Muscle Up
An advanced bodyweight pulling exercise that combines a pull up with a dip on rings or a bar. It suits lifters who already have strong pull ups and dips and want a demanding upper body challenge.
How to do the muscle up
- Grip the rings or bar with a false grip, resting the base of your palms over the top of them.
- Pull yourself up as you would a pull up, driving your elbows down toward your sides.
- As you reach the top of the pull, roll your shoulders forward and pull the rings toward your armpits.
- Let your elbows swing back behind you, which sets you up to press into the dip portion smoothly.
- Extend through the elbows to press yourself up and complete the movement above the rings or bar.
- Lower yourself back down slowly and with control rather than dropping suddenly.
Original library instructions (4 steps)
- 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.
- 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.
- Maintaining control and stability, extend through the elbow to complete the motion.
- Use care when lowering yourself to the ground.
Common mistakes
- Attempting the transition before you can do strict pull ups and dips separately; build that base strength first.
- Rushing the pull to bar height without rolling the shoulders forward; this makes the transition much harder.
- Dropping quickly from the top instead of lowering under control; a slow descent protects your shoulders.
- Relying only on momentum with no pulling strength behind it; strict strength should carry most of the movement.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 4 reps, 2 to 3 minutes rest |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps, 90 seconds to 2 minutes rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, 60 to 90 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Practice the false grip and the transition separately on lower rings before trying a full repetition.
- Use a spotter or a resistance band for assistance while you build up to your first strict muscle up.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Is the muscle up good for beginners?
No. It needs solid pull up and dip strength first, so most beginners should build that foundation before attempting the combined movement.
What muscles does the muscle up work?
It works the back as the prime mover, with the core, biceps, shoulders and triceps all playing a supporting role through the pull and the dip.
