My Very First Muscle Up!

I just set a new personal record in the gym the other day!

You see I’ve been working on doing a “Muscle Up” for quite a while now.
And just the other day I finally was able to do my very first Muscle Up!

If you are not familiar with a “Muscle Up”, it’s basically a hybrid move between a pull up and a dip. You have to be able to pull yourself up fast enough and high enough over the bar in order to transition into doing a dip at the top of the exercise.

Lee Hayward doing a muscle up

Below is a video clip showing my very first Muscle Up…
Along with some of my “not so successful” attempts… 😉



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Muscle Ups are a very advanced move. Before you attempt them you should be able to do the 100 rep pull up / dip routine that I have posted in the link below.


100 Rep Pull Up & Dip Workout
Click Here To Check Out The 100 Rep Pull Up & Dip Workout Program!

About The Author

leehayward

Lee Hayward is a former competitive bodybuilder and muscle building coach who has been online coaching people since 1997. His work has been featured in several international magazines such as: FLEX, Muscle Insider, Muscle Mag International, Testosterone, Ironmag, and Forbes. Lee's main focus right now is with helping men over 40 - who don't want to be fat anymore - lose the gut, build muscle, and get back in shape. If you're ready to "Start Again" for the last time and finally build a lean healthy body that you can be proud of, just e-mail Lee to discuss a realistic action plan that's right for you... lee@leehayward.com

21 Comments

  • danny

    that’s awesome lee! been a longtime goal if mine – it’s hard as hell! way to go and challenge yourself. most bodybuilders wouldn’t attempt this move. have you ever checked our hannibal the barbarian or the bartendez? dudes in the hood who do dips pull-ups and muscle ups only – pretty inspiring stuff! anyway, that must feel awesome. now you gotta go 4 two in a row!

  • Mike

    Hey Lee great job. Muscle ups are extremely hard. I have been trying for a while and still coming up just short. Also try them using rings. If you like muscle ups and want a change in pace with the workout look at Crossfit. Very strength and conditioning oriented. http://www.crossfit.com check out the workouts.

  • Mark

    That’s awesome and amazing Lee. Congrats on hitting your goal! 🙂

  • Congrats! Lee that is awesome. Funny enough I started trying these last week at the park with my kids. Not so damn easy.

    What I did do was dozens of chins with different kids on my back. Lots of dips. I even jumped 10 feet to a rail and climbed arms only up the rails and over the top into the playground tower about 16 feet up… yet still no damn muscle-up. Totally sucks, but gonna try again at every park we go to until the snow hits.

    Congrats on your Muscle Ups!

  • I just went out to my garage after watching that and tried it a couple times…unsuccessfully LOL, but great video Lee, you always come up with some cool shit to try. It’s pretty impressive that you were able to do it considering you’re a pretty big dude. I’ve been doing my pullup progressions bro and I got 64(8 x 8) at my last workout…still trying to get to a hundred…it’s a lot harder than I originally thought. Quick question for ya Lee…Do you think it’s better to wrap your thumbs around the bar when doing your pullups or keep them on the same side of the bar as your fingers?

  • Liam

    Impressive Lee,especially where your a bodybuilder where this move is unheard of! It must of been even harder for you where your a big guy too,you never fail to surprise me.

  • L33 roy

    nice, now try it without swinging for ur next goal

  • Luchie

    Congrats dude that is an awesome exercise
    u have given an idea for my next workout
    plan

  • danny:
    that’s awesome lee! been a longtime goal if mine – it’s hard as hell! way to go and challenge yourself. most bodybuilders wouldn’t attempt this move. have you ever checked our hannibal the barbarian or the bartendez? dudes in the hood who do dips pull-ups and muscle ups only – pretty inspiring stuff! anyway, that must feel awesome. now you gotta go 4 two in a row!

    Yeah, I’ve watched their videos in pure amazement. Those guys are off the charts when it comes to bodyweight exercises!

  • Greg

    Lee
    Great job on the muscleup! You doing that
    kind of extreme bodyweight training is
    showing your practical strength. I sure
    can’t do these with my doorway chinup
    bar! I recently was able to do a “dragon flag”
    after working on it for some time. It sure feels
    great hitting a goal! I am happy for you!

  • Austin

    My wrestling coach did 23 of these one time. Although he wasn’t near as big and strong as you I think it’s just a matter of practice. Oh he called them Mongolian pull ups? Idk don’t ask me lol

  • Awesome job, Lee!
    The first time I saw a muscle up was the Bar-barians out of Manhattan. This guy was doing sets of about 25 reps each. It was mind blowing! Right away, I thought to myself, “I have to figure out how to learn to do that.”
    It’s awesome. I’ve been trying to get one in for a while now. That transition is killer. I keep giving up and sort of climbing into the dip position. Eventually, it’ll come! Persistence pays off, right!
    Congrats on the achievement!

  • Alex

    Dude thats awesome!! Great core strength. It looks like you rest your hips on the bar as you go through the transition. Does this help? Like a mini-rest before doing the dip? So its two moves as opposed to one smooth action?

  • Patrick McGuire,

    I bet you must get some weird looks from the other kids and parents when you are at the play ground LOL 😉

  • brian,

    I wrap my thumbs around the bar, I haven’t tried doing it with a false grip. Personally I don’t think it would be safe. The risk of having your hands slip off the bar is too great in my opinion.

  • Alex:
    Dude thats awesome!! Great core strength. It looks like you rest your hips on the bar as you go through the transition. Does this help? Like a mini-rest before doing the dip? So its two moves as opposed to one smooth action?

    That’s just the way I have to do it for now, as I get better I’ll try and smooth it out. But that’s basically what I’m doing.

  • bob

    brian, don’t wrap your fingers round the bar when doing pull ups as it brings your fore-arms into play, which isn’t something you want, however you do wrap them round when doing chin ups. (from my experience)

  • Brent

    Hey Lee, watch this guy. Totally insane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPsvF3UOdo

  • President Obama

    dats so EASY a baby can do it.. im just saying

  • Eddie

    Hi Lee, how can i squeeze this into your 12 week bodybuilding program? Thanks!

  • Eddie

    Eddie,

    I just realized I wrote commented on the wrong page! Sorry Lee, this was a question regarding the 100pullup/dips exercise