Exercises for the Power Station Pull Up Bar

Power station pull-up bars can help you build a strong, muscular back.St?¡èrke image by imagenation from Fotolia.com

A "power station" is a multi-exercise piece of exercise equipment that features a rectangle-shaped frame with both dip and pull-up bars. You can do a variety of exercises on a power station, particularly on the pull-up bar, where you can work such muscle groups as your back, arms, shoulders, abs and legs.

Pull-up

The pull-up works your back, biceps and core muscles. To do a pull-up, grab the pull-up bar in the power station with an overhand grip. Pull yourself up slowly, keeping your lower back arched throughout the movement. Lift your chin up the bar, and pause at the top. Lower yourself slowly, and repeat the movement as many times as possible. For beginners, try doing one to two sets of two to four repetitions. You may need to place a chair under you when first starting. For intermediate and advanced people, do two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Chin-ups are very similar to pull-ups. They work the same group of muscles, but place slightly more emphasis on the arms and biceps. To do a chin-up in a power station, grab the pull up bar with an underhand grip, so your palms are facing you instead of away from you. Lift yourself up until your chin is level with the bar, and lower yourself back down. To increase the difficulty level of a pull-up or chin-up, place a small dumbbell between your feet.

Rows work your back and shoulder muscles, and can also be done in a power station. To do a row, loop a sturdy rope or cable over the pull-up bar. Lie flat on the ground, and grasp the rope with two hands (using a cable that has handles attached to it helps protect your hands). Raise yourself up until your chest meets the handles, and slowly lower yourself back down. Do two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, depending on your skill level.

Leg lifts work your abdominal, leg and core muscles. To do a leg lift using a power station pull-up bar, grab the bar with two hands using an overhand grip. Let your body hang down freely, and raise your legs up until they're parallel to the ground. Pause for two seconds at the top, and lower you legs back down slowly. You can either keep your legs straight or do leg lifts with your knees bent, which is slightly easier. Do three sets of 10 repetitions.

You can do a push-up using a power station pull-up bar if you have the appropriate equipment. You will need a pair of suspension straps, which are long straps that have handles on the end of them. Attach the two suspension straps to the pull-up bar, one on each side of the bar (where you would normally place your hands). Once the straps are attached, grab the handles and suspend your body up into a push-up position. Lower yourself as far down as you can do, and repeat the movement for any many repetitions as possible. Do two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions depending on your skill level.

Bar hangs build endurance and work your back, shoulder, core and arm muscles. To do a bar hang, grab the power station pull up bar with two hands and an overhand grip. Hang for as long as possible.