The best way to slim your figure and improve your health is CrossFit circuit training.

CrossFit classes are incredibly exciting not only because the athlete methodically improves his own body, but also because of the great variety of exercises. CrossFit combines many athletic movements, from gymnastics to workout. Work on horizontal bars really occupies a special place in CrossFit training systems, which is why today we will discuss in detail how to combine such a wonderful sport and horizontal bars. Next, all the necessary theory will be given, as well as real practical recommendations that will improve your training process and make your classes even better and more effective. Let's get started.

What are the benefits of training on horizontal bars?

First of all, it is necessary to discuss why horizontal bars are recommended for all athletes, both beginners and experienced CrossFit aces. The fact is that any work with your own weight is an almost endless storehouse of health benefits and a beautiful appearance.

By exercising on the horizontal bars, everyone gets the opportunity to phenomenally develop their torso muscles. And when we say “develop,” we mean both improvement in visual performance and progress in strength. Working on horizontal bars has a positive effect on the muscles of the arms, chest, back and even the abs. It all depends on the type of grip and the type of projectile, but the main idea is clear, exercises on the horizontal bar are useful and effective.

After about a month of productive work on horizontal bars and uneven bars, everyone will notice real changes in the body. The annoying slouch will go away, you will finally be able to fully straighten your shoulders and maintain a proud posture. Muscle mass will increase, and excess fat deposits will disappear, never to return. The main thing is to work consistently and thoroughly, trying to bring the technical side of the exercise to perfection.

CrossFit combines many complexes that are based, among other things, on the use of a horizontal bar. That is why training on mounted apparatus is a great way to prepare for mastering heavy barbells, kettlebells and weights, because breathing, coordination of movements and self-discipline will develop along with the muscles.

Basic rules of strength training for developing strength and speed

Most often they include simple exercises without the use of special equipment. But first, a little theory and basic principles for constructing a training program using such a system:

1. All workouts begin with a warm-up.
2. The duration of classes should not exceed 30 minutes, and for beginners - 20 minutes.
3. One workout is repetitions of 3-4 exercises in a circle.
4. Each exercise in the series is performed with maximum intensity.
5. Rest between exercises can be carried out either at the end of one exercise or at the end of an entire cycle/circle. It all depends on the athlete’s preparation. It is advisable to gradually reduce the time for rest.
6. The number of laps depends on the type of exercise performed and is limited only by the allotted time for the entire workout. Thus, the main goal is to increase the number of laps completed, not the time spent training.
7. One day of classes should include exercises for various muscle groups. The entire program should contain both strength and cardio exercises.
8. Drinking water during training and immediately before it is strictly prohibited, since the body works in a very intense mode. This can only be done 15-20 minutes after training.

Now we present a typical program for beginners, which can be performed without special training, even at home. The only additional equipment needed is a crossbar.

Barbell lifting is par for the course in strength CrossFit.

Thus, on the first day there is a full complex for all muscle groups, on the second day there is an emphasis on strength exercises, and on the third day there is a focus on cardio exercises for endurance.

Read more: Post-workout carbohydrate window benefits for weight loss and muscle gain

As can be seen from the program, there are no fundamental differences in execution from Soviet general physical training techniques. But there is an important difference in the approach, since the CrossFit complex is a full-fledged training program and after completing one course in 14 weeks, another begins, with a different set of exercises.

A variety of programs allows you to:

• lose weight;
• develop endurance;
• develop explosive power;
• gain muscle mass.

But CrossFit can be useful not only for beginner athletes and amateurs, but also for professionals. Especially for athletes involved in martial arts. After all, what is important for a fighter is strength, endurance, explosiveness and speed, and this is precisely the main goal of this system.

To increase strength

Useful subtleties before classes

Before moving on to further study of training systems, it is necessary to dwell on a few basic points. Let me give you a number of recommendations that will simplify the development of horizontal bars and make your classes safer:

• Don't chase the number of repetitions.
  Remember that you cannot fulfill the army standard on the first approach without harming yourself. You should train according to your current level of physical fitness. For a complete beginner, 3-5 pull-ups will be enough. The execution technique is much more important. Work carefully, watch your own technique, the position of your arms and legs. We recommend starting with a reverse grip, which is usually much easier for beginners. Such exercises strain the biceps and triceps, and also teach the basics of working with a mounted apparatus. Over time, you will learn how to beautifully and smoothly pull yourself up with a direct grip, with weights, and even on one hand;

• Monitor the quality of the projectile.
  Before approaching the horizontal bar, carefully inspect it for integrity. There should be no chips on the crossbar, and the structure itself must stand firmly on the ground. Otherwise, under your weight, the unreliable horizontal bar will break, which will lead to serious injury. It is best to train in specialized gyms where the best horizontal bars are installed and professional trainers work. Experts will tell you exactly how to exercise to achieve your own goals. But, of course, not free;
• Eat well
  . The recommendation is relevant both for those who want to lose excess weight and for those who, on the contrary, are gaining weight. Of course, depending on your tasks, your diet will change, but a balanced diet is necessary, since a starving body will never show maximum results on the bar, and an exhausted intellect will not be able to concentrate on fulfilling the standard;
• Rest.
  Training is training, and sleep is on schedule. This is exactly how experienced athletes live, rearranging their own schedule in order to allocate the treasured 8 hours of nightly rest. It is better to go to bed at the same time, so the body can get enough sleep and work better during training;

How to develop strong arms on horizontal bars

There are many exercise systems, but we will look at the most popular one, which is practiced by many famous athletes:

• Straight grip pull-ups. We perform 4 approaches at least 5 times. Over time, you can increase the number of repetitions to tens. It all depends on your progress and effort;
• Working with a neutral grip. The hands are placed not parallel, but sequentially on the crossbar. Thus, you should repeat the already familiar method of loads of 4 repetitions 5-10 times;
• We conquer the uneven bars by performing 20 push-ups in 4 identical approaches;

Thus, the hands develop in the best way possible. The chest and back muscles are also involved, but to a certainly lesser extent. When performing these exercises, it is important not to rush. Try to rise smoothly and also straighten your muscles steadily. The signal for the correct implementation of the load is a pleasant heaviness in the arm muscles.

Try not to help yourself with your legs, constantly preventing swinging, which interferes with the correct implementation of the load. In addition, we also strongly recommend warming up. Before your approach, you can run a kilometer at the nearest stadium or, if you listened to our advice and work out in the gym, on a treadmill. The muscles will become toned, the body and mind will be in a sporty mood.

Improving your back

A powerful back is not only a standard of beauty that came to us from American action movies, but also good health. This is why back training should be approached with maximum attention. First of all, we recommend the following exercise system:

• 10 pull-ups.
  Strictly straight and strictly wide grip. Remember that the main emphasis should be on pumping your back, so feel free to spread your arms along the bar and allow your body to independently tense the corresponding sections of the muscles. Yes, at first it will be difficult, but you should step over yourself and conquer this cherished ten;
• 10 dips.
  If you don’t have this equipment, you can simply do push-ups, but we strongly recommend mastering the parallel bars too, which will definitely help in training. We work without swinging, it is better to perform 10 repetitions, but efficiently, than 15 or 20, but carelessly;

After this complex we rest, but just for a minute. CrossFit does not tolerate long breaks. Drink water, bring your breathing back to normal and repeat all of the above. Then you can catch your breath and go according to the following instructions from the trainer, because you have already completed the maximum available load for your back.

Examples of training with the tire turning exercise[edit | edit code]

Workout 1 - TIRED

Perform 3 sets of the following complex as quickly as possible.

• 8 tire turns - 20 tire jumps - 15 burpees - 400m run.

Training 2 - Mario

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 barbell squats + thrusters (squats thpusters). Each series is followed by tire turning.

One and a half minutes of recovery between episodes.

Workout 3 - Weightlifting Sprint

• 10 episodes. 3-4 minutes of rest.
• 1 push - 1 tire tilt - 60 m sprint.

Working on the chest

In general, it is customary to pump the chest muscles on the uneven bars. But horizontal bars will also come in handy. First, warm-up, high-quality warm-up, and then:

• 10 wide grip pull-ups
  . Try to spread your arms as far as possible on the bar to transfer the load to your back and chest. Then we try to perform 10 repetitions, focusing on the quality of the exercise. It is better to sacrifice the number of repetitions than to engage in low-quality loads;
• Ladder
  . To perform this exercise you will need a sports buddy. The point of the exercise is to gradually increase the load, thereby fueling the spirit of athletic confrontation. It all starts with one pull-up, then do a couple, and so on until one of you gives up. Working with a wide straight grip, you won’t even notice how you exceed your own norm and improve your pectoral muscles;

The beauty of CrossFit is that it allows you to tirelessly experiment and come up with different variations of well-known exercises. Go for it, but remember the safety rules and don’t push your body higher than it should be. At first, it is very important to form fighting motivation and reward yourself even for small successes. This is how you can develop a love for sports and a real habit of willingly getting up for the next workout.

Threat to disks[edit | edit code]

The mechanism of intervertebral hernia
Those who have pain or have had pain in their back are best able to get into the correct position for lifting heavy objects. Indeed, when there is pain, we have no choice: we need to control the anterior tilt of the hips all the time, especially with hidden kyphosis of the back, keep the spine straight, and the muscles that surround and support it in the plank.

Wrong movement

To avoid mistakes, you need to be a “techie” obsessed with back position

, and take the technical aspects of the squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and standing row very seriously.
The main danger is intervertebral hernia
: intervertebral discs are “gel pads” placed between the vertebrae, absorbing shock and ensuring their stability and mobility.
In the center of each disc there is a core, which, during twisting (“rounding”) of the back, is pushed back due to compression of the front part of the disc and relaxation of the back part. If the tension in the front increases - in particular, under the pressure of a significant peripheral load, the nucleus runs the risk of being squeezed out of the disc
: this is an intervertebral hernia. Repeating movements with an incorrect position of the spine can, among other things, cause inflammation of local muscles, harm the discs (accelerate their aging), provoke arthrosis, etc.

Downloading the press

Well, and finally – the most difficult exercises. In principle, pumping up the press is not easy, especially if we are talking about using horizontal bars. First of all, you need to warm up properly. At least 15, and preferably 20 minutes should be allocated for warming up. After this, we approach the horizontal bar, take it with a regular straight grip (wide or not, it’s up to you to decide) and perform the following exercises:

• Raising your legs to the bar. From a hanging position, the legs should be smoothly brought to the crossbar. Make sure that there is a clear touch, after which we slowly return to the starting point. The exercise should be performed at least 10 times;
• Climbing from a corner. On the one hand, this is a lighter version of the previous exercise, although it still has its pitfalls. The idea is to start lifting your legs from a 90-degree position. Then, after touching the bar, we return our legs to a right angle. This will strengthen the oblique abdominal muscles, form beautiful upper and lower abs, and also get rid of excess fat. For starters, 10 repetitions are enough;

This is a rather complex, but incredibly effective complex, so practice, try and go to the intended result. CrossFit will help. Now you know the maximum useful information about exercises on horizontal bars that take place in CrossFit training.

It is possible that your trainer will modify and modify the loads in every possible way. This is his full right, listen to your mentor and heed our advice in order to benefit from training on the horizontal bars as soon as possible. We wish you good luck and great sporting success!

Sled pulls

This exercise is also very effective for fighters of various types of martial arts. Athletes know what this exercise is. For those who are not familiar with it, you can take a look at the following photo.

For anyone who decides to devote sled pulling to a separate day of the week, the set of exercises presented below is suitable:

1. Pulling a heavy sled (aka SLED DRUG) in a harness facing forward
2. Sled pull (Backward SLED DRUG) while running backwards
3. Sled chest press with forward movement
4. Sled pull up

First of all, these trainings are aimed at developing explosive strength. It is recommended to use short-term approaches lasting 6-10 seconds for this. Rest between approaches should not exceed 1-1.5 minutes. In each approach, from 4 to 12 repetitions are performed.

If you combine such exercises into a series (circle), spending 30-40 seconds on each, and increasing the number of circles to 406, then you can develop strength endurance.