I get asked all the time questions like, "Tim, how many pull ups do I have to do before I can perform (insert skill here)?". This could be any fitness skill such as but not limited to pull ups, chin ups, dips, muscle ups, human flags, back levers, push ups from your toes etc. The fact of the matter is, there is no amount of pull ups that will allow you to do the human flag, and no amount of dips will allow you to perform a muscle up. You do need a base level of strength to perform theses movements and yes you must be able to perform dips before you can do a muscle up, and you do need to be able to perform a set of pull ups before you can even hope of holding a human flag. However, these exercises alone will never allow you to perform either of these skills. In order to achieve a certain skill you must practice that skill and become familiar with it inside and out. This means working on muscle up progressions if your goal is performing a muscle up, or finding the right grip and practicing straddle flags if you want to be able to hold a full human flag. It means treating your training to achieve these skills as practice, and practice should be performed perfectly and often without working to failure until the actual skill is achieved. This means continuing to perform supplemental exercises such as planks, advanced planks, pull ups, dips, hollow rocks, supermans, and more in order to avoid muscle imbalances and improve your functional strength. It's a process, and it takes time, attention to detail, listening to your body, finding out what's right for you, and working on the actual skill. Anyone can achieve any skill they want, this means you can too! Just remember that it takes time, and fitness is a journey and not a destination. Check out the video above for more details!
- Tim
