Bar Muscle-up

How to do the Bar Muscle-up, step by step

1. Grab the bar about shoulder-width, thumbs wrapped around.
2. Kip from hollow to arch.
3. Snap your hips hard toward the bar in a hollow and pull down with straight arms.
4. Tip your torso over the bar and push yourself into the support.
5. Lock your arms out fully at the top.
6. Drop back down to a hang under control.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Arms bend too earlyget your hips to the bar first, then pull.
• Getting over one arm at a timeturn both elbows over at the same time.
• Not locked out at the topfully extend your arms in the support.
• No kipping foundationget solid at the kip swing and chest-to-bar first.

How to scale the Bar Muscle-up

If you can't do the movement cleanly yet or the workout is too heavy, use one of these variations:

• Chest-to-Bar Pull-up
• Banded muscle-up
• Bar Muscle-up transition on a low bar

Also known as

Bar mu · Bar muscle up

Benchmarks with Bar Muscle-up

• Open 16.37 min AMRAP: 10 Power Snatches 35 kg, 3 Bar Muscle-ups
• Open 17.212 min AMRAP: 15 m DB Walking Lunge (2 × 22.5 kg), 16 Toes-to-Bar, 8 DB Power Cleans; every 2 rounds, swap Toes-to-Bar for 16 Bar Muscle-ups
• Open 18.32 RFT: 100 Double Unders, 20 OHS 52.5 kg, 100 DU, 12 Ring Muscle-ups, 100 DU, 20 DB Snatches 22.5 kg, 100 DU, 12 Bar Muscle-ups (Cap 14 min)
• Open 19.43 RFT: 10 Snatches 42.5 kg, 12 Bar-facing Burpees; 3 min rest; 3 RFT: 10 Bar Muscle-ups, 12 Bar-facing Burpees (Cap 12 min, time includes rest)
• Open 21.315 Front Squats, 30 Toes-to-Bar, 15 Thruster; 1 min rest; 15 FS, 30 C2B, 15 Thruster; 1 min rest; 15 FS, 30 Bar Muscle-ups, 15 Thruster – all at 42.5 kg (Cap 15 min)
• Open 22.3 / 25.221 Pull-ups, 42 DU, 21 Thruster 42.5 kg, 18 C2B, 36 DU, 18 Thruster 52.5 kg, 15 Bar Muscle-ups, 30 DU, 15 Thruster 60 kg (Cap 12 min)
• Open 24.35 RFT: 10 Thruster 42.5 kg, 10 C2B; 1 min rest; 5 RFT: 7 Thruster 60 kg, 7 Bar Muscle-ups (Cap 15 min)

These descriptions are general guidance and don't replace a coach. Have someone at your box show you new movements, and stop if anything hurts.