Muscles Worked in Banded Muscle-Up
Primary Muscles Worked
Secondary Muscles Worked
How To Do Banded Muscle-Up
- Use a rubber band of self-selected resistance. The thicker the band, the easier it’ll be to get over the bar.
- Start with the band wrapped around one or both feet.
- Hang with straight elbows and a firm grip on the bar.
- Pull hard and use the assistance from the band to get through the transition part.
- Find a balanced position to land above the bar. It might help to make a stomach-to-bar contact.
- Finish with a press to locked elbows.
What is a Banded Muscle-Up?
In band-assisted muscle-ups, you use a rubber band to lighten the load as you perform the skill. It also gives you the exact experience of a muscle-up, since that’s precisely what you do, but only with an unloaded bodyweight.
It is a great way to practice the full movement of the muscle-up but at the same time decrease the load compared to a regular muscle-up.
It lets you get a feel for the transition and also tests your lock-out strength in the dip. You can perform the exercise both in rings or on a bar.
Benefits of the Banded Muscle-Up
- Progressive Learning. The resistance band provides adjustable support, allowing you to learn and improve your muscle-up technique progressively.
- Reduced Risk of Injury. The assistance from the band decreases the load on the muscles and joints, which can help reduce the risk of injury.
- Technique Building. By reducing the amount of strength needed to complete the transition phase of the muscle-up, you’re able to focus on refining the technique, including body positioning and the mechanics of the transition.
Banded Muscle-Up Variations and Alternatives
As mentioned earlier, this muscle-up variation can be done both in rings or on a bar. You can see a video instruction of both below.
If you want to change it up, but still haven’t learned how to master a strict muscle-up yet, there are several other options as well.
- Low Ring Variation to Band-Assisted Strict Muscle Up
- Negative/Eccentric Ring Muscle-Ups
- Jumping Muscle-Up
1. Low Ring Variation to Band-Assisted Strict Muscle Up
This variation might allow for a more comfortable experience if height is considered one of your unpreferred locations. Other than that the principles remain the same as for band-assisted muscle ups in the high rings/bars. This variation emphasizes strict form and technique, especially during the transition phase, without needing to be far up in the air.
2. Negative/Eccentric Ring Muscle-Ups
This variation of the muscle-up focuses on the downward phase more. This exercise develops strength and muscle control, particularly in the muscles involved in the transition phase. Without the assistance of the resistance band, it could be more challenging to perform.
3. Jumping Muscle-Up
In the jumping muscle-up, you use an explosive jump to assist with the upward phase and transition of the muscle-up, providing momentum and reducing the amount of upper body strength required. Banded muscle-ups, on the other hand, provide a constant support and can be adjusted for tension to gradually increase the exercise’s difficulty.
How to Keep Track of Your Progression
Regardless if you’re keen to learn how to master a strict muscle-up, or if you just want to play around with different variations, we highly recommend to increase the volume of muscle-ups slowly. It’s an intense exercise that involves a lot of muscles, and it’s easy to go out too hard.
To keep track of your workload and progression, you can log it in our workout log app Strengthlog.
To download StrengthLog for free, use the button for your device below. StrengthLog helps you get the best results possible with hassle-free workout logging, 100% ad-free, including the free version.
