Progress & PRs
Progress & PRs#muscle-up#progress#milestone

Finally hit my first strict Muscle-Up after 8 months!

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@IronMike_92
Intermediate• 1 posts
2/17/2026

Hey everyone! I just had to share this moment with you all because I've been lurking here for months getting tips and motivation.

Background: I started calisthenics last June with zero pull-up strength. Couldn't even do a single dead hang for more than 10 seconds. Today, I finally nailed my first STRICT bar muscle-up with clean form.

What worked for me: 1. High pull-ups - I focused on pulling to my chest, then belly button. Did these 3x a week. 2. Negative muscle-ups - Started doing these about 3 months ago. 5 sets of 3, super slow (5 second descent). 3. False grip training - Game changer. I practiced false grip hangs for 2 months before attempting any transitions. 4. Weighted pull-ups - Added 10kg to my pull-ups which made bodyweight feel light.

The transition is still a bit rough but I'm so hyped right now. Thanks to everyone who posts tips here - this community is incredible!

Anyone else hit a milestone recently? Would love to hear your stories!

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3 Replies

Accepted Answer
@Coach_StefanModerator
2/17/2026
Excellent work and great breakdown of your progression! This is exactly the kind of structured approach I recommend. A few things to work on now: - Straight bar dips - These will help you lock out stronger at the top - L-sit muscle-up attempts - This forces a stricter form - Volume - Try to get 3 clean reps, then 5, then work on sets Also, make sure you're not neglecting pulling strength maintenance. I see a lot of people get their MU and then stagnate because they stop training the fundamentals.
@CaliQueenElite
2/17/2026
Huge congrats!! The strict muscle-up is no joke. 8 months is actually pretty fast progress, especially starting from zero. Pro tip for cleaning up the transition: focus on keeping your elbows close to your body and think about "pulling around" the bar rather than straight up. It makes a massive difference. Keep grinding!
@BarBrother_NYCAdvanced
2/17/2026
Welcome to the muscle-up club! That first one is always the hardest. Once you have it, you'll be repping them out in no time. I remember my first one - it was so ugly but I didn't care. Now I'm working on the slow muscle-up (no momentum at all). Next goal maybe?

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