15 Pull Ups, But Cant Muscle Up?

From the Barstarzz archive · 2016. Event schedules, team listings and offers describe the time of publication.

So you can do 15 pull ups but you cant muscle up?

Are you sure they are correct pull ups? If you are working towards your muscle up than your pull ups should be explosive. From a locked out position you want to pull up as high as you can (chest - neck area) as fast as you can, then lower back to lockout position carefully. Do not snap back into your joints or tendons. Its okay to lower your rep range but expect a higher power input from your pull ups. This would be similar to the movement you need for the muscle up.

Still don't have it? Then you need to work on the technique. Remember you are not going straight up. You are creating a curve around the bar to go over. The video has a great demonstration of what a muscle up looks like from the side. Some thing you should work on along with the explosive pull ups would be the technical aspects.

The Swing
The Pulse or kick
The Wrist turn

For the swing grab the bar in pull position. From here just as when you were a kid on the swings, kick your legs out in front of you then let them come back heavy embracing the momentum. The swing should bring you back behind the bar. Now this swing is very different than the crossfit kip. The kip you mostly stay in the same place but generate force. This kip we are aiming for your shoulders to be in front of the bar and then behind the bar. Your whole body should be moving back and fourth.

For the pulse or kick, on your highest point from the swing and you start to go backwards, bring your knees to your chest. The idea is to catch and utilize all the momentum. This knee raise should bring your body back further then the swing has. A slight pull could also help from this.

The wrist turn is once your on your way up the kick, swing, pull, you rotate your wrist to position yourself on top. Its a fast switch once you have the right position. The really high pull up position. Hope this helps everyone!

▶ Watch the original video on YouTube