I know a well executed muscle up looks sexy, but there is beauty in nailing the simple movements as well. Especially if you can nail them when tired and out of breath. That is where the true beauty in movement shines through. (This is also what we call VIRTUOSITY!)
You can see it on the person’s face. It is the third or fourth round of a workout. Maybe they have a round or two to go. The strain is written on their face with a large brush. Their breath comes in heaving gasps.
Despite the difficulty, in defiance of their body screaming at them to take a rest, they nail a perfect air squat over and over. Their knees track out over their toes. Their torso stays upright. They could go faster if they let these things slip, but they refuse. They believe that virtuosity in the simplest of movements is necessary.
These people stay injury free. They love working out for years, without any nagging injuries. They know that the muscle ups look cool, but the basics are the foundation that supports all the fun stuff for decades to come. So practice the small things. Get good at moving well under fatigue.
At Recursive we teach TECHNIQUE first (moving well). Then we work on CONSISTENCY (moving well for every rep – even when tired.) Then we had INTENSITY (moving well consistency faster.) And only then do we add LOAD (adding weight and complexity to the movement.)