The horizontal bar is a universal gymnastic apparatus that a beginning athlete can easily build at home. Pull-ups are one of the main exercises that involve a person’s own weight. With the help of a horizontal bar, everyone can quickly assess their physical fitness and understand how much body weight corresponds to muscle development.
How to learn how to do pull-ups on a horizontal bar from scratch is not as simple a question as it might seem. Exercises using your own weight have a special technique and require adherence to certain rules.
Secrets of the exercise
Doing pull-ups is not easy; it is a developed method of how to perform such exercises that will make it easier to overcome difficulties and get maximum benefit. The secrets and subtleties are:
- you should not swing your body, lowering and rising in one plane and taking your time;
- during up and down movements, the forearms and back should be motionless;
- do not exceed the border of the crossbar with your elbows;
- in the lower position, the arms must be straightened;
- When rising, you need to squeeze your back muscles.
If it is difficult for girls to complete classes, then it is permissible to replace this with a gravitron.
What do they give?
A full course of training on the horizontal bar will allow you to achieve the following results:
- pumping the shoulders and back, tightening all the muscles of the body;
- increase in grip strength;
- getting rid of extra pounds.
If you use different grip variations, you can focus the load on certain muscles.
Is it possible to do pull-ups to build muscle?
During the classes, the latissimus dorsi muscle, biceps, long head of the triceps, shoulder and chest muscles, as well as the buttocks, thighs, biceps, and core are worked out.
Benefits and harms
Physical activity is essential for health. Let's look at the benefits of pull-ups:
- muscles, joints, tendons develop;
- excess energy is burned, the figure becomes slimmer;
- adrenaline production increases, mood improves;
- the body's endurance increases;
- tension is relieved from the spine.
Attention! And this is also the safest activity for both men and girls. And the most affordable ones, the horizontal bar can be found in the yard near the house. No need to pay for gym classes. It is possible to even increase your height if you start at an early age.
Despite the obvious advantages, pull-ups can be harmful if you do not follow the rules for performing the exercises.
They are also contraindicated in very obese people, as well as those with serious health problems. You should consult your doctor.
How many calories are burned?
For those who are trying to lose weight, it is important to know how many calories an athlete burns while exercising on the horizontal bar. At low intensity (half an hour of exercise) - up to 250 kcal, at intensive (an hour of exercise) - up to 550 kcal. Moderately active women require 2,000 kcal per day; men, on average, need 2,500 kcal. To lose weight, you need to burn 20% more calories than you get from food, so training is enough to start the weight loss process.
How to learn
To confidently do pull-ups, you need to start with preparatory exercises. They will strengthen the muscles. It's worth starting with just dumbbells. And repeat 8-10 times in 3-4 approaches. The load should be gradually increased. Each time the muscles get used to the given weight, so you need to increase it to the limits of what is possible.
Be sure to check out:
Gallery image with caption: Swinging on the uneven bars and horizontal bar: an effective training program Gallery image with caption: Pull-up program on the bar: technical nuances and tips Gallery image with caption: Training on the horizontal bar: exercises and methods Gallery image with caption: Pull-ups on the horizontal bar: what muscles work
The mechanism by which the body burns calories
A calorie is a unit of energy. The incoming “fuel” is used during movement, metabolic processes, and in the functioning of organs and vital systems. Energy is required even when a person is sleeping. The amount of energy required depends on gender, physical parameters, metabolic rate and daily activity. Undigested calories remain in the body to ensure survival.
In the male and female body, unspent calories accumulate in different areas of the body in the form of fat cells, which is due to differences in hormonal levels. In women they accumulate in the lower abdomen, on the sides and buttocks, and in men in the lateral and middle abdomen. The process of burning calories in men and women also differs.
The process of burning reserves starts only when the incoming calories are not enough for the body. In this case, it begins to generate energy from reserves.
There are 3 mechanisms for burning calories:
- Physical activity. Performing any action requires energy. So, per day, a person who does not engage in sports spends 10-15% of calories simply for movement. An increase in physical activity leads to an increase in the percentage of energy expended.
- Nutrition. During the digestion of food, the body uses 10-30% of the energy received.
- BX. The body also uses energy for metabolic processes, blood circulation, and organ function. For this, the body uses 60-80% of the energy received.
How many calories the body burns and how many remain in reserve depends on a person’s lifestyle, body structure, physical and mental health and nutrition.
Exercises that will help you start doing pull-ups with dumbbells, barbells and without equipment
To prepare for pull-ups on the horizontal bar, beginners should develop a system of preparatory exercises. With dumbbells, a barbell, on exercise machines and a horizontal bar. Recommended activities:
- Classic dumbbell lift. Stand straight, dumbbells in your hands, elbows bent, and palms facing you. Pump up and down 10 times with each hand.
- Bent-over barbell row. Raise the barbell to knee level, lift it to your waist. The body is slightly tilted forward. Do 8-10 times.
- Horizontal pull of the block to the belt. Performed on a simulator.
- Australian pull-ups. A low bar at waist level, grab it with your hands at shoulder level and pull yourself up. The body should be straight from head to heels, not sagging. Do 8-10 pull-ups.
Important! You can make it easier to start training on the horizontal bar with the help of a chair. You just need to place one leg on the chair with the entire foot. And when pulling up, lean on this leg.
How many calories are burned when walking?
Walking up stairs uses more energy than running. When lifting at an average speed: men burn 0.17 kcal, and women 0.14 per kg of weight. In 30-60 minutes of walking up the stairs, you can burn from 500 to 1000 kcal. How many calories will be burned and how much fat will be burned is affected by: the speed of walking on the stairs and the angle of inclination of the stairs.
The higher the angle of inclination of the stairs, the more energy is consumed. However, performing the exercise on stairs with an inclination angle higher than 75 degrees is difficult and dangerous. Therefore, you should walk on stairs with an inclination of 65-75 degrees. Walking on stairs is not recommended for hypertensive patients, as well as people who have problems with blood pressure and the vestibular system.
Correct technique and methods of execution
Pull-ups on the horizontal bar will be beneficial if you know how to do it correctly. There is absolutely no need to rush. You need to start with 3-4 times and gradually increase the number of repetitions to 10-15 times. Excessive loads are unacceptable.
How to do
Pull-up exercises must be performed following the rules:
- smoothly, without twitching and without haste;
- without swinging, but only due to muscle strength;
- at the top point the chin should be higher than the crossbar;
- the lifting and lowering times should be approximately the same;
- keep the body straight;
- hold on tightly to the bar.
These are general rules. Each type of pull-up has its own subtleties.
How to Breathe: The Importance of Breathing
The inhalation-exhalation mode is of paramount importance. While descending, inhale air, and while ascending to the crossbar, exhale. If there is a delay of several seconds while rising, it means that you must hold your breath.
Kinds
Several variations of pull-ups work the muscles differently. Professionals recommend changing variations and grips during training. Basic types:
- Medium overhand grip. Hands no wider than shoulder width, grab the bar, hang and arch your back. To prevent your body from swaying, you can cross your legs. Pull yourself up so that your shoulder blades are brought together. Reach the bar, touching the top of your chest.
- Medium grip from below (reverse grip). This type is considered easier to perform. Hands are also shoulder-width apart, but you need to grab the bar with your fingers facing you. The main load is taken by the biceps. Suitable for beginners.
These types of push-ups are part of school physical education classes. They also pass the GTO standards.
Narrow, wide, reverse grip
Other types of pull-ups that should be used in combination with others are:
- Wide grip to the chest. The bar is held on top, and the hands are held at a wider distance than shoulder width. This exercise is difficult and requires preparation. Excellent for developing back muscles. When lifting, the chest should touch the bar, and the gaze should be directed upward. Hold for a few seconds and lower down.
- Wide grip on the head. It is complex and traumatic. In this case, you should not bend your back. And the body and legs should be on the same line. The elbows are always directed downward.
- Narrow overhand grip. Excellent for developing wrist joints. The palms are placed as close to each other as possible. In this case, the back is arched. You need to pull yourself up so that your lower chest touches the bar.
- Narrow grip from below (reverse grip). It is similar to the one on top, only the fingers are facing towards you. You need to bring your shoulder blades together as much as possible and also arch your back.
- Wide reverse grip. At the same time, the arms twist slightly inward due to the wide grip. You need to choose a width that is comfortable for yourself. You can't throw your head back. This is bad for the cervical vertebrae. Elbows should move along the body. It is not necessary to raise your chin above the bar.
The pace of pull-ups does not affect the final result; technique is more important.
With weight
You can use a vest or belt for weights. A disc from a barbell is attached to the belt. When doing weighted pull-ups, grab the bar with a wide straight grip, tense your abs, and bend your back. Under no circumstances should you jump on the bar or swing, as this could result in a spinal injury.
You need to start with such a weight that the athlete cannot lift himself with a weight more than 10-12 times. Once pull-ups with the selected weight become easier to perform, it is worth increasing the weight by 10%. And so gradually increase the load to 90% of the maximum possible.
You can use weight when you can easily and confidently pull up with your own weight up to 15 times in 3-4 approaches.
What hinders beginners
There are several factors that especially hinder beginners in their pursuits. This:
- Overweight . Excess mass creates extra stress on the muscles, even if they are sufficiently developed. If you have never played sports before, then you should not start right away with pull-ups - first you need to correct your weight with the help of diet and special “ground” exercises.
- Physical weakness. Even if your weight is normal, but your muscles are not developed enough, mastering pull-ups from scratch will not be easy. You should do some preliminary preparation of the body - developing strength and endurance.
- Weakness of accessory muscles. You should develop not only the main muscle groups (latissimus dorsi, biceps), but also the radial muscles, the posterior bundle of deltoid muscles, and the pectoral muscles.
- Undeveloped technology. The technical aspect must be constantly improved, otherwise the muscles will develop unevenly, and the ligaments, joints and bones will experience excessive stress.
Complex of effective loads
Complex exercises on the horizontal bar consist of common exercises. They are easy to perform and suitable for beginners. An approximate class schedule is in this table.
Classes | Description | Impact |
Jumping pull-ups | Stand under the horizontal bar. Jump and grab the bar while keeping your elbows bent. Slowly lower yourself, leave the bar and jump again. | Load on the abs, biceps and triceps, back muscles. |
Diagonal pull-ups | You need a wide grip from above, pulling yourself up, move the body to the left hand, then to the other, take the same position. | More stress on the muscles of the back and arms. |
Reverse grip | Grab the bar with your fingers facing you, shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up to the middle of your chest. | Load on the back, neck, biceps, abs. |
Narrow reverse grip | Grab the bar with your fingers, they should be close together, rise until your chest touches the bar. | Stronger pumping of hands. |
With weight | Wear a special vest or belt with a weight. Grasp with an overhand normal grip. Pull yourself up to the middle of your chest. | Muscles of the back, arms, abs. |
To develop muscle and grip strength, you should follow the training plan 3-4 times a week.
Effective training plan
An approximate plan for 4 days in this table. First you need to warm up, that is, warm up the areas that you plan to pump. And you need to end your workout with a cool-down to return the muscles to a state of rest and normalize blood circulation.
Day | Warm up 3-5 minutes | Classes | Quantity | Cool down 5-10 minutes |
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
| Make circular movements with your shoulders, feet, and hands from a standing position. |
3 |
|
|
| Sit on a bench, legs spread wide, hands on your waist. And lower your entire body down, your head hanging freely. |
4 |
|
|
|
|
With regular exercise, you can see how your biceps have increased, and your grip has become comfortable in any position of your hands.
Daily calorie requirement
The daily calorie intake for men and women is different, this is due to their role and hormonal levels.
Age (years) | Men | Women | ||
Low mobility during the day | High mobility during the day | Low mobility during the day | High mobility during the day | |
18-35 | 2450-2630 | 3050-3220 | 1840-2225 | 2200-2400 |
35-50 | 2050-2450 | 2600-2800 | 1640-2300 | 1800-2200 |
51-60 | 2020-2225 | 2440-2670 | 1880-2800 | 2000-2200 |
More than 60 | 2250-2430 | 2410-2650 | 1600-1800 | 1800-2000 |
X (Y* body weight in kg) (Z* height in cm) – (A* age).
Meaning | For a man | For woman |
X | 88,36 | 447,6 |
U | 13,4 | 9,2 |
Z | 4,8 | 3,1 |
A | 5,7 | 4,3 |
The resulting value will be the individual daily calorie intake for a particular individual.
Variant of the training program on the horizontal bar
There are many options for exercising on the horizontal bar. One of them could be like this:
- Diagonal pull-ups – 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Reverse medium grip pull-ups – 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Hanging leg raises (take with a medium overhand grip, raise your legs at an angle of 45 degrees) – 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Jumping pull-ups – 3-7 times.
You can replace these types of exercises with others, but you need to take into account the load on different muscle groups.