In the bar muscle-up, the paradigm shift we want to start with is that we are pushing, not pulling.

It is very common for us to want to pull. To at the completion of our kip swing, bend the elbows and use the biceps and forearms to get ourselves over the bar. On the bar muscle-up however, it’s almost the opposite – at least in our minds as we approach the bar. We want to think about pushing the bar towards the ground. Push the bar down.

If you’ve ever found yourself jammed up into the bar, it’s because we pulled. Whether it be too much, too early, or a combination, it’s almost always because we are pulling ourselves into the bar. With rings, we can come through, but on the bar, it’s a fixed object that will end the repetition.

If we dial in the kip swing, maximizing the long, whip like effect our bodies can create through optimizing motions, and push to the finish, we can move closer to efficient bar muscle-ups. The follow drills below first approach the kip swing, focusing on a long body and matching certain positions in the kip. The third and final is a jumping bar muscle-up, where we have the chance to train the push, versus the pull, of the bar muscle-up.

For a visual for the full bar Bar MU

Drill #1 – Jump to Hollow

Drill #2 – Box Swing

Drill #3 – Jump to Bar MU

With each athlete naturally being different, we are all at separate stages of training our bar muscle-up. Spend at most 5 minutes at each today, ability dependent, as you see fit. Identifying our weakest point in the movement will allow us to use one of these drills in the following section, if we do not yet have full bar muscle-ups.

3x 1min ON/1min OFF
20 DB Snatches + Max reps Burpees 22,5/15kg

3x 1min ON/1min OFF
16 DB Snatches + Max reps Burpees 25/17,5kg

3x 1min ON/1min OFF
10 DB Snatches + Max reps Burpees 27,5/20kg

3-4 Sets:
10 Cable Lat Pulldowns – Neutral Close Grip
- Rest 60-90sec btw sets

Paused front squat* + Front squat

4 x 1+3 @ 76-84% (aim for 3 RIR on 1st set, 2 RIR on the remaining sets), rest 3 to 4-minutes between sets

** 2-second pause at the bottom of the squat for the first rep*

Power snatch + Hang snatch (above the knee)

3-4 x @ 1+2 60+%1RM snatch, go every 90-seconds to 2-minutes
6-8 x 1+1 @ 70-85%1RM snatch, go every 60 to 90-seconds

3 Romanian deadlifts
3 snatch high pulls
3 muscle snatches
3 tempo overhead squats (OHS), tempo 23X1
3 snatch balances
3 power snatches to OHS (receive each rep a little deeper, pause 2 seconds in receiving position)
3 snatch pull-unders
3 hang (squat) snatches
– You can break it into sets as needed. Complete the whole thing 1 to 3 times, starting with an empty barbell and adding load on each round if moving well
– Tempo 23X1 = 2 seconds down, 3 second hold at bottom, explode up, 1 second hold at top

3x2 pause back squat

Warm up
3 rounds
1 min ski erg
12 step back lunges
8 v-ups
12 box step ups
4-8 strict pull ups
then some skill/prep for todays wod, spend time as needed bwn 5-15 minutes

Gymnastic Intervals
Every 5 min for 20 minutes (4sets)
16-20 ghd sit ups or V-Ups
12-15 c2b pull ups or kipping pull ups (do these in 1-2 sets)
8-12 pistol squats
time target 2.5-3 min, cap 3 min 30s.

Accessory Work
3-4 rounds
10 double db bench press
20 alt hand bicep curls
rest 1-2 min

Accessory Work
3-4 rounds
2 min empty sledge push (askellus koko jalkapohjalla rullaavana/kuopasevana) @ight work
10+10 half kneeling banded crossbody over
:45 side plank R/L
rest 1-2 min

Handstand Walk Circuit – 2 rounds

1, ½ or ¼ rotation (each way) of Box pike handstand steps
5 (each way) Sideways handstand walk ( Wall or free )
2 Kick to handstand with immediate walking on the same spot close to a wall (aim to get as many hand placements before your feet touch the wall)
2 Kick to handstand (at least 1-5 metres) away from the wall and walk to the wall