Stop Wishing, Start Training: How to Finally Get Your Bar Muscle-Up

This article is the fourth in our series with gymnastics athlete and coach Pamela Gagnon. The first was on kipping pull-ups, the second on toes-to-bar, and the third on handstand push-ups. Now, let’s move on to bar muscle-ups.

How often have you walked into the gym, watched those “gymnasty” athletes crush bar muscle-ups, and thought, “I wish that was me, but I’m just not good at gymnastics,” followed by a defeated sigh?

Here’s the truth: No one is born good at anything. Those athletes didn’t magically wake up one day stringing together muscle-ups — they put in the work. And the satisfaction of seeing your hard work pay off? It’s absolutely worth it.

No More Excuses

Think back to when you first started CrossFit. Did you instantly know how to deadlift or clean? No. You drilled positions with a PVC pipe, built muscle memory, and gradually added weight. You had setbacks, but you kept refining your strength and technique.

Gymnastics skills are no different. Just because they only involve your body weight doesn’t mean they require any less practice. Young gymnasts train 12-16 hours per week perfecting the basics. If they need that much time, why should you expect to master a bar muscle-up without dedicated effort?

Build It Like a Lift

Maybe you’re not strong enough to do a bar muscle-up today. Maybe you are. Either way, strength alone won’t get you there — technique and muscle memory will. Just like lifting, you must refine the movement, reinforce positions, and put in the reps. The strength will come, but only if you commit to the process.

So, no more excuses. If you want it, start working for it.

When the Bar Muscle-Up is in a Workout

Instead of shying away from the movement or just being stuck on kipping pull-ups forever, let’s dive into some ways to get “unstuck” and work toward the kipping bar muscle-up.

Workout of the Day

21-15-9 reps for time of:
Single-arm dumbbell snatches
Bar muscle-ups

Let’s dive into how you can approach this workout to work toward that elusive bar muscle-up.

The Beginner Athlete

If you are working toward strict pull-ups and struggle with controlling kip swings, try this sequence: 

• Round of 21 – Complete 21 kip swings and 5 box get-overs (30-inch box)
• Round of 15 – Complete 15 kip swings and 5 box get-overs (30-inch box)
• Round of 9 – Complete 9 kip swings and 5 box get-overs (30-inch box)

We often see pull-ups in workouts and focus on the pulling portion of skills, but we rarely focus on the pressing portion of the bar muscle-up for beginners. With the above scaling option, you can work on grip strength and kip mechanics with the kip swings AND your pressing strength to press up and over a tall box. 

If you have the space and equipment, I would love to see you do the “low-bar-get-out-of-the-pool” scale, which is Level 2 on this REEL instead of the tall box get-overs. However, I know not everyone can use this setup during a regular class, so this is a great skill to practice during your affiliate’s open gym hours if they have them.

The Intermediate Athlete

If you have strict pull-ups and kipping chest-to-bar pull-ups, try this sequence: 

• Round of 21 – Complete 15 *box bar muscle-ups (both legs or with one leg)
• Round of 15 –  Complete 12 box bar muscle-ups (both legs or with one leg)
• Round of 9 – Complete 9 box bar muscle-ups (both legs or with one leg)

*Level 3 on this REEL 

You will reduce the reps per round to focus on tension, form, and technique rather than adding too much volume, which can lead to muscle fatigue and frustration.

Practice

Success in the gymnastics portion of CrossFit requires regular practice, not just attempts during the workout. Therefore, doing drills and warm-ups outside of class will help you feel even more prepared the next time bar muscle-ups appear in the workout. 

Do these movements three times a week for the next three weeks.

Day 1

3 rounds of each skill, 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest: 

• Beginner – Alternate between kip swings and box get-overs
• Intermediate – Alternate between box bar muscle-ups and strict chest-to-bar pull-ups

Day 2

6-5-4-3-2-1 reps, rest as needed to be successful at all sets:

• Beginner – Get-out-of-pools on a low bar
• Intermediate – Box bar muscle-ups

Day 3

3 rounds, 1 minute of rest between sets:

• Beginner – Max effort get-out-of-pools on a low bar (cap at 15 per round)
• Intermediate – Max bar muscle-ups (cap at 10 per round)

Drills and Warm-Ups

A few quality drills and warm-ups include:

• Scap pull-ups
• Arch snap to support
• Strict pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups 
• Kip swings
• Get-out-of-pools
• Bar dips

Progressing toward a bar muscle-up isn’t about natural talent — it’s about committing to consistent practice, refining technique, and building strength over time. If you stay patient, put in the work, and trust the process, you’ll soon find yourself confidently pushing up on top of the bar.

About the Author

Pamela Gagnon is the co-creator of Performance Plus Programming and the free e-book “5 Key Points to Great Toes To Bar.” She is a four-time Masters CrossFit Games athlete and a former D1 Gymnast. As a CF-L2, she was a lead coach for eight years with the CrossFit Gymnastics Course. She also currently writes gymnastics programming for CrossFit Mayhem.