Most women don’t enjoy it much when they need to keep up the upper limb worksheet. Especially if training has a particular exercise, more dreaded than weight gain after a weekend of fatness: the fixed bar. The exercise, however, is very good, because it requires a lot of upper limbs and back.

Although it seems difficult – after all, you have to have a good command of body weight – you can adapt until you have mastered the technique. Fitness coach Vanessa Furstenberger says that, in a good way, everyone can win the bar.

But why train on the barbell if there is other equipment for upper limb training? “The barbell is the most complete exercise for working the upper body and trunk. It is suitable for those who have little time to train or do not have a lot of equipment ”, explains Vanessa, who adds:“ The frequent practice of the fixed bar effectively recruits the muscles of the arms, back and even the hip ”.

Focus On The Race

Do not think that the fixed bar is limited to drawing your muscles. For runners, it helps to improve posture and avoids back pain, which can be caused by long distance or high speed tests. So, before skipping upper limb training, remember that running does not only need strong legs, but a harmonious body for exemplary biomechanics.

And of course, this kind of training is just one step of what needs to be done to be a better and faster athlete.

In addition to the arms, the barbell strengthens the core, helping to stabilize and improve running technique. After that, how about giving the bar a try?

In the right footprint

There are a few ways to hold the bar that require work from different muscles. The footprints are divided between: supine, pronated and neutral.

The supine, with fingers pointing to the face, develops more biceps muscles and is ideal for beginners; pronada is done with the fingers pointed outwards and more challenging as it emphasizes the work of the back, arms and chest; Finally, the neutral footprint, another option for beginners.

Take advantage of this grip in the case of parallel bars – one hand holds each bar with fingers closed and pointed inwards. With her, the biceps also work harder.

Coach tip for those who already master

“Hold the bar, try to lift your body up to your chest and go down without touching your feet on the floor. It is important that the arms are extended as the exercise descends so that when pulling the body up, the great dorsalis muscle is activated. Thus, the effectiveness of the exercise will be enhanced ”, teaches Vanessa.

When (and how much) make the bar?

The fixed bar training should be periodized and respect the 48 hour interval between each training. Thus, the muscle has enough time to recover and develop.

Beginners can do two to three sets with as many repetitions as they can. Intermediaries may invest in three to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Every two weeks, increase the number of executions.

For those who are already pro, perform five to six sets, each with four to six repetitions. In this case, it is valid to vary the footprint to make the workout more comfortable.

Importantly, these are general recommendations that do not replace individualized coaching advice.

It’s starting?

It doesn’t matter if you can’t enable hard mode on the bar. In addition to the easiest way shown in the illustration below, you can jump until you overtake the chin on the bar and slowly lower your arm muscles.

Another trick to doing well with the barbell is to use a rubber band called a superband , which aids in thrust and eases body weight in the first few attempts.

Although he is a great ally of girls who are still learning to do barbell, Vanessa Furstenberger recommends that the elastic be triggered as a last resort. The justification is that the accessory can become a kind of crutch for the runner, preventing her from developing muscle strength on her own.

Fixed Bar Exercises

Beginner

Use a footrest to facilitate body suspension to the chin line. The illustration shows that it is possible to make the pronada footprint, but the neutral and supine ones are less difficult.

Intermediate

The difference from the beginner mode is in the absence of footrest and the greater distance between the arms. To increase the challenge, try to make the bar with the pronada grip.

Advanced

The position hardly changes here. You can make your arms even farther apart and slow down and up. Flexing the legs further controls movement and eases when the body is tired.