When you can successfully string strict muscle-ups and strict handstand push-ups together, then you won’t ever worry about what workout is released in a competition. This program is designed to help you finally get your strict muscle-up and strict handstand push-up.

Alternating between a push and a pull almost every day, 15-minutes should be sufficient. If you’re spending 20-minutes on any day (after Week 1), you’re taking too long. Keeping it short each day will help you be consistent.

Finally, it’s important to track your results each time. Your goal for Week 2 is to beat your score from Week 1. Your goal for Week 8 is to beat your time from Week 7. Push yourself so that you beat your previous best 8 weeks in-a-row.

Tomorrow, I will write to you about Weeks 9-16. By the end of this 16-week cycle, you will be very happy with the results.

Tyler

Monday

• Ring Pull-Ups (4 x Max Effort)
  -Rest 1:00 between sets-
  Scaling: If you can’t get your thumbs to your armpits, do leg-assisted ring pull-ups instead. These are not ring rows, you should be as perpendicular to the ground as possible.
  
  
• Parallel Ring Rows (6 Rounds For Reps)
  -30-seconds on, 30-seconds off-
  Scaling: Touch thumbs to shoulders/chest every time. If you can’t be parallel, do a normal ring row.

Tuesday

• Strict Ring Dips (4 x Max Effort)
  -Rest 1:00 between sets-
  Scaling: Don’t let your forearms touch your shoulders (i.e. you should be as vertical as possible). If you can’t complete these, do leg-assisted ring dips instead.
  
  
• Nine-count push-ups (3:00 AMRAP)
  Scaling: Go fast and make it burn. You can use a med ball or parallette for the exercise. When you begin failing reps, drop to your knees.

Wednesday

• Ring or Bar Muscle-Ups (15-reps For Time)
  Scaling: Do the hardest version of a muscle-up that you can successfully complete. If you are completing sets of 5, you need to make them harder. Time cap: 5-minutes
  
  
• Pull-Over to Eccentric Muscle-Up (12-reps)
  Scaling: Don’t spend any more time than 6-minutes doing this. Do an eccentric muscle-up and skip the pull-over if you keep failing the pull-over. Use a band for the eccentric phase if needed. Your transition from the bottom of the dip to the top of the pull-up (where your chin is still above the bar but your body is below the bar), should take 4-seconds!

Thursday

• Strict Static Support Dips (6 Rounds For Reps)
  -30-seconds on, 30-seconds off-
  Scaling: Stay as vertical as possible. Resort to jumping ring dips on the boxes when you need to.
  Important Note: The boxes need to be high enough off the floor so that your feet don’t touch the floor when you are in the bottom of your dip.
  
  
• Dumbbell Z-Press (4 x 10/arm)
  -Rest 60-seconds after completing 10-reps for each arm-
  Scaling: Alternate arms each rep (unlike the hyperlinked video). Pick a weight that makes 10 reps on each arm hard but doable. You shouldn’t be able to do 12 reps at this weight.

Friday

• Strict Pull-Up (Accumulate 50-reps with the same set #).
  Scaling: This should take you 6-minutes. If you are too fast, do more than 50 next time. Same rules apply as the deficit push-ups (i.e. do the same set # each time). If you get capped, make the strict pull-up easier by putting the band around the J-hooks (do not hang it from the top).
  
  
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls (4 x 10/arm)
  -Rest 60-seconds after completing 10-reps for each arm-
  Scaling: Pick a weight that makes 10 reps on each arm hard but doable. You shouldn’t be able to do 12 reps at this weight.

Saturday

• Handstand Push-Ups (5:00 AMRAP)
  Scaling: Do the hardest version of a handstand push-up that you can successfully complete. If you are completing sets of 5, you need to make them harder.
  
  
• Deficit Push-Ups (Accumulate 100-reps with the same set #).
  Scaling: This should take you 6-minutes. Try to stick to the same set # each time (i.e. don’t do 30 push-ups for your first set and then 7 sets of 10. It would be better to do 10 sets of 10 with shorter breaks). If you are too fast, make the deficit bigger next time. If it takes you longer, eliminate the deficit (or drop to your knees).

Sunday

If you’re like me and you need to do something every day in order to keep a habit, then do this on Sunday. If you need a rest day, then rest.

• V-Ups (Accumulate 100 reps with the same set #).
  Scaling: This should take you 5-minutes. Don’t let your feet or hands touch the ground in between reps. If you are too fast, do bigger sets next time. Same rules apply as the deficit push-ups (i.e. do the same set # each time). If you get capped, consider doing straight-leg sit-ups with feet weighted down and toes facing up.
  
  
• Hollow Rocks (Accumulate 100 reps with the same set #).
  Scaling: This should take you 5-minutes. Don’t let your feet or hands touch the ground in between reps. If you are too fast, do bigger sets next time. Same rules apply as the V-Ups (i.e. do the same set # each time). If you get capped, consider doing tuck hollow rocks.

Other Related Readings:
Muscle-Up and Handstand Push-Up Program (Weeks 9-16)