muscle up King beach workout - motivation with bodybuilders

Muscle Up King Beach Workout

Muscle Beach Nutrition-sponsored athlete Andrew Hawkins, aka "The Muscle-Up King," drew quite the crowd with this workout at the famous Muscle Beach Venice in California. But don't let his nickname confuse you—this isn't CrossFit we'll be doing here.

Instead, you're about to challenge yourself with a combination of beginner calisthenics and weighted isolation moves. See, you can't just start doing muscle-ups and acrobatics like Hawkins without nailing down the basics first. Bodyweight moves like pull-ups, leg lifts, and dips will be the first steps in getting you there. If you haven't quite mastered these, you can still tackle them with simple modifications.

The road to Hawkins' level of training requires getting out of your comfort zone! At the end of the workout, Hawkins throws in some remarkable power-ups, hoisting himself up and into a handstand position on the pull-up bars.

"I know I make it look easy, but that's only because I've been practicing for such a long time," he says.

In other words, consistency and effort with workouts like this one is key.

As much as we'd all love to pump some iron at this historical landmark of bodybuilding, all you'll need is a gym with the right equipment—and a mindset to push yourself with the more difficult bodyweight portions of the workout. Don't let Hawkins' quickness and fluidity intimidate you. He assures us that it doesn't have to be rushed or done perfectly; just do the work.

"As long as you follow through, you're going to get a result," he explains.

Maybe once you're as jacked and talented as Hawkins, you'll be high-fiving and taking photos with fans before you train, too.

| Andrew Hawkins Full-Body Workout |

1. Pullups: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

2. Knee/Hip Raies On Parallel Bars: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

3. Dips: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

4. Standing Rope Crunch: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

5. Leg Extensions: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

6. Lying Leg Curls: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

7. Machine Bench Press: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

8. Machine Low Row: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

9. Barbell Curl: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

10. Triceps Pushdown: 4-5 sets, 12-15 reps

| Pull-Up |

Your grip on pull-ups can be underhand or overhand, wide or narrow. Regardless, your tempo should be moderate; neither too fast or too slow. Go straight up and down: Imagine you're trying to pull your elbows into your back pockets. Minimize any swinging or extra movement by keeping your abs tight and staying under control. As Hawkins notes, pull-ups are going to help you with overall calisthenics and grip strength.

| Leg Lift | 

Leg lifts are best performed on an apparatus called the Roman chair. Keep your shoulders back, not rolled inward toward your chest. Engage your core and lift your legs up and out in front of you, as if you are pulling them solely with your lower abs. Your legs should remain straight as you bring them up to where your feet are even with your hips. This can be challenging, so a modified option would be with your knees bent and tucked into your chest. Either way, keep your lower back neutral the entire time.

| Triceps Dip |

This is another tough movement, but done correctly, it will leave your triceps sore for days! Begin with your hands gripping both sides of a dip bar, your arms straight, and your knees bent. Bend your elbows and keep them tucked as you descend. Once your elbows reach 90 degrees, use the strength of your triceps to push yourself back to the starting position. Your shoulder position here is key—rounding them will place unnecessary tension on your front delts.