Bar or ring muscle ups? Which one is better? First, break down what a muscle up is. A person is taking themselves from underneath an object to on top of it. A pull up right into a dip, simple enough. The rings add a different degree of skill to the movement since you are on a dynamic platform whereas the bar isn’t moving. So the rings must be a hands down better movement, right? I’m going to go against the grain on this one and say not necessarily.
The rings are a more “sporty” movement and are very hard to master if you are not a competitive gymnast. But what about the bar? I’ve known people that could knock out 30 ring muscle ups in under 5 minutes but couldn’t do one single bar muscle up. This tells me that they cannot get over a wall if they need to.
I have been on countless Marine Corps obstacle courses and the BUD/S O-course several time, never once did I have to get up and over an object that was not solid and immovable. Since my discharge, I have still yet to see anything requiring me to get over a dynamic object outside of a gym, so why would I solely train for that ability if the other is lacking?
Yes, both have their positives, but their does come a point where practicality and common sense must rule. Skew your focus a little bit and learn to get over a wall, especially if you plan on entering any branch of the military.
Posted on October 4, 2010
0