If you’re like most people, you don’t have the time or money to go to the gym regularly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get an upper body workout in your own home – all you need are these five push up bars exercises and some perseverance! Plus, push up bars make it easy to do your favorite exercises anywhere, since they take up so little space and are portable enough to store in your suitcase or bag when you’re on the go. Read on for more info about getting a pump with these five push up bars exercises!
Push Ups
The classic push up is one of our all-time favorite exercises. It’s easy to do, but it’s a challenge to perform well. Start by elevating your hands and you can gradually work your way to being able to do push ups on your toes. Proper form is vital: keep your body in line, don’t let your hips sag or dip toward floor, engage core muscles and contract glutes. Ensure that when you start out, you’re doing plenty of repetitions while maintaining good form; perfect practice makes perfect! (Be sure not to overdo it as working muscles past their limits can lead to injury.)
Doorway Pull-Ups
Using an object like a doorway to hold onto for support during pull-ups is a great way to make sure you’re getting maximum contraction at your back. The same motion used in pull-ups can be tweaked slightly so that you’re working your lats and shoulders, too. To do doorway pull-ups, grab on to either side of an open doorframe—you can wrap both hands around it if you want (for more tension). The farther away from the floor or ceiling that you can bring your knees, the better. If possible, get them parallel to it or even lower than that (if your belly makes that difficult). You should feel that contracting sensation in your back.
Reverse Push Ups
The reverse push up uses your body weight to help tone triceps and upper back muscles. To do a reverse push up, place two parallel bars about shoulder-width apart and hold on tightly. Walk your feet under you until your shoulders are above your hands, then lower yourself slowly until you feel tension in your triceps. Push back up quickly, while pulling arms straight out in front of you as far as possible. For an added challenge try to get one foot off ground during each rep.
Side Steps
When working out, if you find yourself relying on machines too much, it’s time to get creative and try some other options. One of those options is using push up bars to work your upper body. You’ll engage more muscle groups in different ways. A great example of push up bars is by using one or two (depending on ability) under each hand when doing normal push ups for an added intensity that provides for a full upper body workout in addition to what you’re already doing. Changing grips and varying how high you raise your hands off of them can do wonders for keeping things interesting in your routine as well. To maximize results, be sure to perform exercises slowly so that you are focusing on complete control and contraction from each muscle group being worked.
Tricep Dip
The tricep dip is a great way to work your triceps and to increase your upper body strength overall. To do them, you’ll need an elevated platform like push up bars or chairs that’s sturdy enough for you to lay down on top of. Lay face-down on top of it and use your arms to lift yourself off of it slightly. Bend your elbows, hold them close to your torso, and slowly lower yourself towards it without letting any part of your body touch it. Then press back up. Repeat several times throughout your workout.
