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Kufu / Skill trees / Muscle-up
Skill tree · Pulling & Levers

Muscle-up progression

A muscle-up is a pull-up that carries on over the bar into a dip, finishing with straight arms above it. Kufu's muscle-up tree has 9 nodes, from Explosive pull-ups (Pull fast and high to lower chest) to Strict muscle-up (No kip, clean transition). Each node opens only when you pass its challenge. Before step 1 there is an entry gate: 10+ strict pull-ups, 8+ bar dips.

From the tree that ships in Kufu 2.0 · Last updated 2026-10-13

  1. Entry gate

    Prerequisites

    Challenge to open it10 clean reps10+ strict pull-ups, 8+ bar dips
    Drills to practise (2)
    • Pull-ups 4 × 8–12Strict. Dead hang at the bottom, chest to the bar at the top.
    • Straight bar dips 3 × 8–12On the bar, not the rings. Lean forward, elbows back.
  2. Step 1

    Explosive pull-ups

    Challenge to open it5 clean repsPull fast and high to lower chest
    Drills to practise (1)
    • High pull-ups (chest to bar) 3 × 5–8Pull explosively — the chest touches, not the chin. Speed matters more than height here.
  3. Step 2

    High pull-ups

    Challenge to open it3 clean repsBar to belly button level
    Drills to practise (1)
    • High pull-ups (chest to bar) 4 × 3–5Pull BACK, not just up. Aim to bring the bar toward the navel.
  4. Step 3

    Chest-to-bar

    Challenge to open it5 clean reps5+ reps touching chest/sternum
    Drills to practise (1)
    • High pull-ups (chest to bar) 4 × 5Sternum to the bar every rep. Consistency is the test.
  5. Step 4

    Straight bar dips (deep)

    Challenge to open it8 clean reps8+ reps, go as deep as possible
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Straight bar dips 4 × 6–10As deep as the shoulders allow. This is the second half of the muscle-up.
  6. Step 5

    Jumping muscle-up

    Challenge to open it3 clean repsLow bar, practice transition
    Drills to practise (2)
    • Jumping muscle-up 4 × 3–5Low bar, jump to take the sting out. Learn where the elbows go.
    • Muscle-up negative 3 × 3Get to the top however you can, then lower slowly through the transition.
  7. Step 6

    Banded muscle-up

    Challenge to open it3 clean repsWith resistance band assistance
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Banded muscle-up 4 × 3–5Thinnest band that lets you finish. Reduce it over weeks, not sessions.
  8. Step 7

    Kipping muscle-up

    Challenge to open it3 clean repsWith controlled momentum
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Muscle-up (kipping) 4 × 3–5Swing to generate momentum, pull high, push through. The kip is a teaching tool, not the goal.
  9. Step 8

    Strict muscle-up

    Challenge to open it1 clean repsNo kip, clean transition
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Strict muscle-up 5 × 1–3False grip, pull high, lean forward through the transition, press to lockout.

How the tree works

A node opens only when you pass its challenge: a timed hold, a number of clean reps, or landings out of attempts. Quality you can only judge by eye, such as a straight line or a clean exit, is self-assessed. Practice volume, gym numbers and the coach's opinion never open a node.

Practising a node in Kufu logs a real workout: a short warm-up, the node's drills and a cooldown, on the iPhone or the Apple Watch.

What it builds

Explosive pulling, a deep dip and the transition between them.

Skills and weights

Kufu is a hybrid app: the muscle-up tree sits beside your barbell and dumbbell work rather than replacing it. Skill work goes first in a session, while you're fresh. The Skills & Lifts plan runs two bodyweight skill days and two gym days a week.

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