of position, you can move in the forward direction. At that instance, just make sure that you’re in the swinging motion.
#6 Snap to Support
Progressing from below the bar to above it can be tough especially when you want to perform muscle ups well. So, you have to be swift when you go from a ‘hips open’ to the ‘hips closed position’. This progression can be done in numerous ways. But, most commonly, you have to lead your chest and ensure that the feet don’t move the upper trunk. Once you reach the support position, you have to support yourself with the help of plates.
#7 Jumping From a Box
Soon after you become confident about your strength, you must proceed with jumping muscle ups. Moreover, you can also set some time for associating some repetitions. At that point of time, think about using a box that has more than usual height. Once you’re ready, you have to bend your knees, jump and grab the overhead bar.
#8 Banded Bar Muscle Ups
While you perform this progression, you have to use a flexible band. As soon as you place the band, you must ensure that one of the knots is around the sole and the other one is firm on the bar. When you’re ready, you have to pull yourself up and extend the upper trunk above the bar. As you move your body upwards and downwards, the flexible band will support you. This, in turn, will enable you to get into the right position. You will then reap muscle up benefits.
#9 Making Shoulder & T Spine mobile
If your t-spine and shoulders are rigid or stiff, then you will not be able to do muscle ups properly. Hence, you have to try to get into the arch position with your chest in the forward position. You also have to maintain the position of your head before you jump at the bar. With this in mind, you have to open your t-spine along with the shoulders.
#10 Practice in future
When you’re able to do a single muscle up successfully, you can repeat it with precision. But, think about practicing muscle ups with sufficient rest time. This will drive you ahead for one more repetition even if you have lost confidence or not. Maintaining focus on a few cues can also help even if you have missed getting into the right form.
Conclusion
Finally, we hope that you have now understood about muscle ups benefits. Once you start practicing these, you will truly perceive a difference in your physique. But, your hands and legs must move freely while performing muscle ups. Ideally, you must wear a singlet that is sleeveless. If you are looking forward to buying a singlet, then why not check the online store of Pro Wolf? As these are made from breathable fabric, you will not feel uncomfortable while wearing these. In addition, you can also check various accessories through the online store.
