Those tiny, U-shaped bars sitting in the corner of your gym have a name: parallette bars. You may have used them for a set or two of wrist-friendly pushups and thought to leave other movements for gymnasts and acrobats, but they’re worth tagging in more often to gain strength head to toe. And they’re not as difficult to master as they may seem. “Parallette bars train your central nervous system better than weights,” says trainer Flex Cabral, co-owner of Trooper Fitness in New York City. “And the better you’re able to move, the stronger you can become.” The reason this style of training works, explains Cabral, is that using an external load, like a barbell or dumbbell, won’t have as much carryover to full-body strength compared with mastering a plethora of pushup variations and static holds. Using parallettes forces your body to work as a cohesive unit to stabilize and support itself compared with an exercise like the barbell bench press, which has you lying on a bench. The result is a body that works better together as one unit, and killer core strength.For that reason, we suggest trying the five moves that Cabral outlines here. Work on a couple at the end of your workout or string them all together for a challenge that your body has never experienced before.
2 of 6
Jay Sullivan
L-Sit To Tuck Hold
Lift yourself off the floor using the bars and extend your legs fully so your body makes an L shape (left). Hold for one second, then bring your knees to your chest and drive your hips backward (top right). Hold for one second, then reverse the position to bring yourself back to an L-sit.
3 of 6
Jay Sullivan
V-Tuck To Kickback Pushup
Sit in the middle of both bars and lift yourself off the ground. Keeping your legs bent, drive your hips up and forward so your body makes a V shape (left). Hold for a second. Then slowly reverse the movement and kick your legs back behind you until you’re in a pushup position (top right). Perform a pushup (bottom right) and repeat. TIP: Start off performing two to three sets of six to eight reps. Once you improve, begin to add sets and reps, or go for time.
4 of 6
Jay Sullivan
Forward Plank With Knee Drive
Assume a standard plank position, with your hands on both bars, and lean forward until your shoulders are over your hands. Squeeze your core, then slowly drive one knee toward your chest.
5 of 6
Jay Sullivan
Inverted Press
Get into a pushup position with your hands on the bars. Hike your hips into the air so that you’re in a pike position and your shoulders are directly over your arms (top right). Descend until your head is an inch or two from the ground (bottom) and then press back up.
6 of 6
Jay Sullivan
Plank To Pseudo Planche
Sustain a plank position on the bars with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and both feet planted on the ground (top right). Shift your weight forward and press up until your arms are fully extended. Hold that position for a few seconds and then shift your weight back so your elbows are back at 90 degrees.
Those tiny, U-shaped bars sitting in the corner of your gym have a name: parallette bars. You may have used them for a set or two of wrist-friendly pushups and thought to leave other movements for gymnasts and acrobats, but they’re worth tagging in more often to gain strength head to toe. And they’re not as difficult to master as they may seem.
“Parallette bars train your central nervous system better than weights,” says trainer Flex Cabral, co-owner of Trooper Fitness in New York City. “And the better you’re able to move, the stronger you can become.”
The reason this style of training works, explains Cabral, is that using an external load, like a barbell or dumbbell, won’t have as much carryover to full-body strength compared with mastering a plethora of pushup variations and static holds. Using parallettes forces your body to work as a cohesive unit to stabilize and support itself compared with an exercise like the barbell bench press, which has you lying on a bench. The result is a body that works better together as one unit, and killer core strength.
For that reason, we suggest trying the five moves that Cabral outlines here. Work on a couple at the end of your workout or string them all together for a challenge that your body has never experienced before.
L-Sit To Tuck Hold
Lift yourself off the floor using the bars and extend your legs fully so your body makes an L shape (left). Hold for one second, then bring your knees to your chest and drive your hips backward (top right). Hold for one second, then reverse the position to bring yourself back to an L-sit.
V-Tuck To Kickback Pushup
Sit in the middle of both bars and lift yourself off the ground. Keeping your legs bent, drive your hips up and forward so your body makes a V shape (left). Hold for a second. Then slowly reverse the movement and kick your legs back behind you until you’re in a pushup position (top right). Perform a pushup (bottom right) and repeat.
TIP: Start off performing two to three sets of six to eight reps. Once you improve, begin to add sets and reps, or go for time.
Forward Plank With Knee Drive
Assume a standard plank position, with your hands on both bars, and lean forward until your shoulders are over your hands. Squeeze your core, then slowly drive one knee toward your chest.
Inverted Press
Get into a pushup position with your hands on the bars. Hike your hips into the air so that you’re in a pike position and your shoulders are directly over your arms (top right). Descend until your head is an inch or two from the ground (bottom) and then press back up.
Plank To Pseudo Planche
Sustain a plank position on the bars with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and both feet planted on the ground (top right). Shift your weight forward and press up until your arms are fully extended. Hold that position for a few seconds and then shift your weight back so your elbows are back at 90 degrees.
