Learn an all-new pectoral exercise and work your torso in a new angle to maximize muscle tissue. The horizontal bar allows athletes to perform a large number of effective movements. Unfortunately, today this sports equipment is no longer as popular as it used to be. If it is used by athletes, it is exclusively for doing pull-ups. If you regularly perform push-ups on the horizontal bar, you will be able to pump qualitatively the muscles of the chest, back and shoulder girdle.
Benefits of horizontal bar push-ups
When performing the movement, you are pumping triceps and pectoral muscles. However, you can shift the emphasis of the load to the muscles you need. Pushing up facing the bar, the proximal pectoral muscles and the long section of the triceps receive the main load.
If you perform push-ups on the horizontal bar with your back to the bar, then the emphasis of the load will be shifted to the lateral triceps and proximal pectoral muscles. If you focus on the negative phase of the movement. Situated facing the crossbar, the front and side deltoids will actively participate in the work, and if you turn your back to the crossbar, then the load will be on the back of the deltas.
Very often, athletes make the following mistakes when performing push-ups on the horizontal bar:
- The body does not descend to the point of contact with the crossbar with the chest or lower back.
- Upward movement occurs due to the effort of only one hand.
- There is no fixation in the lower position of the trajectory.
Types of push-ups on the horizontal bar
- Facing the bar. Take a rest on your hands facing the bar. Begin to go down until your chest touches the horizontal bar. In this position, you need to pause for a second and start moving up.
- Back to the bar. The starting position is similar to the previous one, but the back is turned to the crossbar. Go down until the horizontal bar touches the lower back. After a short pause, return to the starting position.
Tips for athletes on horizontal bar push-ups
This is not the most difficult movement from a technical point of view, however, its implementation requires a sufficiently large force. In addition, you need to learn how to maintain balance on the horizontal bar, which at first can be quite difficult.
Performing push-ups on the horizontal bar, you can use the following types of grip:
- Narrow - the distance between the palms is less than the width of the shoulder joints.
- Normal - the arms are located at the width of the shoulder joints.
- Wide - the distance between the arms exceeds the width of the shoulder joints.
The most difficult exercise will be when using a narrow grip. In this case, the load will be on the triceps and lower pectoral muscles. The easiest way to do push-ups on the horizontal bar when using a wide grip is due to the decrease in amplitude. You can also use weights to complicate things. They can be attached to the belt or legs.
Today, beginners very often try to make the most of the simulators, without realizing that with their help they will not be able to get the expected result. Exercise machines are very effective for advanced athletes, and beginners need to focus on basic free-weight movements.
In addition, training with your own weight is very effective. A horizontal bar is perfect for this, on which you can perform a large number of effective exercises. One of these are push-ups on the horizontal bar. You can safely incorporate this movement into your training program, and you will see very quickly how effective it is. Do not underestimate the sports equipment that has been used extensively in the past.
How to perform push-ups on the horizontal bar correctly, see this video from Denis Semenikhin:
