Want a Muscle-up? Remember your False Grip.
Developing ridiculous upper body strength using gymnastic rings all begins by developing your basic strength, which includes your grip strength. The muscle-up is your gateway to powerful bodyweight ring strength and, while it has become a glorified movement in gyms and fitness studios all over the world, many are not doing it correctly. Most perform this movement with a slight-to-extensive kip so that momentum allows them to get above the rings. While this progression might be acceptable for the short-term, the long-term goal should always be a strict muscle-up so that the trainee develops the strength to control his or her body above the rings rather than relying on momentum.
You know you're getting closer to harnessing the extreme power of gymnastic strength when muslce-ups start to feel easy. In gymnastics, the strict muscle-up is simply how male gymnasts get above the rings to start their routines. Whereas strict muscle-ups have become about as rare as unicorns in adult fitness gyms around the world, in most gymnastics circles they are simply akin to lacing up your shoes before starting your run.
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The real meat and potatoes of beginner muscle-up progressions should be preparing your false grip. Simply put, if your forearms lack the muscular strength to hold your bodyweight on the rings, then your strict muscle-up will be nonexistent. Spend time hanging from the rings in a proper false grip, both with bent arms and straight arms. Also be sure to practice your rows and chin-ups with a false grip as well in order to strengthen the forearms through a dynamic range of motion.
Lastly, be sure to exercise patience with your false grip work. When in doubt, less is more in order to avoid incurring a nasty bout of tendonitis or another wrist, elbow, forearm, or shoulder injury. Strive to find a balance between training and recovery, and focus your efforts on the progressions on which your body will thrive at any given time.
Key Points:
- The secret to harnessing strict muscle-up strength mastery of basic false grip strength.
- GymnasticBodies progressions will safely develop your basic strength and mobility so strict muscle-ups feel as natural as breathing.
- As with all other components of Gymnastic Strength TrainingTM, patience is a necessary part of balancing strength training with proper recovery, ultimately keeping you healthy and injury free.
Hopefully, you've been inspired to achieve the strength, control, and physique of a gymnast through the pursuit of skills like strict muscle-ups, so please put these training tips to use, enjoy the process!
