Butterflies, Muscle Ups, and One Strong Little Lady

As some of you may know I'm an avid CrossFitter.  And there have been some skills that I have wanted to get for a while (muscle ups) that I had yet to accomplish.  The other skill I've needed is butterfly pull-ups.
Muscle-ups was the one skill I have been wanting to get since the end of last year (2011) and even more so at the beginning of 2012, January, after making a bet.  And I plan on winning that bet.  This move I expect to come easily after doing gymnastics for 12 years.
Trying to get butterfly pull-ups came about from a CrossFit Throwdown competition coming up in November.  The workout is a partnered Murph.  The workout is named after the fallen U.S. Navy Seal Michael Murphy, who died in the war in Afghanistan.
"Murph"
1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile run
All for time!
The benefit of this being a partner workout, which is normally isn't, is that you can split the repetitions.

Butterfly Pull-Ups
Most people start with pull-ups with a band, then progress to kipping which has a swinging motion to it and then the more advanced do a butterfly pull-up. These are the fastest way to do pull-ups. The movement is kind of like a backward bicycle movement, both feet at one time.  This is how it was taught to me.  But how did I come about learning how to do these?
There is a CrossFit ThrowDown competition on November 10th of this year.  And as far as we know the only workout is a partner "Murph."  The owner of the gym asked if I would be her partner; I needed to get butterfly pull-ups and she needed to work on her running.  I already had kipping pull-ups from being in gymnastics for many years so they came naturally to me.  So one day after a workout I asked her to teach me how to do them.  I got them only after a couple tries and my head finally grasping the concept.  Once you've done a skill one way for years it's hard to change it, especially since kipping pull-ups and butterfly pull-ups the leg movement is in the opposite direction.  This movement also requires you to keep your core tight the whole time or you will lose the movement completely.  I can't believe how quickly I got it.  I had tried to get it once before, but the guys at the club were unsure about how to explain it to me.

The Workout that Made Me Realize I Should Have My Muscle Up
At last Tuesday's swim practice, the last part of the workout was 4x50m swim with 5 press outs after each 50m.  This was my kind of set because it involves strength and not just straight swimming. I started out in front of the group and finished about a lap ahead of everyone.  
The thing that made me believe that I should have muscle up is that the press out involve the same over the top rotation that is required for a muscle up when coming from the bottom of the rings onto the top because you have to roll your body over to get onto the bulkhead.  The press outs and the muscle up rotation were very similar as you will see.  So needless to say after that workout I was bound and determined to get my muscle ups soon! My coach called me one strong little lady!

Muscle Ups and The Bet

This is a skill that I have been wanting to get since I went and got my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer certfication back in November of 2010.  I had never even seen them or heard of them until I started CrossFit.  To describe it briefly, you use men's gymnastics rings.  You start out by hanging from the bottom of the rings, then with you swing and pull your body up and over top of the rings.  From the bottom of a dip you push yourself up so that your arms are fully extended.  I had tried several times in December of 2011 to get them and even tried them at the club I work at with another CrossFit coach.  
So being at the CrossFit gym, one of the owners and I played around trying to practice them one day and see where we could get with it, but had no success.  I randomly would try from there on occasion to get one, but couldn't seem to get myself up over top of the rings.  I have made several random attempts since then but have never been able to get them, which I felt my swing from the bottom would surely give me the momentum I would need to get over top of the rings.
Last Friday, after the WOD (workout of the day) I asked Matt, a coach at the box, to help me figure out why I couldn't get them down.  He started by changing my grip to a false grip.  False grip is really basically your wrists are already resting on the rings before you even start.  From there he had me practice the movement starting by standing on a box just to get a feel of what I was suppose to be doing.  That was the easy part.  After that I needed to start with my arms bent instead of starting from a full extension.  From there a swing and up and over and then press out of the dip.  I had to start by getting my grip right from a box because I'm just a little short for the rings. 
So I went from what Matt had taught me and sure enough on the first try after that I got my very first muscle up.  I didn't know what to say.  So I did about 3 total that day which I guess seems to be unusual, but the movement felt so easy after that.  I guess most people get one and then it takes them forever to get it again.  So next is connected them so I can do more than 1 at a time.
The Bet....
So the bet I have to win with muscle ups has to deal with a guy I met.  We met on New Year's Eve/New Year's and then finally talked the night before he left to go into basic training for the Air Force.  We were talking the night before and we made a bet that we would set a date to have a muscle up contest.  If he won, he got to take me on a date.  If I won, well I haven't quite decided still what I will win.