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One Arm Muscle-up Tutorial

Intro

While most people would even consider the standard two handed muscle-up an impressive feat, the elusive one-arm muscle-up is the hardest dynamic movement in calisthenics.

It is safe to say no one has performed this movement with perfect form.

Only a few have conquered this movement with the two non-perfect variations which are:

  • Armpit assistance
  • Kipping

In this tutorial we will go over how to perform both of these variations of the OAMU (one arm muscle-up).

Prerequisite

Surprisingly (and lucky for us), the requirements for the OAMU is quite basic as you only need

  • 1 One-arm pull-up (on bar and must be pronated grip)
  • 1 One-arm Dip

This is contrary to the two-handed muscle-up that would require you to perform around 10-15 reps of pull-ups and dips.

However, this is the bare minimum. If you want to make the movement more clean, you should be able to perform 3-5 reps of both the one-arm pull-up and one-arm dip

If you want to learn the 1 one arm pull-up and 1 one arm dip please check out the tutorial we have.

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What About The False Grip?

For the two-handed muscle-up it is standard to have a false grip so you can easily transition. However, it is virtually impossible to have a false grip with just one arm. So for the one-handed muscle-up, it is standard to change the grip during the transition (for both variations).

Armpit assisted One Arm Muscle-Up

The armpit-assisted variation is the safer and recommended variation. The movement is much more controlled and much easier one your shoulders. It is also the recommended version if you pushing portion is the weaker than your pulling strength.

How it's done:

  1. Perform the pull, just like you would a one-arm pull-up.
  2. Then put your free hand over the bar and place your armpit on the bar.
  3. While still having the momentum for the pull, lean into and dig the bar into your armpit to make the the transition.
  4. Now perform the dip as cleanly and possible and lock out your arm to finish the movement.

Kipping One Arm Muscle-Up

The kipping variation is the safer and recommended variation. The movement is much less controlled and the internal rotation of your shoulder and the very bottom of the dip can be dangerous. It is the easy version if you pushing portion is the stronger than your pulling strength.

How it's done:

  1. Start from behind the bar.
  2. Jump to grab the bar and swing forward.
  3. At the end of the swing, raise the hips or bend the knees to kick or kip while performing the pull.
  4. Switch your grip during the pull to be over the bar.
  5. Now perform the dip as cleanly and possible and lock out your arm to finish the movement.

Conclusion

The one-arm muscle-up is a movement only a few men on earth will ever perform and can take years of practice to achieve. Once you achieve it, be sure to take video footage so you can show your future grandkids how much of a beast you were in your prime. Best of Luck!

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