18.3 brings us both ring and bar muscle-ups — potentially depressing news for anyone who hasn’t quite figured them out yet. We already went over ring muscle-ups (and double-unders), so let’s move on to bar muscle-ups. For this movement, we headed over to WODPrep, where they’ve broken it down into more easily digestible pieces and they do it in slow motion. While 18.3 isn’t nearly the grip killer 18.1 was, you’re still going to feel some wear and tear. Don’t forget to gear up with your favorite leather grips or athletic tape, before grabbing hold of the bar.
Now, let’s get to it.
1. Start With A Hollow Body
Odds are you’ve practiced the hollow body position while laying down on the ground. Your bar muscle-up should start the exact same way — except hanging from the bar. Engage your core and lats, remembering to keep the tension as your legs travel in front of you. Also, think of pushing down on the bar a little.
Bonus tip: you can shave off a bit of time by jumping to meet the bar straight in the hollow body position. It will also give you more momentum.
2. Pull Your Body Into An Arch
Keep your feet together and remember to stay on tension. Staying on tension as much as possible will help when you travel back in the opposite direction (toward the hollow body), unloading all of that energy to propel you up over the bar.
3. Getting Over the Bar
The first rule of thumb to remember is your shoulders should be traveling up and away from the bar. Creating this space will ultimately make it easier for you to flip up and over the bar. There should be a slight bend in your knees and hips, which will help you pop your hips — this extra power gets you over the bar. After you pop, you pull — into the bar. Pop and pull. For the pull, imagine “rowing” the bar into your chest.
4. Finish With A Fast Sit-Up
Imagine there’s a piece of glass over the bar, and think of shattering it with your head. As your head travels through, you will go from looking ahead to looking down. Settle into the dip before moving on to pushing up out of it.
Get the full break-down and watch the video here.
18.3 is so reliant on technique. Instead of focusing on finishing, focusing on getting through every rep with precision and accuracy. Clean technique will equate to a faster speed and more reps. (Want more tips for strategy? We have a blog for that.) Get everything you need for the Open and shop with The WOD Life today — we have express and international shipping.
