False Grip

 

The false grip is used for moves that take you from below the rings to above the rings, such as the muscle-up (detailed illustration of this move coming later this week). Here are some pointers for proper positioning with the false grip:

• Place the rings further into your palms than you did with the neutral grip — around mid-palm level.
• Wrap your fingers around the rings and wrap your thumbs around your knuckles.
• Push down into the rings, creating some pressure.
• Your wrists should be bent, but not so far that your wrist is inside the rings.
• When performing the muscle-up in particular, make sure to maintain the false grip, with the rings turned out, throughout the movement — from below the rings, all the way to the above-the-rings position.

The Clapping pull-up

If you want to improve your explosive power and upper body strength then this is your exercise. Although it is very similar to the standard pull up, the speed of movement needed to rise high above the bar, remove your hands, clap and then place your hands back to their original position makes this one of the most demanding movements. This exercise requires you to do the complete opposite of what you would normally do for pull ups because unlike the standard version were you perform the exercise slow and under control the secret of this one is speed of movement. 

Training

Sunday, Dec. 15th 2013
Row 500 + mobility(yoga)
Quadruplet EMOM 16 min
1st odd 5 strict weighted pull-ups @ 20lb
1st even 1 wall walk to 4 hspu
2nd odd 2 MUs into 10 toes through rings
2nd even 40 DUs
Then *Squat Snatch Work 95-185 multiple reps

Monday, Dec. 16th 2013
GHD sit-ups 6 sets x 20 reps = 120 reps
roll-out + mobility(yoga)
Swim 1400 yds working on freestyle and breast stroke
Active REST Day ;)

Tuesday, Dec. 17th 2013
Deadlift 7-7-7-7-7 reps E3MOM
220-330-440-440-440
WOD
AMRAP 6 min = 4 rds + 6 DL
8 Deadlift @ 275
16 Rower sit-ups
24 DUs
REST 3 min
AMRAP 6 min = 4 rds + 7 DL
8 Deadlift @ 225
16 Rower sit-ups
24 DUs

15 min to establish 1RM weighted chest to bar pull-up and 2RM weighted chin over bar pull-up
1 rep C2B pull-up 40-90-95-100
2 rep pull-up 45-70-90-100
WOD
55 Thrusters @ 155 for time: 7:58
*every time you drop the bar do 10 pull-ups: 15/11/10/10/9

Wednesday, Dec. 18th 2013
roll out/ mobility
Bench Press 7-7-7-7-7 reps E3MOM
155-225-295-285-285
Then Bench Press with 70lb Kettlebells attached to bands 3 sets x max reps 8/8/9
WOD
AMRAP 10 min = 3 rds + 5 burpees
20 Kettlebell facing burpees
10 Double kettlebell Overhead squat w/ 35lb kbs
5 Muscle-ups unbroken
Then Accessory/Weakness Work
-Muscle-up into 3 sets x 10 strict ring dips + 10 extra MUs
-Accumulate 2 min L-sit in the rings
-20 toes through rings unbroken
-75 GHD sit-ups

Thursday, Dec. 19th 2013
WOD
"Stout & Sprint DT" 5 rounds for time: 13:12
12 Deadlift @ 205
9 Hang Power Cleans @ 205
6 Push Jerks @ 205
*REST 1 min b/w rounds(4 rds @ 205 and last round @ 185)

WOD
3 Touch N Go Power Snatch EMOM 5 min @ 155
3 Snatch Balance EMOM 5 min @ 155
3 Squat Snatch EMOM 5 min @ 155

Friday, Dec.20th 2013
Roll out/ mobility(yoga)
GHD sit-ups 10 sets x 15 reps = 150 reps
REST DAY ;)

Here are some tips on the gymnastic rings

Ring Pushups: (Adjust straps so they are about 6" off the ground) Work up to as many as possible, if you can't do at least three good reps, raise the straps. Hold the bottom position for 3 seconds on each.
Ring Dips: These are difficult at first, so if you can't do a full dip, hold yourself in various positions for as long as you can. This exercise is important to the muscle-up and builds the chest muscles. Have the straps about waist level and lower until the elbows are bent to 90 degrees.
Ring Rows: This is the key to the muscle-up, but if you are not strong enough yet do these to build up some upper back and arm strength then you should practice. (Adjust straps low enough to lay horizontally under them, with room to lower your body and raise it all the way up, not touching the floor.) You should be able to knock out several repetitions.
Isometric Hangs/ Hanging Leg/Knee Raises: These are great for building up the muscles needed to initiate powerful pull-ups. For isometric hangs, engage the shoulder blades as though you are starting a pull-up, then hold it there for 10-15 seconds and do several sets of this.

Training Daze

Friday, Nov. 29th 2013
Row 1k
Bench Press 5-3-2-2-1-1 reps E3MOM
225-275-295-315-335-355(fail)
Hang Power Cleans 3-2-2-2-1-1 reps E2MOM
225-225-245-265-275-295
WOD x 3rds
Buy In = 6 Bar Muscle-ups
5 Bench Press @ 205
5 Hang Power Cleans @ 205
-All unbroken 1) 2:19 2) 2:36 3) 2:38

WOD 3rds for time: 16:02
Run 800 meters (800 ended in driveway had to go into backyard)
15 HSPU
10 Burpees

Row 4k (250m @ 75% & 250m @ 85%) 16:45

Saturday, Nov. 30th 2013
Snatch Work 45 min
GHD sit-ups 5 sets x 20 reps
Box jumps @ 30" snatch stance x 30 reps
Behind the neck pull-ups x 30 reps
Barbell Roll-outs x 30 reps

Sunday, Dec. 1st 2013
1 1/4 Front Squats 4 sets x 3 reps E3MOM
185-225-275-300-300
Reverse Cluster E3MOM
1 power jerk/ 1 clean high pull/ 1 hang squat clean/ 1 split jerk
135-135-185-185-225-225
Squat Clean Practice @ 225 x 12 reps

T-Town Running Club Downtown 2.3 miles

WOD "Danny" AMRAP 20 min
30 box jumps @ 24"
20 Push Press @ 115
30 Pull-ups
4 rds + 15 box jumps

Monday, Dec 2nd 2013
Row WOD
1000m/800m/600m/500m/400m/300m/200m/100m Rest b/w sets
3:50/2:57/2:10/1:46/1:21/1:00/:40/:18
GHD sit-ups 5 sets x 20 reps

Swim 1000 yds with Justin Allen

Back Squat 5-5-3-2-2-1
135-225-275-315-365-395
WOD for time: 13:32 all unbroken
Run 800 meters
8 Muscle-ups
13 Kb swings @ 70
Run 600 meters
7 Muscle-ups
12 Kb swings @ 70
Run 400 meters
6 Muscle-ups
11 Kb swings @ 70
Run 200 meters
5 muscle-ups
10 Kb swings @ 70

Tips on learning a bar muscle-up

 

 

Here are some tips on how to do a bar muscle-up. Once you have mastered the bar muscle-up then you can easily transition into the ring muscle-up. These pictures were taken during a ring muscle-up workout.

Swing. The basic of the muscle-up is the swinging of the body from behind the bar to in front of the bar. This is what makes the muscle-up so elusive as it is a complex and similar to the Olympic weightlifting moves, but in reverse.

Pull-up. Grab the bar and you then let your body swing freely and when it is at the farthest/highest point you pull-up as explosively as you can to your chest.

Kip. From the explosiveness of the pull-up, your body will naturally integrate your lower body. So the idea is that your body will bend at the hips. Instead of hanging straight down your legs will swing up forward. The stronger you are, the less you will swing your legs up. Even super strong athletes move the legs. To explain why lifting the legs up helps you, try visualize running up stairs. When you swing your arms up while climbing, the momentum helps you up. Same thing here, except with the legs.

Transition. So the better you are at pull-ups, the less of an actual transition there will be. Master the chest to bar pull-up to pull as low on your chest as possible. But for starters, after the violent  pull, you flick your arms and end up on top of the bar.

Dip. Basic dipping strength is needed to finish the move.

CrossFit Open WOD 12.4 Results

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
150 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
90 Double-unders
30 Muscle-ups


150 Wall balls, 90 Double-unders, 20 Muscle-ups = 260 reps

False Grip -vs- Regular Grip

For some reason the last 4 years I've been using the false grip with a strict muscle-up. This was the only way I was taught. Fast forward 4 years and now I start out with a regular grip and a kip on the muscle-up. When I got tired on an AMRAP wod the other day I went back to my old strict pull-ups and was able to push through the workout. I love both styles and they work in different situations. The regular grip is all about getting the rings to the waist. What do you prefer? Which way were you taught?

Stay Strong!

12 Consecutive Bar Muscle-ups

After the CF.com wod 5 rounds for time: run 400m, 20 burpees, 15 db rows 53lb kbs yesterday, I decided to try consecutive bar muscle-ups. Here is the video:

The False Grip

Stay Strong!

The False Grip

The first step to muscle-up glory is learning the false grip. To set the false grip, place the outside edge of your wrist on the ring and curl your hand and fingers down, leaving your thumb on the opposite side. At first uncomfortable, it becomes strong with practice, and is essential for optimal performance on the rings.

Muscle-Ups

Muscle-up transition is probably the hardest part of this exercise. Lean back and pull-up like a ring row then shift your weight forward into a ring dip and you will have done a muscle-up.