Bar Muscle-Up Swing: Slack is Bad
Video by Travis Ewart
Do you struggle with keeping in rhythm on Bar Muscle-Ups because you have a choppy swing? Do you feel like you might rip your shoulders out of their sockets when going for a big enough kip to get yourself over the bar? Even if it’s not all the way to dislocation status, just a little jarring can be concerning, especially if you are spending a lot of time and doing a high number of reps to practice the movement.
For the purpose of this video, let’s define three terms that Coach Travis uses to help explain why extension – in the arms AND the entire body – is important in maintaining an even, powerful and more-easily controlled swing.
Slack = bent arms or shoulders (or body)
Extension = lack of slack
Tension = shortening/tightening of a muscle (or group of muscles)
Slack is bad because it is what causes a choppy swing and jarring on the shoulder joint. Besides setting yourself up for injury, you won’t be as efficient in your swing, causing you to use more energy and tire more quickly. If your swing is too choppy, it might even throw off your technique and cause you to miss the rep.
Extension creates a smooth and controllable swing because you are in your strongest position (extended is stronger than bent) and you can utilize momentum to your advantage. Travis shows a good example in the video of extension vs slack and what happens in the swing with each.
Tension is not the same as extension but can lead to a swing that is not smooth, similar to slack. Sometimes, tension looks like slack because the joint might be bent when the muscles are clinching so tight. Even though it is the opposite of being lose, it still breaks the chain of momentum and control, just like slack.
Check out the video for a better understanding of these three terms and how to use extension to your advantage on Bar Muscle-Ups and other kipping gymnastics movements.
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