The best FIRST SKILL to learn Calisthenics: Muscle Up

The best FIRST SKILL to learn Calisthenics: Muscle Up

The Best Skill to Start Calisthenics

If I were start Calisthenics again from scratch, I would make the Muscle Up my first skill goal. There's truly no better place to start than with the iconic Muscle Up. From the intermediate difficulty of the move, to its “wow” factor, and with all the benefits that it brings to the table, it is a no brainer. The Muscle Up is such a cheat code in accelerating your growth in Calisthenics because it gives you the basics tools to master other skills, it looks cool, and it develops an aesthetic physique.

Why you should Train for the Muscle Up

  1. Foundation for Advancement

    Beyond its impressive aesthetics, mastering the Muscle Up lays the groundwork for a profound number of intermediate and advanced skills. You can expect to notice a lean gain in muscle mass on your back, chest and triceps. Will elaborate more later. These fundamental strengths are integral for learning more advanced movement, from Front Levers to Handstands, and provide you with the powerful impetus toward your conquest of Calisthenics skills.

    Secondly, it requires a good grasp of dynamic skills, such as understanding momentum, timing and centre of gravity. Learning such coordination skills early will give you strong fundamentals as you strive to progress into dynamic skills.

    Lastly, it is an achievable skill that is not so far out of reach that will make you quit before ever seeing any hint of progress towards the skill. We all want to see progress, no matter how little it is. If there isn’t an improvement, human beings are prone to giving up. With the muscle up, the learning curve isn’t as steep as you think. Starting from zero conditioning and experience, you will be able to achieve it within half a year with proper training and guidance.

  2. Awesome party trick

    Imagine this: You make a slight jump onto the bar, grip it, and effortlessly glide from pull-up to dip position in one seamless motion – that's the Muscle Up. The precise timing and fluid transitions makes it not just a physical feat but a spectacle of skill and coordination. If you have an audience, they are sure to be mesmerized. You can then proceed to tell your story on how you mastered this, top 10% skill, in 6 months.

  3. Full Upper Body Training

    The Muscle Up recruits so many muscle groups and beginners can expect a challenge when engaging the muscles and mind during this movement.

    The Muscle Groups Worked:
    The Muscle Up engages so many muscle groups (other than legs😟) that you can achieve an aesthetic physique just repeatedly spamming the exercise. Trust me, I have friends who started from Muscle-Ups, made it their identity, and achieved a shredded physique this one single exercise! From your lats to your triceps, several key muscle groups come into play to execute this move:

    Latissimus Dorsi (Back):
    The primary mover, responsible for pulling your body towards the bar during the initial pull-up phase.
    Biceps & Forearms: Assist in the pulling motion and provide stability as you transition from pull-up to dip.

    Chest & Triceps: Powerhouses that propel you through the dip portion of the Muscle Up.

    Core: Engaged to maintain stability and control throughout the movement.

How to Perform a Muscle Up in 7 Steps (Tips):

  1. Master the Pull-Up: Build a solid foundation by perfecting your pull-up form and strength. Aim for a full range of motion, engaging your lats and pulling your chest towards the bar.
  2. Focus on Explosive Power: The Muscle Up requires explosive strength. Practice explosive pull-ups to generate the momentum needed to transition smoothly.
  3. Master the Transition: Visualize the transition from pull-up to dip. Focus on the timing and coordination required to smoothly shift your body over the bar.
  4. Engage Your Core: Keep your core tight throughout the movement to maintain stability and control.
  5. Kip Your Legs: Gain more momentum by kipping your legs in the initial stage of learning. This allows you to get over the bar easier
  6. Practice the Bar Dip: Look for low, straight bars and practice dipping from your chest. This unlocks the smooth transition from the Pull Up, to locking out your elbows at the top.
  7. Practice the False Grip: Experiment with the false grip – a grip where your wrists are positioned over the bar. This could help you ease the transition phase of rotating your wrist. (Note that this is at the end as it requires practice and is not super important, compared to the rest.)

Training Frequency

To end off, I will give you MY recommendation of training frequency to achieve the Muscle-Up: 3 times a week of Upper Body workouts, focusing on explosive pulling strength. In each workout, always start with the explosive exercises or moves that require 90-100% of your effort first. With the Muscle Up as your guiding star, the world of Calisthenics Mastery awaits. The impossible moves won’t be so far out of reach once this is done. You will understand what I mean after your accomplishment. I will see you on the other side :)

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