The Bar Muscle Up: A How-To Guide

The bar muscle up is a movement that every CrossFit athlete aspires to master. Although it looks deceptively simple, the BMU (as it's known in the CrossFit community) combines elements of both the pull-up and the dip, making it a challenging but rewarding exercise to learn. In this blog post, we'll break down the steps you need to take to finally nail your first bar muscle up. Let's get started!

Step One: The Pull-Up
As with any good BMU, the key is in the pull-up. You need to make sure that your grip is tight and that your elbows are close to your body as you pull yourself up; if your grip is too wide or your elbows are flaring out, you'll never make it to the next step. Remember to keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement; this will help you generate more power and stay stable as you move through the exercise.

Step Two: The Transition
Once you've reached the top of the pull-up, it's time for the trickiest part of the move: the transition. This is where things can start to go wrong, so it's important to be careful and deliberate with each movement. Start by placing your chin over the bar and then "walking" your hands forward until they're directly above your head. From here, it's simply a matter of dipping down into a full dip position before pressing back up into the starting position. With practice, this part of the movement will become second nature.

Step Three: The Dip
The final step is perhaps the easiest: simply lower yourself down into a full dip position and then press back up until your arms are fully extended. Remember to keep your core engaged throughout this part of the movement to maintain good form and avoid injury. And that's it! You've officially completed your first bar muscle up. Congratulations! Now get out there and practice until you can do it in your sleep.

Conclusion:
Mastering the bar muscle up may seem like a daunting task, but with time and practice, anyone can do it. By following these simple steps and avoiding common mistakes, you'll be nailing BMUs in no time at all. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start practicing!

Watch this video for Bar Muscle Ups Optimizations!!