Get in an Effective Workout with these Parallel Bar Exercises
When you hear about parallel bar exercises, the odds are that you think of gymnasts and not regular people. That said, there is no need for you to be training to take part in the Olympics to get a great workout using this simple equipment. In fact, if you get a small set of parallettes (a small set of short parallel bars close to the floor) you can even do these workouts at home.
Being able to do parallel bar exercises isn’t very expensive. The small parallettes cost about $50 if you buy the wooden ones. If you want to splurge, the aluminum type are slightly more expensive. That said, if you’re handy, you can make them for next to nothing out of the right PVC pipe.
The whole reason parallel bar exercises are as effective as they are is that they let you use your muscles to lift yourself off the ground. This gives you a considerable advantage in building body strength. When you’re using the bars to raise yourself in different positions, you access a larger number of muscles and use a deeper range of motion.
The following are a few of these exercises to help you to get a great workout:
Basic dips – using miniature parallel bars, keep your feet ahead of you on the ground and your elbows locked, holding the bars straight below you. Using your arms, slowly lower your hips toward the floor and push yourself back up again. Need more of a challenge? Place your feet in an elevated position on a pillow or footstool.
Enhanced pushups – hold the bars while your body is in the plank position, keeping your legs outstretched behind you. Begin by lowering yourself to the level of the bars and pressing back up again. When you build your strength, lower yourself down between the bars for an even greater challenge.
Pushup handstands – ready to get fancy? It’s time to do a handstand (leaning against the wall) while holding onto the parallel bars. Lower yourself halfway and raise yourself up again. When you get good at it, lower yourself three quarters of the way and back up again. Full depth pushups where you sink as low as your shoulders is exceptionally difficult. Don’t attempt this until you’ve thoroughly mastered the other levels.
These straightforward moves don’t take very long but can encourage you to use a lot more than your arm muscles as you exercise. For a boost in energy that will help you to burn more fat while you exercise, try Phentramin-d.
