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Lats · Body weight · Advanced

How to do Muscle Up

The muscle up is a challenging bodyweight exercise that combines a pull-up with a dip, requiring significant upper body strength, coordination, and explosive power. It targets the lats primarily, with secondary engagement of the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and chest.

Muscle Up demonstration
Primary muscle
Lats
Also works
Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders and Chest
Equipment
Body weight
Level
Advanced
Category
Back

How to do Muscle Up, step by step

  1. Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
  2. Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
  3. As you reach the top of the movement, transition your grip so that your palms are facing towards you.
  4. Continue pulling yourself up until your chest is above the bar and your arms are fully flexed.
  5. Reverse the movement by slowly lowering yourself back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Station taken, or training at home? Alternatives to Muscle Up →

Muscles worked

Muscle Up works your lats as the main mover, with help from your biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest.

Track Muscle Up in SPLYT

Muscle Up is already in SPLYT’s exercise library. Log your sets, reps and weight on iPhone or Apple Watch, with last time’s weights already filled in.

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