Top 5 exercises for abs on the bars: technique, how to properly pump

fitnesa treneris

“Classes on the bars are useful not only for abdominal muscles, but also for working out other muscle groups. In addition, the projectile is effective for the development of strength and stability of the body. When several muscle groups are involved at the same time, the exercise becomes more complicated and requires more effort, coordination and control from the body. Working the abs on the bars also develops overall strength, balance and cortical muscles.”

Satura rādītājs

What we’ll talk about

The importance of training the abs

Training the abs is important not only for body aesthetics, but also for overall health and high quality of life.

Body Strengthening. The abs play a key role in maintaining proper posture and stabilizing the body. Strong abs will prevent back pain and reduce the risk of injury.

Improved digestion. Regular exercise for the abs can help improve overall gastrointestinal function and normalize digestion.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercising your abs helps burn extra calories, improves your overall fitness and helps reduce body fat. All of this allows you to improve your well-being.

Improved athletic performance. Strong abs muscles play an important role in powerlifting, boxing, swimming, running, tennis, soccer and many other sports. Improving the strength and endurance of the abs enhances athletic skills, which helps in achieving better performance.

Body Aesthetics. You can’t achieve a flat tummy and abs by exercises alone. You need to reduce your body fat percentage through dietary adjustments. Your task is to create a calorie deficit. This means spending more calories than you consume from food and drinks.

Benefits of working out abs on the bars

High intensity. Properly performing abs exercises on the bars requires more effort and energy compared to working out on the floor. You’ll burn calories more efficiently, improve your overall fitness and increase whole-body functionality, which is good for everyday tasks and athletic skill development.

Work multiple muscle groups. Bench press exercises not only activate your abdominal muscles, but also engage your shoulders, arms, and legs.

Improved coordination. Training the abs on the bars improves coordination and strengthens stabilizer muscles.

Full range of motion. Using the bars allows you to perform abs exercises with a greater range of motion, which helps to stretch and contract the abs more effectively.

Different exercise variations. Thanks to the bars, you can experiment and perform different variations of exercises, from classic knee raises to circular leg movements. This makes training more interesting and varied.

Kontrindikācijas

Regular physical activity has a positive effect on joints, bones, ligaments and muscles, as well as psychological well-being. It improves the quality of life, but each of us may have personal limitations to certain exercises.

Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have:

heart and vascular disease;
joint problems;
pain and discomfort in the spine;
gastrointestinal problems;
obesity;
nervous system disorders.

Limit training in: acute joint pain, recent surgery and trauma, infections, high body temperature and exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Exercises for abs on the bars

Raising bent legs in a bar rest on the elbows.

Tehnika:

Rest your bent arms on the bars so that your feet are in the air and do not touch the floor. Legs and body form a single even line. The gaze is directed forward.
Lower the shoulder blades down and bring them together, bring the chest slightly forward. Give your lower back a natural bend, but avoid a strong bend.
Lift the bent legs up, twisting the pelvis and directing the knees towards the body. Hold for one second. Exhale is done at peak effort.
Smoothly straighten the torso and straighten the legs to the starting position, the movement is accompanied by an inhalation.

Do two to three sets of 15 repetitions. The number of repetitions per set depends on your training goals and your fitness level. Rest between sets – one minute.

Bent leg raises on the bars

Tehnika:

Rest the palms of your straight arms on the bars so that your feet are in the air and do not touch the floor. Legs and body form a single even line. The gaze is directed forward;
lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together, and bring your chest slightly forward. Give your lower back a natural curve;
lift the bent legs and turn the pelvis diagonally with the knees pointing towards the body. Exhale at peak effort;
it’s important to tuck the pelvis to actively engage the rectus abdominis muscle. Hold for one second;
Plank flex the torso and straighten the legs to the starting position, the movement is accompanied by an inhalation.

Do two or three sets of 15 repetitions. Rest between sets – one minute.

Straight leg raises on the bars

Tehnika:

Press the palms of your straight arms into the bars so that your legs are in the air and do not touch the floor. Legs and body form a single straight line. The gaze is directed forward;
lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together, and bring your chest slightly forward. Give your lower back a natural curve;
lift straight legs up to parallel with the floor. It is important to twist the pelvis to actively engage the rectus abdominis. Exhale at peak effort;
smoothly unfold the pelvis and legs to the starting position, the movement is accompanied by an inhalation.

Do two or three sets of 10 repetitions. Rest between sets – one minute.

Rotation of legs in a circle in a rest on the bars

Tehnika:

Rest your straight arms on the bars, so that your feet are in the air and do not touch the floor. Legs and body form a single even line. Keep your gaze forward;
lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together, and bring your chest slightly forward;
lift the legs in a semicircle in an arc, twisting the pelvis. Perform clockwise and backward circular leg movements. Exhale at peak effort;
smoothly and under control lower the legs in an arc downwards, the movement is accompanied by an inhalation;
perform clockwise and backward circular leg movements.

Do two or three sets of 12 repetitions. Rest between sets – one minute.

Corner on the abs on the bars

Tehnika:

Rest your hands on the bars so that your feet are in the air and do not touch the floor. Legs and body form a single even line. The gaze is directed forward;
lift straight legs up to parallel with the floor and slightly twist the pelvis. Hold in this static position for 30 seconds;
smoothly and under control, straighten the torso and straighten the legs to the starting position, taking a deep breath.

Do two or three sets of 30 seconds each. Rest between sets – one minute.

The main mistakes of pumping the abs on the bars

Bending the legs. One of the main mistakes in the technique is bending the legs in the hip joint without twisting the pelvis and bending the torso. This technique does not sufficiently engage the abs. Correct execution of the exercise includes not only lifting the legs up, but also active tension of the abs, lifting the pelvis and bending the torso.

Breathing. Improper inhalation and exhalation or breath holding can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Exhale as you raise your legs and inhale as you lower them to the starting position.

Fast Execution. Performing exercises quickly can compromise technique and create inertia. This increases the risk of injury to the lower back, and also reduces the load from the abdominal muscles. Perform the movements under control and slowly.

Daily workouts. If you want to have abs and a flat belly, then daily abs exercises will not help. There is no such thing as localized weight loss. You need to reduce your overall body fat percentage through dietary adjustments and create a calorie deficit.