Muscle Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Muscle Up
- Grip the rings using a false grip, with the base of your palms on top of the rings. Initiate a pull up by pulling the elbows down to your side, flexing the elbows.
- As you reach the top position of the pull-up, pull the rings to your armpits as you roll your shoulders forward, allowing your elbows to move straight back behind you. This puts you into the proper position to continue into the dip portion of the movement.
- Maintaining control and stability, extend through the elbow to complete the motion.
- Use care when lowering yourself to the ground.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Muscle Up
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Kipping Muscle Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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2
Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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3
Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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4
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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5
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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6
V-Bar Pulldown
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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7
Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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8
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, needing no equipment.
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9
Alternating Kettlebell Row
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a kettlebell.
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10
Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do muscle up work?
Muscle Up primarily works the upper back. The abs, biceps, forearms, shoulders, traps and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for muscle up?
The source dataset does not record equipment for muscle up. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Muscle Up: is it suitable for beginners?
Muscle Up is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of muscle up?
Kipping Muscle Up, Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover, Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my muscle up reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; muscle up can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Muscle Up with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.