Crossbar exercises cannot be called the most common type of physical training, especially for women. However, despite the complexity of performing some elements, exercises based on pull-ups and holding on the weight of the whole body can achieve an impressive effect that is positive for the muscles and endurance of the body as a whole.
Crossbar exercises
The basis of the exercises on the bar is to pull up and hold your body on weight for some time. Throughout the whole complex of classes, the muscles of the hands, wrists, fingers, shoulder girdle, chest and back muscles are worked out. To a lesser extent, the lower back and abs are strengthened.
The type and degree of load varies, depending on the position of the hands on the crossbar. So, to enhance the work on the pectoral muscles, the hands should be brought closer to each other. To work out the back, the hands can be spread slightly wider than the shoulders. At the same time, when lifting the body, the elbows should be retracted strictly to the lower back, since when retracted, the load decreases and physical costs become useless, and sometimes harmful. For more active work on the shoulder girdle, hands must be placed directly at shoulder level.
The degree of difficulty also depends on how you grip the bar, whether you keep your legs straight or bend them, whether you use weights. For those who have sufficient muscle mass and developed endurance, complicated workouts with pull-ups to the chest and even flips due to body weight and swing movements are suitable. If you have never done this, then it is necessary to conduct such classes exclusively under the supervision of a qualified trainer.
A separate place in training on the crossbar is occupied by static exercises. They are well suited for those who, for one reason or another, cannot endure hard physical training. Static exercises are best chosen at the first stage for those who have never trained on the crossbar and do not have the appropriate physical fitness. Statics on the horizontal bar will help prepare the body and body to perform more complex elements.

How to pull up correctly
1. Preparation. Before starting the exercises and choosing the right complex, it is important to evaluate your capabilities on the crossbar. With minimal physical development and a lot of weight, you should not immediately start with a set of pull-ups. The best option would be to perform a static stretching exercise – straightening the body in a hanging position to stretch the vertebral joints and reduce the load on the spine. If you already have some experience in this direction, then you can safely proceed directly to pull-ups.
2. Warm up. A must for any workout! It is especially important to stretch your fingers, hands, elbow and shoulder joints, warm up a little with simple cardio exercises – running in place, jumping, squats. To increase the possible range of motion, also perform a few tilts back and forth, right and left, and stretch the cervical vertebrae with slow rotations. To strengthen the finger grip on the crossbar, you can use a hand expander. The duration of the warm-up should not be less than 5 minutes, but not more than 10-15, so as not to waste the energy needed for the exercises in advance.
3. To achieve a visible permanent effect on health and figure, you need to exercise on the crossbar regularly! Once a week will not help get rid of body fat and work out the relief of the upper body. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the diet and diet.
4. The intensity of the loads is selected individually. At the initial stage, devote 10-15 seconds a day to static exercises. After a month, increase the static time to 20-30 seconds and then increase according to your abilities. After 2 months (if you have a lot of weight – with less weight, you can move to another level earlier) choose the most comfortable grip and start doing pull-ups. First, as much as you can – once, twice per approach. And further, increasing by 1-2 pull-ups in 2-3 days. Always try to stick to three sets for each exercise. This will help to work out a quick reaction of the body to a change in the degree and intensity of physical activity, and therefore increase endurance.
Never use the bar if:
Are you dizzy;
high or low blood pressure;
a state of general discomfort after or during illness;
you suffer from joint diseases;
you are limited in physical activity due to your health condition;
you are a beginner and do not know how to properly perform sets of exercises – in this case, turn to coach.

The benefits and harms of pull-ups
Work on the crossbar allows you to intensively and effectively work out the muscles of the upper body, increase the strength and power of the hands, improve finger dexterity and strength of the ligaments of the hands. With regular training, you will get a beautiful line of shoulders and back, a toned chest, and an attractive relief. Each girl can choose for herself such a set of exercises and the frequency of their repetitions in order to maximally or minimally emphasize the natural outlines of the muscles.
Pull-ups help to effectively burn subcutaneous fat, which goes well with a complex of cardio workouts and helps to significantly reduce excess weight and improve health. At the same time, work on the crossbar allows you to increase the endurance of the body, which helps not only with further training on the horizontal bar, but also with the performance of dynamic complexes, for example, running, jumping rope, dancing, aerobics and other types of physical training with an intense change of position and speed.
Static exercises on the bar allow you to improve control over your body, endurance, improve coordination, and allow you to better feel your body. These classes contribute to the improvement of posture, gait, presentation in communication, in general. The condition of the spine is also normalized when performing stretching exercises. These include holding the body on weight with outstretched arms. You can complicate the exercise by raising your straight legs up so that the angle between the legs and the body is 90 degrees.
As you get used to the initial intensity of the exercises, you can move on to performing the same elements, but with the use of weights.
The possible harm of such activities lies in the load that is disproportionate to your abilities. So, you should not work on the crossbar if you have previously had or have spinal injuries, fractures and dislocations of the joints and bones of the hands. If this fact applies to your life, be sure to consult a doctor before doing exercises on the crossbar.
The risk of injury remains, both for people at risk, with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and for those involved in good health. Injuries can be caused by improper grips during training, power loads that do not match your capabilities, which can lead to rupture of ligaments and muscle tissue, severe sprains and dislocations. Always evaluate your strength! One of the first causes of injury on the bar is weak hands and fingers. If you feel that you absolutely cannot stay on the horizontal bar, initially develop the wrist joints and fingers, increasing their strength.