CrossFit - Getting Better at the Muscle-Up with Russell Berger

The CrossFit Journal - (http://journal.crossfit.com)

The hardest part of the muscle-up is neither the push nor the pull. It's keeping the rings close to the body during the transition to the bottom of the ring dip, says Level 1 Seminar Staff member Russell Berger.

To help athletes develop strength close to the body and ultimately improve the muscle-up, he introduces a drill to members of CrossFit Amundson in Santa Cruz, Calif. It begins at the bottom of the ring dip with both feet on the ground and the legs straight. From there, rock back on the heels and extend the arms to lower into the bottom of a ring row with the false grip engaged. To return, slowly pull the rings to the chest and pull the body through and back into the bottom of the ring dip. For increased difficulty, keep the rings in contact with the body, Berger adds.

The muscle-up, Berger explains, is really just pulling the rings to your chest and then rotating yourself into position on top of them.

"I'm not actually going up and down," Berger notes. "All this is is me rotating my ... shoulder below to over top by pulling my hands back into my armpits and dropping my chest towards the floor."

Video by Jordan Gravatt.