Your first pull-up: a step-by-step progression
The pull-up holds a lot of people back for a long time. Four steps to go from zero to a full pull-up without rushing.
Learning the muscle-up: prerequisites and progressions
Going from under the bar to over it in one movement. What to master first, and how to train it.
The muscle-up links an explosive pull-up with a dip, getting you over the bar. It looks spectacular, but mostly it takes solid basic strength and a bit of technique.
Prerequisites
- Around ten strict pull-ups.
- Around ten clean parallel-bar dips.
- Shoulders that feel comfortable hanging.
Progressions
- High pull-ups: pull until your chest, then your lower ribs, reach the bar.
- Explosive pull-ups: pull as fast as you can, briefly letting go at the top if you can.
- Low-bar transitions: with your feet on the ground, practice getting your elbows over the bar.
- Straight-bar dips: learn to press out once you're on top.
The movement
The secret is pulling the bar toward your hips rather than your chin, and leaning your chest forward as your elbows come over. A small swing helps at first.
Be patient. The muscle-up often clicks all at once after weeks of working the progressions. Volta has a dedicated muscle-up workout and calisthenics progressions to get you there.
Let Volta plan your week.
