2 Unique Drills to Improve Lockout and Turn-over in the Muscle-up

September 15, 2016
/ Dip gymnastics muscle-up pull-up

Two areas where I see athletes struggle in the strict muscle-up are:

Locking out the dip and turning the rings out
Turning over into the dip

Here are 2 drills I really like to work these. First are band resisted pullups:

Band resisted pull-ups. I see a lot of athletes who lack top end strength in the Pullup. Top end strength is a huge requirement with the strict muscleup, especially at the turnover into catch. If you're already proficient with pull-ups but your weakness lies in the top portion and you hit failure during strict muscleups in the turn over then this drill is for you. I'm currently using these as max effort work, slowly adding more band resistance over several sets. I just loop some bands under some heavy Dumbbells, put the bands behind my neck and get to pulling. Give these a shot and share if you know someone who could benefit from these! #reebok @reebok #teamreebok @powermonkeyfitness @bimflip @davedurante @colinpgeraghty @rupert.egan @vanvleetd @drmelzar @shift_movementscience @mikereinold @lenmacpt @championptp

A post shared by Daniel Pope (@fitnesspainfree) on Sep 8, 2016 at 7:01am PDT

I like band resisted pull-ups because the resistance increases as your chin travels up toward the bar. The reason why I like this is because I see so many people who lack top end strength and are unable to turn over into the dip. Adding band resistance will strengthen the top part of the pull-up. It also forces you to pull fast from the bottom of the pull-up which can be helpful for strict muscle-ups (creating some speed to help with turn-over).

For those who don’t have strict pull-ups yet, work on them! Also, adding band assistance does the same as band resistance (makes the top of the pull-up harder then the bottom for those who aren’t strong enough for strict bodyweight).

Second are band assisted ring dips. I talk a lot about getting comfortable in the bottom of a dip. As Dave Durante says, the bottom of the dip should be as comfortable as the bottom of a squat. Well, equally important is the lockout. I see athletes frequently who can’t turn out (or even lockout their elbows) at the top of a ring dip and other athletes who will fail at the lockout of a muscleup (Think about workouts that contain shoulder intensive work and then are followed by muscle-ups, the lockout gets much harder. Remember 15.3? 50 wallballs, 100 double unders, 7 muscleups?)

I like this drill because it makes the bottom of the dip easier (which is usually the limiting factors for athletes) so that you can focus on the top end.

Band assisted ring dips. I see a lot of people who can't turn out on the rings and reach a stable position at the top of dips and muscleups. It's something I've personally struggled with for some time. Attach a band toward the bottom of a rack or rig and attach rings above. Allow enough band tension to allow yourself to fully lockout the elbows and turn the rings out. Relax your legs straight down and keep the eyes forward at the top of your dip. The bands will help you in the bottom of the dip but will help less at the top in the ring support position. This is a great drill for you if you struggle with lockout during dips and muscleups because it emphasizes this position. Ring supports are also a cousin of seated press ups, an exercise great for strengthening the lower trapezius (an important muscle for shoulder health). Give these a shot and if you know someone who can benefit from these then please share! @powermonkeyfitness @rupert.egan @vanvleetd @davedurante @shift_movementscience @drmelzar @bimflip @colinpgeraghty #reebok @reebok #teamreebok @championptp @mikereinold @lenmacpt

A post shared by Daniel Pope (@fitnesspainfree) on Sep 12, 2016 at 5:57am PDT

Give these a try and let me know how they go!