Handstand push ups, Pull ups, and muscle ups?

[Justin Andzel]

Hey guys,

 

How would you go about training to become a beast at handstand push ups, and muscle ups? How would you lay out a weekly routine? These are 2 awesome feats I would love to train for! I am willing to train hard 3-4 days a week! Thanks!

[Deins Drengers]

Foundation series

[Connor Davies]

Do a lot of handstand pushups and muscle ups?

[Mark Collins]

Definitely do the foundation series and these will come easy.

[Keilani Gutierrez]

one of the goals of bent arm pressing strength in the Foundation Series is developing a Hollowback Press, think of it as a plank, transition to a bent arm full lay planche and press up with a straight body to a handstand.

it's rad.

[Keilani Gutierrez]

oh and also, if you want to work on your handstand balance in the interim, H1 has an almost absurd assortment of shoulder flexion and extension iM's that pretty much turn them into steel while maintainig flexibility. hence the series "Liquid Steel™"

[Parth Rajguru]

I would recommend a more specific approach than previously mentioned. The foundation series doesn't cover the muscle up either.

 

For the muscle up, false grip pull ups, ring dips, ring support, and muscle up transition training are good tools. Eventually you can integrate the individual elements. If your goal is to train the muscle up on the bar, the tools would be the same, just the variations on the bar.

 

The handstand pushup depends on your level of strength. Make sure you are proficient with ring dips before trying handstand pushups. I would recommend beginning with limited ROM reps and eccentric training. Once you can perform full reps of headstand pushups, you should slowly increase the height into full ROM handstand pushups.

 

In general, training is specific and all movements are skills (that doesn't mean there isn't a strength component either). I recommend a minimum of twice per week training, depending on the volume, intensity, etc. These 2 movements don't require extremely high levels of strength and programming should be fairly straightforward.

[Justin Andzel]

Raja-

 

Thanks for your reply. Exactly what I was looking for!

[Justin Andzel]

I would recommend a more specific approach than previously mentioned. The foundation series doesn't cover the muscle up either.

 

For the muscle up, false grip pull ups, ring dips, ring support, and muscle up transition training are good tools. Eventually you can integrate the individual elements. If your goal is to train the muscle up on the bar, the tools would be the same, just the variations on the bar.

 

The handstand pushup depends on your level of strength. Make sure you are proficient with ring dips before trying handstand pushups. I would recommend beginning with limited ROM reps and eccentric training. Once you can perform full reps of headstand pushups, you should slowly increase the height into full ROM handstand pushups.

 

In general, training is specific and all movements are skills (that doesn't mean there isn't a strength component either). I recommend a minimum of twice per week training, depending on the volume, intensity, etc. These 2 movements don't require extremely high levels of strength and programming should be fairly straightforward.

Raja-

One quick question. If I am hitting Handstand pushups, ring dips, and ring pullups hard in my training, that would give me 2 pushes to only 1 pull. What would be a nice pull to complement? Perhaps some front lever practice?

[Connor Davies]

Front lever work would be great, but not specific to your muscle up goal.  Remember, you only asked specifically about muscle up training.

 

In that regard, russian dips are very helpful if you have access to parallel bars.

 

As far as training the transition, the two main ways seem to be negatives, or the FritzMB method.  This involves lowering the rings until you can support your feet/toes on a basketball and trying to get a good feel for the transition.

 

Be careful with the false grip.  Try starting with rows, and tape up your rings.

[Parth Rajguru]

Raja-

One quick question. If I am hitting Handstand pushups, ring dips, and ring pullups hard in my training, that would give me 2 pushes to only 1 pull. What would be a nice pull to complement? Perhaps some front lever practice?

 

To complement the handstand pushups, I like to superset with one arm chin up or front lever training. 

[Justin Andzel]

Do you think 2 intense training sessions working towards muscle ups, and 2 intense sessions working for handstand pushups would be a good plan? Something like:

 

A

explosive pullups

straight bar or russian dips

Muscle ups negatives

 

B

Wall Assited Hand Stand holds

Wall Assisted Headstand Pushups

Wall Assisted Negative headstand pushups

Front Lever practice (To add some pulling work)

 

2 days A and 2 day B. Does that look good? Would you add any other assistance exercises?

[Connor Davies]

I can't speak as to your program as a whole, but I've heard you should be practicing slower pullups, not faster.

 

Are you working with a straight bar or rings?

[Keilani Gutierrez]

I would recommend a more specific approach than previously mentioned. The foundation series doesn't cover the muscle up either.

 

 

then if you could be so kind as to provide OP with clear set goals that can be reached week after week, increase physical conditioning progressively as to not skip any steps too soon, the integrated mobility that will promote adequate mobility/flexibility gains with strength in that newly acquired ROM, then by all means suggest what you will, not knowing the level that OP is at and what parts he is deficient in or needs to address to speed up progress. 

 

"strength now" or short terms goals is not in Coach's vocabulary, that's why his athletes are so ridiculous, which is a close common denominator in the entire community and a goal that many would like to reach.  B)

 

if you don't like the path, that's okay, everyone needs to be in their wilderness for a while, I just hope it isn't 40yrs when you could have done something sooner by taking some advice...that is refundable if not agreed with the approach.

 

edit: I came from a low level of relative strength and am now a lot stronger and healthier than my one training buddy that partakes in Cross fit in a local gym...and i'm only level 1 in most F1 PE's. 

 

strength is only translatable to higher realms of application if it isn't dysfunctional. is your training creating dysfunction to a certain degree? is the question you must honestly ask yourself. I hope we can all swallow our ego when that time comes. 

[Parth Rajguru]

Do you think 2 intense training sessions working towards muscle ups, and 2 intense sessions working for handstand pushups would be a good plan? Something like:

 

A

explosive pullups

straight bar or russian dips

Muscle ups negatives

 

B

Wall Assited Hand Stand holds

Wall Assisted Headstand Pushups

Wall Assisted Negative headstand pushups

Front Lever practice (To add some pulling work)

 

2 days A and 2 day B. Does that look good? Would you add any other assistance exercises?

I would prefer a false grip pull up instead of an explosive pull up. The false grip is essential for learning the strict muscle up. I would also recommend doing reps of the transition, learning the groove of the movement and developing specific strength for your goal.

 

For the B session, put the wall handstand holds at the end.

 

The only assistance work I would recommend would be prehab. Shoulder external rotation, scapular depression, and wrist prep.

[Connor Davies]

If you want some wall handstand holds as a warmup, try wall runs.

 

I've heard from several people that after you finish the RC progressions in F4 you will be able to do several consecutive muscle ups... without training for it.

 

I've also heard a lot of people say that training levers has helped with their muscle up, more than specifically training the muscle up has.

[Justin Andzel]

Thanks for all the input so far. Today I went to the park and did a routine that I think went fairly well. Let me know what you think!

 

Warmup-

3x20 sec wall handstands

3X10 sec lsit

 

Workout-

3X4 Hespu against wall (super slow and concentrating on muscle tension, last one worked out to be free standing!)

3x10 seconds bent arm Handstand holds against wall

6,5,4,3,2,1 pull up ladder (mixed variations, harder as I went down)

6,5,4,3,2,1 dip ladder (mixed variations,harder and less rest as went down)

60 second total Front Lever advanced tuck holds 

3x5 Forward rolls into deck squats

3x3 1 leg box jumps

60 second hollow body hold

60 second full back bridge hold

[Jean-Rene Losier]

Most people began by recommending the foundations series. From my experience, without training HSPU or Muscle ups after starting the foundation series, I can do both BETTER than when I was actually training them...Foundation series is just that, it builds the foundations of your body to be able to do these moves rather easily. If you want to be able to do HSPU and muscle ups, then sure, train only those. But if you want to be a "beast" at them ( as you say ) the foundation series will get you to that point and beyond. Otherwise you'll simply be like those guys in the street workout videos on Youtube. Although there's nothing really wrong with that, if that's your only goal. That's just my opinion.

[Randeep Walia]

Thanks for all the input so far. Today I went to the park and did a routine that I think went fairly well. Let me know what you think!

 

Warmup-

3x20 sec wall handstands

3X10 sec lsit

 

Workout-

3X4 Hespu against wall (super slow and concentrating on muscle tension, last one worked out to be free standing!)

3x10 seconds bent arm Handstand holds against wall

6,5,4,3,2,1 pull up ladder (mixed variations, harder as I went down)

6,5,4,3,2,1 dip ladder (mixed variations,harder and less rest as went down)

60 second total Front Lever advanced tuck holds 

3x5 Forward rolls into deck squats

3x3 1 leg box jumps

60 second hollow body hold

60 second full back bridge hold

I'm not sure if the statics should be at the end. I've always done them at the beginning of my workout. I would also recommend adding ring rows into your routine. Maybe into your pullup ladder? I found they really helped a lot. I know it seems like a "step down" from doing pullups but I found them to be valuable.