Tips and Drills for the Muscle-Up Kip

Tips and Drills for the Muscle-Up Kip
Written by Gaje McDaniel

I had the pleasure of coaching a muscle-up progression session a little while ago at the gym. Several people showed up with the intention of getting their first muscle-up or educating themselves on the overall performance of that movement. Everyone has their own opinions and techniques for this particular movement so I was happy to share my knowledge with our group. In this article, I’ll share my favorite techniques and drills that I taught at our session to build a solid foundation for the kipping muscle up.

The first drill involves lying on the floor in a relaxed position. When the instructor claps, participants quickly tighten their bodies to create a firm hollow hold or superman position. Start with the hollow hold and do this for a few sets before rolling onto your stomach and do the same with the superman position. These are the two movements that can help people learn how to kip for pull-ups and eventually use that kip in the muscle-up on the rings.

If you are working on getting your first muscle-up, here are a few tips to really dial in on this drill:

Hollow Hold

1. Feet together with toes pointed and full extension

2. Arms overhead with lats activated and shoulders off the ground

3. Tight core and butt squeezed creating no space between low back and floor

 

Superman

1. Feet together with toes pointed and full extension

2. Arms overhead and hands reaching back as far as possible

3. Butt squeezed with only our stomach touching the ground

 

When we translate these two positions to the rings, begin with small tight kips for about ten reps hitting each position (the hollow and the superman) as best you can. The tight kip should generate good movement, with no bent knees and your body tight the whole time. The only hinging should be at the shoulder.

When you have mastered this movement, continue to create a bigger kip for the next set.

After that, you can apply a turn out where your head comes through the front, emphasizing a tight superman position the whole time. This allows you to get your feet further behind you, in return, generating more momentum for the forward swing. On the forward swing, focus on toes pointed, bodies tight, and actively pressing downward on the rings with your lats. If you are actively pressing on the rings you will gain more speed and ultimately be setting yourself up for success.

Practice these drills prior to any workouts that are going to require a kip; not just muscle-ups but pull-ups, chest to bars, bar muscle-ups,and toes to bar are all movements that require these kipping techniques. Try to master them. Warm up with similar movements that are going to help you be more efficient. Have someone watch you or video yourself so that you can create good habits. Good luck on that first muscle-up!