What is a muscle up?

A muscle up is a complex exercise that combines elements of a pull-up and a dip, typically performed on rings or a bar. The movement involves pulling oneself up as in a pull-up, transitioning smoothly by moving the elbows from pointing downwards to upwards, and then pressing down until the arms are fully extended in a dip position 1 2. This transition, requiring significant shoulder extension, is often the crux of mastering the muscle up 1.

Achieving a muscle up generally involves breaking down the movement into smaller segments and training each part — high pull-ups, deep dips, and the transition — individually until they can be performed in one fluid motion 3.