Today I managed 20 bar muscle-ups. I amazed at how quickly and easily they are coming to me – after a month of trying them religiously.

What helped? scaling.

Learning bar muscle-ups

I don’t know if it’s the same with rings, but for bar muscle-ups, it really helped me to, first, get my kipping pull-up up to chest level on the bar.

Concurrently, I would practice jumping into the muscle-up, off of a box, to get that momentum start. All the while continuing to work on hip drive strength and core.

Then, it just happened.

Bam! …I kipped, drove hard out of the bottom, caught myself in bottom of the dip, and drove up using my shoulders and arms.

Building on the bar muscle-up

So now, the goal becomes tow-fold:

• how fast can I do, say, 30?
• how much more strict can I get with the technique

But, so as to not show up as a chump, it’s important that I train and train damn hard. I’m almost 40 years old and I have to work twice as hard to get to a level where I can even stand next to some of these hotshots.

Training goals

Without specific goals, there is no way to gauge success.

1. I will adhere to the HQ WODs whenever possible.
2. I will scale where necessary to prevent injury or training setbacks
3. I will ratchet up the intensity
4. I will give it everything I have
5. I will stay accountable via this blog

Accountability is key

And with that, here are my latest training notes…

Current weight: ~195

Diet: Keeping the portions small. Berries and macadamia nuts in the morning, sushi in the afternoon, protein drinks in between and a family dinner in the evening (one meat, one starch, one salad)

Recovery: continues to be solid. sleep is at 8 full hours.

1/13/2009 – sign up day

• Scaled HQ WOD in terms of reps and sub’d bar dips for rings
  • 155lb power cleans – felt good, early fatigue. weight is acceptable for me
  • dips – took awhile to warm ‘em up, but got there
• Skills work
  • handstand push-ups – getting much, much better at these – reps of 10-12 with plenty of work sets
  • kipping pull-ups (up to 12-14 nonstop), and muscle-up training – still no bar muscle-up yet

I know I have a long way to go. Many of the people I will compete against have had muscle-ups for a year or more and can do them for huge reps.

All I can do is work hard and focus. Let the chips fall where they may. I’m determined.

Christian, your humble narrator, improved on his 226 from the FGB Atlanta Affiliate Challenge with a 266.

Fight Gone Bad workout consists of three rounds of:

• 1 minute wall ball (20 lb ball)
• 1 minute deadlift high-pull
• 1 minute 20 inch box jumps
• 1 minute push press
• 1 minute rowing machine

No rest between movements – 1 minute rest between rounds.

Lastly, the 2009 CrossFit Games has been announced – Check it out!

• Pull-ups are required all the way to the chest. This means you must touch your chest on the bar with each repetition.
• Overhead presses must be completed to full range of motion, over the shoulders, allowing the ears to be visible from side profile view at the top of the movement, in full extension
• Burpees must include an air born clap,  with wide open hips.

Below are some helpful resources for CrossFit junkies to review:

• PDF: 2008 CrossFit Games Format
  
• Video: CrossFit Games Movement Standards
• Video: CrossFit Games format explanations

Final Standings at the 2008 CrossFit Games:

• PDF: Mens CrossFit Games final standings
• PDF: Womens CrossFit Games final standings