How to do a Bar Muscle Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Bar Muscle Up
Instructions for Proper Form
Similar to the standard Muscle Up, the Bar Muscle Up is performed on a pull-up bar and requires pulling oneself up from a hanging position and transitioning into a dip. It focuses on upper body strength, particularly in the shoulders, arms, and back, demanding high levels of power and technique. This variation is often used in gymnastics and cross-training workouts.
- Grab ahold of the bar with your palms facing away from your body and your hands in a false grip where your thumbs do not wrap around the bar.
- With your arms extended, perform a pull up by pulling your elbows down to the backside of your ribcage to get your chest up over the bar.
- When you are at the top of the pull up, quickly bring your chest forward to get up and over the bar while bringing your elbows in towards your armpits.
- Complete the exercise by extending your elbows up over the bar before lowering and pushing yourself away from the bar to return to the starting position.
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Alternative Exercises to Bar Muscle Up
1. Pull Up
93.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,740 TIMESPull Ups are compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily target the back, but also hits the shoulders and biceps. While this exercise does have a decently high barrier to entry, it can be easily adapted to match your current conditioning with weighted or assisted variations. This is an excellent exercise for building functional strength and body control.
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3. Chin Up
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4. Neutral Grip Pull Up
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5. Dumbbell Bent Over Row
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6. Lat Pulldown
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7. Wide Grip Pull Up
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8. Bent Over Barbell Row
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