Find out what is the advantage of this exercise and learn how to do it yourself at home. Today we want to talk about the pendulum exercise, which is capable of using a large number of muscles - the pendulum. It can be useful not only for bodybuilders, but also for fighters. This movement is aimed at developing explosive strength, coordination, and is also able to improve the athlete's endurance. In addition, a significant load falls on the stabilizing muscles.
However, this is not the only advantage of the pendulum. By doing the exercise, you will be able to load almost all the muscles in the body, including the legs and even the trapezius. However, the maximum load falls on the shoulder girdle and oblique abdominal muscles.
How to do the Pendulum exercise correctly?
To work, you need a bar from the bar, one end of which must be resting against something to restrict its freedom of movement. Take a standing position with your feet slightly wider than your shoulder joints. Take the free end of the bar and hold it in front of you with outstretched arms, approximately at head level.
Begin to turn the body to the left, while lowering the bar to the thigh of the same leg and at the same time making her lunge. Then, with a sharp movement, move the bar in the opposite direction to the thigh of the other leg, which also needs to be lungered. As a result, the bar should perform movements similar to the pendulum of a clock.
Throughout the entire exercise, the arms should remain straight, and the top point of the trajectory must be overcome quickly. The movement slows down only at the moment the bar approaches the thigh of the leg. At this time, you should begin to gain energy to move sharply in the opposite direction. We recommend that you use an empty bar first, as you will need a certain amount of coordination to do the Pendulum exercise. It is worth increasing the working weight gradually, but not very quickly. Let us remind you once again that the pendulum is primarily intended for pumping the oblique muscles of the press, as well as the shoulder girdle. As for the breathing technique, exhale at the moment the bar begins to move to the opposite leg, and inhale after passing the extreme upper position of the trajectory.
Exercise "Pendulum" for the muscles of the press
This movement is rightfully considered the best for pumping the oblique muscles of the press. You can include it both at the beginning of your training program and in its final phase. Another advantage inherent in the pendulum is the low load on the spinal column. This is due to the fact that twisting occurs only in the lumbar region.
You already understood that the main load when performing this movement falls on the oblique muscles of the abdomen. However, part of the load, albeit not so significant, falls on all the muscles of the abdomen and even the legs. This is an isolated exercise and you should pay special attention to the technical nuances of its execution, not the number of repetitions or the weight of the weights. You should perform this movement solely thanks to the work of the oblique muscles of the press. It is not by chance that we focus on this point. Often, athletes use their glutes or quadriceps. The movement will be most effective only if you can feel how the targeted muscles are working. Also note the fact that the movement should be performed in a slow style so as not to load the lumbar spine.
Technique for performing the exercise "Pendulum" for the press
Get into a supine position with your shoulder joints firmly pressed to the ground. Hands can be extended along the body or spread apart, perpendicular to the body. Lift your legs up at an angle of 90 degrees. Begin to twist your pelvis, lowering your legs to the side.
It is not necessary to touch the ground in the lowest position of the trajectory. The movement can be stopped at the moment when you feel the maximum tension of the oblique muscles of the press. After that, with a sharp movement, move your legs to the starting position. Perform a similar movement in the opposite direction.
As with any strength exercise, special attention should be paid to breathing. During the negative phase of the movement, it is necessary to exhale, and inhale accordingly in the positive phase. If you are still unable to perform the exercise with straightened legs due to muscle weakness, bend them at the knee joints. If you want to increase the load, then the angle between the legs and the body should be more than 90 degrees. Also, remember that the shoulder joints and head should be firmly pressed to the ground throughout the entire set.
Check out the pendulum exercise technique in this video:
