jonathan_gale
New member
@ministrymama I answered this above. Yes I can kip my hips to the bar. I can do 8 strict pull-ups and 4-5 strict CTB. I’ve also done both strict movements weighted.
Anyone else struggling with a skill that seems impossible to learn?
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@jonathan_gale FWIW - it sounds like it’s not a strength issue. I can’t do either of the things listed but can BMU. I have a gymnastics background and regressed a glide kip to a BMU standard. BMU (at least mine) aren’t a strength move - it’s just timing. Good luck friend 
ministrymama
New member
@mminer237 Oh sorry I didnt see that. A cue that helped me get my first muscle ups were when you are getting your hips to the bar. Think of then doing a ghd in the air. Not sure if you heard that one before but aggressive with the head threw.
@jonathan_gale WODprep.com my man
parsonbrown
New member
@jonathan_gale This might be obvious but have you mastered Pull-ups? I don't do crossfit, and I'm certainly not one to say butterfly pull-ups are invalid and not a good form of exercise, but most cross fitters I've run into *only* train butterfly momentum pull-ups and because of that have no real pulling power.
If you truly have pull-ups down, muscle-ups will be a natural next step.
If you truly have pull-ups down, muscle-ups will be a natural next step.
megansophia
New member
@jonathan_gale front squat, power cleans, thrusters, hang cleans, push press, push jerk. Anything that involves a solid front rack.
I have been doing LAT, WRIST and shoulder mobility since June of 2023 and still can’t hold a comfortable front rack required for any of those movements.
I’ve gone through dozens of YouTube videos and tried all the exercise stretches I can find. But still nothing.
I guess 15 years of bodybuilding style lifting wrecked my ability to every hold a front rack for CrossFit movements.
Every YouTube channel
I have been doing LAT, WRIST and shoulder mobility since June of 2023 and still can’t hold a comfortable front rack required for any of those movements.
I’ve gone through dozens of YouTube videos and tried all the exercise stretches I can find. But still nothing.
I guess 15 years of bodybuilding style lifting wrecked my ability to every hold a front rack for CrossFit movements.
Every YouTube channel
disciplehelovestoo
New member
@jonathan_gale Bar muscle up. I’m on year 12 and not even close…
@jonathan_gale I've been doing CrossFit since like 2017. Got BMU after like a year - sets of 10+ no issue.
RMU eluded me until the beginning of this year - switching to a false grip and a small but tight kip was what did it for me.
Still can't do RMU with monkey grip / big swing, but that's fine for now.
Maybe try working on building even more pulling strength and going for something close to a strict one?
Working on negatives etc should be valuable too. Good luck!
RMU eluded me until the beginning of this year - switching to a false grip and a small but tight kip was what did it for me.
Still can't do RMU with monkey grip / big swing, but that's fine for now.
Maybe try working on building even more pulling strength and going for something close to a strict one?
Working on negatives etc should be valuable too. Good luck!
@jonathan_gale Once I could do strict pullups to the chest for 20 I finally had what it took to do bmu. Age 49, weight 170.
Practice strict pullups going that high, and once 20 was easy with a max around 25 to 29 I was ready. Took 3 years but was focused on other lifts more.
Practice strict pullups going that high, and once 20 was easy with a max around 25 to 29 I was ready. Took 3 years but was focused on other lifts more.
@jonathan_gale Yes, definitely.
I also struggle with muscle ups, double unders and handstand push ups.
I've been doing CrossFit for roughly 5 years now, and while I am improving, I still don't have these movements.
I am trying to learn them, although if I'm honest I'm not dedicating enough time for it.
But to me it's great as it is as well.
I think it's mostly about the purpose you have with CF.
For me it's being able to maintain and improve my fitness level, with the short time I have to dedicate to it. And I'm also enjoying it most of the time.
Admittedly, I would like to have those skills, and I try to practice them every now and then. But none of these skills is a fundamentally "functional", day to day movement.
For that I'd rather focus on the basic movements (squats, lunges, core, pull, push, etc.) which make much more difference in my day to day, especially as I'm getting older.
I also struggle with muscle ups, double unders and handstand push ups.
I've been doing CrossFit for roughly 5 years now, and while I am improving, I still don't have these movements.
I am trying to learn them, although if I'm honest I'm not dedicating enough time for it.
But to me it's great as it is as well.
I think it's mostly about the purpose you have with CF.
For me it's being able to maintain and improve my fitness level, with the short time I have to dedicate to it. And I'm also enjoying it most of the time.
Admittedly, I would like to have those skills, and I try to practice them every now and then. But none of these skills is a fundamentally "functional", day to day movement.
For that I'd rather focus on the basic movements (squats, lunges, core, pull, push, etc.) which make much more difference in my day to day, especially as I'm getting older.
toba4christ
New member
@jonathan_gale Consistent handstand walking of any distance over about 5ft!
Weirdly, I'm actually VERY good at handstands generally, I love them and do them a lot - I am great at kipping handstand push ups, wall walks and can do very controlled kick ups and downs into static freestanding handstands, hold a lovely hollow position against the wall (facing and away) for well over a minute, can shoulder tap in a handstand, walk my hands up and down onto a plate etc but I still CANNOT walk for more than a few ft (*I'm still petitioning Castro for headstands and static handstands in the open workouts!).
I think the fact I have so much static handstand experience as well as "proper" gymnastic form may actually be hindering me as I struggle to be able to "Scorpion" my legs behind me. (I also have struggles with proprioception as someone with hypermobility which is why having my legs tense and straight together, touching each other feels helpful). As soon as I walk a few feet (slowly) I just lose forward momentum and come back down the way.
The other one (well there's several but this one always annoys me!) is ring dips. In almost twelve years of CrossFit I still cannot do one strict ring dip. I have decent upper body strength - have around 4-6 strict pull ups (above average for a woman, I would guess??), some deficit kipping hspu - but feels like I've got zero strength when my elbows are behind me, and I'm never sure where my shoulder joint should be! (Hypermobility strikes again - I have very, very lax shoulder joints). I feel like the top half of the movement is fine, but below about 90° of elbow bend and it feels like Ari my muscles turn off I never feel like I feel the movement in my triceps or pecs, but when I practice negatives it absolutely canes the ring of muscle around my armpit (I guess where a backpack strap might go??) for days!
Weirdly, I'm actually VERY good at handstands generally, I love them and do them a lot - I am great at kipping handstand push ups, wall walks and can do very controlled kick ups and downs into static freestanding handstands, hold a lovely hollow position against the wall (facing and away) for well over a minute, can shoulder tap in a handstand, walk my hands up and down onto a plate etc but I still CANNOT walk for more than a few ft (*I'm still petitioning Castro for headstands and static handstands in the open workouts!).
I think the fact I have so much static handstand experience as well as "proper" gymnastic form may actually be hindering me as I struggle to be able to "Scorpion" my legs behind me. (I also have struggles with proprioception as someone with hypermobility which is why having my legs tense and straight together, touching each other feels helpful). As soon as I walk a few feet (slowly) I just lose forward momentum and come back down the way.
The other one (well there's several but this one always annoys me!) is ring dips. In almost twelve years of CrossFit I still cannot do one strict ring dip. I have decent upper body strength - have around 4-6 strict pull ups (above average for a woman, I would guess??), some deficit kipping hspu - but feels like I've got zero strength when my elbows are behind me, and I'm never sure where my shoulder joint should be! (Hypermobility strikes again - I have very, very lax shoulder joints). I feel like the top half of the movement is fine, but below about 90° of elbow bend and it feels like Ari my muscles turn off I never feel like I feel the movement in my triceps or pecs, but when I practice negatives it absolutely canes the ring of muscle around my armpit (I guess where a backpack strap might go??) for days!
@jonathan_gale Butterfly anything. Can't find the rhythm and I always feel like I'm going to hit my head.
jbeasley863
New member
@jonathan_gale Kipping pull-ups. I can do muscle ups, but I really struggle with the timing for chaining pull-ups together. I was doing pretty well in the open till the chest to bars.
lurking419
New member
@jonathan_gale How often have you practiced them?
jonathan_gale
New member
@lurking419 I’m doing personal programming solely for BMUs 3-5 times a week. Entering week 8 (not counting all the previous coaching/programming) … really thought I’d get it by now.
oneironaut27
New member
@jonathan_gale Just get gud kid!
@jonathan_gale Toes to bar 