Parallette Exercises For Functional Strength
Want to build functional strength and an unbreakable core?
Parallette bars are your port of call.
Often dismissed as a piece of training equipment for gymnasts... the strength and exercises you're able to perform and build upon with nothing other than a pair of parallettes and your mental intensity are insane.
Can't get to the gym?
Want to mix up your training?
Want to perform some exercises that're easier on the joints than heavy barbell and dumbbell movements?
Give these bad boys a try...
Build Functional Strength With These 4 Parallete Exercises...
1. The Dip
Unlike many other chest and triceps exercise which merely relying on your pushing and lowering a barbell or a pair of Dumbbells the dip is slightly more technical – shoulder positioning, depth, leg placement, there’s a lot more to take into account as you begin to dip on those parallel bars..
Movement: Compound
Targets: Chest & Triceps
Required: Parallettes
Optional: Weight Belt/Dumbbell
Form:
Raise yourself up onto a pair of parallette bars.
With your elbows slightly outward tilt your torso forward by looking ahead and bringing your legs up behind you.
From this position contract your arms while maintaining this slight angle in your torso, this ensures we're targeting the chest and not the triceps as our primary muscle group.
Lower yourself down as far as possible, hold this contraction for 1 second.
Driving through your chest explode upward and extend your arms to return yourself to the starting position above your parallel bars.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, add a dumbbell between your legs or strap on a weight belt when possible.
2. The Push-Up
The parallette push-up is without a doubt one of the most effective push-up variations out there.
When performing push-ups utilizing a pair of parallettes your range of motion is greatly increased, improving chest activation as well as the core activation involved.
Movement: Compound
Targets: Chest, Triceps & Core
Required: Parallettes
Optional: N/A
Form:
Place your parallette bars shoulder-width apart and assume a push-up position with a hand on each of your parallette bars while your legs are extended out behind you as usual.
While maintaining a straight back lower yourself down into the bottom of a push-up.
Explosively drive your torso back up.
Proceed to perform the desired number of repetitions.
3. The Handstand Push-Up
The handstand push-up is without a doubt one of the hardest and most rewarding bodyweight exercises in existence.
Want functional shoulder strength and abdominal stabilization? This is the exercise for you!
When performing handstand push-ups utilizing a pair of parallettes your range of motion is greatly increased.
Movement: Compound
Targets: Shoulders & Core
Required: Parallettes
Optional: N/A
Form:
Place your parallette bars shoulder-width apart infront of a wall.
Kick yourself up against the wall with your back and arms straight, ensure your legs are fully extended. Continue to face the value for the duration of your set.
Lower yourself down by flexing at the elbows until your head almost touches the ground.
Push back up through the shoulder and extend your arms while maintaining a straight torso & legs to complete the repetition.
4. The L-Sit
The L-sit is an isometric hold that requires both immense core strength as well as hip and hamstring flexibility.
Few people can hold these longer than a handful of seconds but I recommend practising the L-sit regularly, an impressive feat of core strength, flexibility and determination are required to pull these off.
Movement: Isolation
Targets: Abdominals
Required: Parallettes
Optional: N/A
Form:
Grasp your parallette bars with your arms locked out, lift your legs up so they are horizontal infront of you, in order to work your way to up a straight leg L-sit begin by starting with tucked knees and slowly extending them.
Putting It Together... A Basic Parallette Workout Routine
- 3 sets x 8-10 reps - Handstand push-ups
- 3 sets x 8-10 reps - dips
- 3 sets x 15-20 reps - push-ups
- 4 L-Sit holds (as long as possible)
Conditioning Based Workout With Parallette Exercises
4 rounds, 1 minute rest between rounds
- 10 handstand push-ups
- 20 dips
- 40 push-ups