Raising the Bar (March 2019)

Ask any trainer worth his salt what the most important aspect of working out is, and inevitably, the answer would be to strengthen one’s core. On top of that, doing exercises that target your core muscles and abdomen regularly result in great abs, back, shoulders, as well as the strength of the forearms. Pull up bars then, are a crucial piece of equipment for every gym, even the one at your home.

“Simply doing crunches for your abs is not going to give you rock hard abs. You need to hit your core from a number of different angles and with great intensity,” says Suresh Mukhopadhyay, a trainer at Fitness First, Kolkata. “Using a pull-up bar lets users work on a number of body parts, all at once. Also, going against gravity adds immense pressure to the entire workout routine,” continues Suresh, adding, that this leads to in faster results, and thereby cutting down on the number of reps one needs to perform.

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If you are considering installing a pull-up bar at your home, then you need to be a little careful. Make sure that the bar is fastened to the wall properly and that the wall is solid and does not have water damage. Consider the construction of the bar. Go for the ones that are made from stainless steel, tubular pipes as they will not break easily. Remember to check the foam grips as well. They should have adequate packing. And finally, ensure that the design that you pick will let you hang yourself upside down using your legs. This will open up a number of possibilities such as inverted sit ups.

Do These for a Better Core

Pull-ups/oblique pull-ups

Grab the bar and hoist yourself up from the ground. Try pulling yourself up, in such a way that your head goes above the bar. You can also turn to your alternate sides while going up and down.

Leg raise

Grab the bar and hoist yourself up. While keeping your upper body straight, raise your legs slowly until they are parallel to the ground and hold for five seconds. Now, slowly lower them back to their original position

Hanging knee raise twist

Grab the bar and lift yourself up. Try to raise your knees to your chest without arching your back, and twist sideways as you lower your knees for a quick burn.

Toes to bar

Hold the bar firmly and raise your lower body in such a manner that your feet touch the bar above your head. Just ensure that your feet stay together when raise and lower them. fhmindia.com

From the March 2019 issue of FHM India.