PlanWorkouts

Exercise 0631 · REF yJUHKTn

Muscle Up exercise animation

Muscle Up

Category
Back
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Lats

The muscle-up strings a pull-up straight into a dip without releasing the bar, which demands both serious pulling strength and the timing to transition your body over the bar at the top. Most people fail the transition, not the pull or the press individually — it's a technique bottleneck as much as a strength one.

How to Do the Muscle Up

  1. Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
  2. Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
  3. As you reach the top of the movement, transition your grip so that your palms are facing towards you.
  4. Continue pulling yourself up until your chest is above the bar and your arms are fully flexed.
  5. Reverse the movement by slowly lowering yourself back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

The Muscle Up primarily targets the Lats, with Biceps as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Triceps, Shoulders, Chest.

More Back Exercises

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Archer Pull Up Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Pull-Up Assisted Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Chin-Up Assisted Standing Chin-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Pull-Up Assisted Standing Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats

More Lats Exercises

Back Pec Stretch Back Pec Stretch Body Weight · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band · Lats Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band · Lats

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same lats with different equipment.

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell · Lats

FAQ

What muscles does the Muscle Up work?
The Muscle Up primarily targets the lats, with the biceps and triceps, shoulders, chest assisting.
What equipment do I need for the Muscle Up?
The Muscle Up is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the Muscle Up?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Alternate Lateral Pulldown targets the same lats using cable instead.