Meaning & use
muscle up
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
A strength exercise in which you pull yourself up on a bar until your arms are straight and your body is above it.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a muscle-up' or 'muscle-ups'.
Patterns
- do a muscle-up
- perform muscle-ups
He can do ten muscle-ups in a row.
The muscle-up is a difficult move that combines a pull-up and a dip.
verbintransitivesport
To perform a muscle-up exercise; to pull yourself up on a bar until your arms are straight.
Grammar: No object; often used as 'muscle up on something'.
Patterns
- muscle up on a bar
- muscle up
She muscled up on the bar with impressive strength.
He tried to muscle up but couldn't get his chest over the bar.
Word forms
| plural | muscle-ups |
|---|---|
| third person singular | muscles up |
| past tense | muscled up |
| past participle | muscled up |
| -ing form | muscling up |
Common combinations
- do a muscle-up
- Can you do a muscle-up without swinging?
- perform muscle-ups
- The athletes performed muscle-ups on the high bar.
- muscle up on the bar
- He muscled up on the bar and held the position.
- strict muscle-up
- A strict muscle-up requires great technique.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: muscle up or muscle in?
muscle up vs muscle in
To 'muscle in' means to force your way into something; it is not the same as 'muscle up'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'muscle up' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is B because 'muscle up' as a noun refers to the exercise. An is wrong because 'muscle up' does not mean to lift something; C is wrong because it does not mean to go somewhere; D is wrong because it is not about eating.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “muscle up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.