Anyone here around 40 and can do a muscle up?

kahanaohana

White Belt
@White
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
148
Reaction score
0
I stopped working out years ago, im 40 6'1"205lbs. I saw a guy pumping out muscle ups on a bar. I thought to myself, that cant be that hard, hes banging them out. Then i tried it and nearly ripped my shoulder out, ha ha. That was about 6 months ago, Im so weak/old from not working out for all these years, i could only do 4 pull ups. I put a pull up bar in the back yard and started practicing. Im not a light guy. I can now do 10-12 pullups now and can explode the first one and get the bar just below the nipple line. Ive watched all the how to videos on youtube, but i just dont see how to get the transition, even with a false grip. Any guys in here over 35 around the 200lbs range that can do one? I have co workers that can do them, some even on their first try, but theyre all in their mid 20's and under 175lbs. I need hope/tips. Sucks getting old.
 
I'm not ashamed to say I don't know what a muscle up is
 
I'm not ashamed to say I don't know what a muscle up is

Unless you're a gymnast, it's one of the most overrated exercises you can do. It only became popular because of cultfit.
 
can't do one in the gym I go to bc don't have a wish to fly through the ceiling.
 
I'm not ashamed to say I don't know what a muscle up is

Muscle-up.gif
 
I use to be able to do that fairly easy. Pole vault work outs. Anyway I am gonna spare myself the sadness and not try it these days.
 
I can see how some think it's an overrated exercise because of CrossFit...I'm not really down with CF but people were doing the muscle up long before CF bastardized them. The muscle up is a combination of strength and technique. When I learned them, the transition was definitely the most difficult phase to learn...it's a neuromuscular pattern that you're not used to making. A few tips I have would be keep working your pull ups till you can do 5-10 nice high pull ups (bar to the bottom of your chest). Once you have those then you can tackle the transition. A key point to make about the muscle up is the fact that there is a considerable amount of horizontal translation during the pull phase. In other words, when you pull, you're actually pulling your body away from the bar. At this point when you pull the bar to the bottom of your chest, lean your chest forward while simultaneously rotating (shrugging) your arms so that your forearm bones stack over the bar. From this point you just perform a normal dip as you push up above the bar. It is definitely not easy when you're trying to get your first MU, but once you do, your neuromuscular system adapts and it does get easier. Keep trying. Doing a muscle up is a skill after all and it just takes practice. Good luck and don't hurt yourself.
 
I can see how some think it's an overrated exercise because of CrossFit...I'm not really down with CF but people were doing the muscle up long before CF bastardized them. The muscle up is a combination of strength and technique. When I learned them, the transition was definitely the most difficult phase to learn...it's a neuromuscular pattern that you're not used to making. A few tips I have would be keep working your pull ups till you can do 5-10 nice high pull ups (bar to the bottom of your chest). Once you have those then you can tackle the transition. A key point to make about the muscle up is the fact that there is a considerable amount of horizontal translation during the pull phase. In other words, when you pull, you're actually pulling your body away from the bar. At this point when you pull the bar to the bottom of your chest, lean your chest forward while simultaneously rotating (shrugging) your arms so that your forearm bones stack over the bar. From this point you just perform a normal dip as you push up above the bar. It is definitely not easy when you're trying to get your first MU, but once you do, your neuromuscular system adapts and it does get easier. Keep trying. Doing a muscle up is a skill after all and it just takes practice. Good luck and don't hurt yourself.

I've never tried one but that's a very clear description of the technique!
 
My husband turns 40 this year. I just asked him and he said "yep, no problem".

Then he said something about a bicep injury but I had stopped listening.
 
I have never heard of this. I will have to try it. Its been over a decade since a stopping 'trying' to stay in shape. And back then I was 5'8" and only 135lbs. lol. Fast forward to today, married for 5 years with a 4 year old and a 1 year old, and I am tipping the scales at 141lbs. lol. I always thought I was supposed to get fat by now.
 
i used to struggle with muscle ups until i changed my grip on the bar. i hold the top of the bar with my lower palm/wrist and my fingers are barely making contact with the back of the bar. doing hang cleans might improve on your muscle ups as well. i weigh 170 and can hang clean 215 fairly easily. i think if you can at least hang clean your body weight for reps you should be able to perform a muscle up even if you have terrible technique.
 
40. No. Fuck that exercise.
 
If my life depended on it, I might (probably not) be able to. Maybe. Probably not. Yeah no.
 
Back
Top