Is it useful to hang on a horizontal bar?
Despite the fact that there are many different hangs, the easiest one for stretching and relaxing muscles is considered vertical. Technically, this option is very easy to perform, but hanging for a long time is not easy. The main load is received by the muscles of the hands, forearms and deltoid muscles.
To stretch the spinal column and relax the back muscles, it is enough to spend no more than a minute hanging.
The disadvantage is that excessive and prolonged traction of the spine leads to stretching and possible deformation of the joint capsule, so stretching the spine should be correctly combined with strengthening the muscles that hold the spine.
Read more about exercises for the back extensor muscles →
Let's get to action
I recommend dividing exercises for general body warm-up and exercises with the greatest physical load.
Let's start with hanging, with further movement of the arms to the left and right. The grip is classic. It is very important not to sway and keep your body tense. To do this, tense your back and buttocks as much as possible. Move your hands, taking one or two steps at a time. The arms should be slightly bent so as not to harm the joints.
Hanging with legs moving back and forth. It is also very important to keep your body tense, like a string. Otherwise, you can harm your spine. Move your legs alternately, simulating skiing.
Rocking the body to the sides. Remember! You should not look like a “sausage” by swinging your torso, start bending it at the waist.
Circular movements of the legs with a small amplitude. Be careful, this exercise greatly increases the load on the spine.
Torso twisting. This will bring you the greatest pleasure and relaxation in your back. All vertebrae will fall into place.
What muscles work
This exercise is static. When performing a hang, many muscles are used, namely:
- Pectoral muscles.
- Back muscles.
- Abdominal muscles.
- Biceps.
- Muscles of the forearm and hands.
- Deltoid muscles.
Things to remember
Each exercise has its own nuances that must be remembered, otherwise you can either get injured or not achieve the desired effectiveness.
When working on the horizontal bar, pay attention to the following:
- Under no circumstances jump off the horizontal bar after finishing the exercises. It’s better to carefully go down the counter, unless of course there are 5 centimeters there.
- If you really want to see results, eat right.
- Don't forget to include vitamins in your diet.
- Play more sports games and run. Muscles must be kept in good shape.
- Don't forget about good restful sleep. It is during sleep that many processes that are so necessary for our body take place.
- Be sure to warm up before doing the exercises, as this is a painful load on the spine and other muscles, and therefore very dangerous.
How to properly hang on a horizontal bar for the spine
To begin with, it will be enough for untrained people to perform the exercise in the range of 10-30 seconds. It is very important to be able to relax your body so that only your arms remain tense. It is extremely important after completing the exercise to carefully go down from the bar, without jumping. To do this, use a hill. This exercise should not be performed before training. After performing the hang, you should not take a sitting position for the first half hour.
Hanging on the horizontal bar for the spine in video format
Contraindications to exercises on the crossbar
There are almost no contraindications to exercising on the crossbar. There are no restrictions based on age, height and weight. It is best to exercise under the supervision of a trainer, especially if you have any back disease. An experienced trainer will tell you what you can do on the horizontal bar and what you can’t do. But if you do it yourself, then training on the horizontal bar is contraindicated if you have:
- osteochondrosis (especially acute);
- intervertebral hernia;
- kyphosis;
- lordosis;
- scoliosis;
- spondylosis;
- protrusion of intervertebral discs;
- diseases of the joints of the upper extremities.
Hanging on the horizontal bar with bent arms
This is an excellent exercise that uses the muscles of almost the entire body. During the exercise, the forearm flexors are in static tension and strongly contracted. The brachialis, brachioradialis and some other muscles are subject to enormous stress.
When the legs are bent at the knees, the abdominal muscles are also subjected to heavy load, and the center of gravity during this exercise shifts forward, engaging the pectoral and deltoid muscles.
It is generally accepted that one can remain in this position for a very short time. This exercise does not involve the biceps due to the fact that their attachment points are extremely close together, but the latissimus dorsi, teres major, infraspinatus and pectoral muscles actively work in a static mode.
The triceps brachii muscle is also involved in the work; its involvement is associated with flexion of the elbow joint. Involvement of the triceps is associated with the distance of their insertions from their origins. In this version of the hang, due to the shifted center of gravity, the body is not in a vertical position, but in an inclined position. Another difficulty of hanging on bent arms with bent legs is difficulty breathing. This occurs due to muscle contraction throughout the entire torso - from the pectoral to abdominal muscles.
Recommendations
Here are a few important points to observe when performing bent arm hangs.
- It is not recommended to perform hanging with bent arms for those whose number of pull-ups is less than fifteen.
- This version of the hang must be performed with fresh strength, so the exercise is not recommended to be performed at the end of the training process.
- By the way, this exercise is dangerous. The person performing it can easily get injured if they overtrain or violate the technique of the exercise.
- Be sure to warm up before hanging on the horizontal bar with your arms bent. Pay attention to the muscles of your arms, back and shoulders. Also include pull-ups in your warm-up. It is enough to perform several concentrated repetitions.
Hanging with bent arms: technique in video format
One-arm hang on the horizontal bar
There is an option for hanging with bent arms for more advanced athletes . For example, you can do a hang with one bent arm. This version of the exercise will be relevant for those who are able to perform five approaches of twenty seconds of normal hanging on bent arms.
The one-arm hang is performed with the same technique as the standard hang, but the grip should be straight.
Hanging with different angles at the elbows
The next version of the exercise is performed with both hands, but its peculiarity is that the athlete hangs with his arms bent at a certain angle (45, 90, 120 degrees).
How to become taller?
Now, when beauty standards dictate the ideal of tall height for both men and women, the question of how to grow bigger is pressing for many. Indeed, being tall these days provides a lot of benefits: a tall person feels stronger and more confident, looks slimmer and more attractive. However, this is only a stereotype imposed by society, because in fact, a person’s success depends on his personal qualities.
Is it possible to grow if you hang on a horizontal bar?
There is no clear answer to the question of whether exercises on the horizontal bar help increase height. On the one hand, such an exercise somewhat stretches the intervertebral discs, allows the spine to be more even, and due to this can increase a person’s height by several centimeters. On the other hand, having returned to its normal position, the spine soon takes its usual shape, and growth returns to its previous levels.
However, hanging on the bar includes many training options for basketball players, for whom height is incredibly important. Probably, if this exercise is performed regularly, it gives some effect - but only that which can be achieved by slightly stretching the spine - that is, the increase is 2-4 cm.
However, it is impossible to increase height with such an exercise with weights: only complete relaxation contributes to the indicated effect, and it is achieved without additional load.
How to become taller?
A set of measures and exercises for growth for a teenager will give better results than for those who are already over 25. You can grow up to this age by adjusting your diet and doing a set of exercises. At an older age, you can “grow” a few centimeters by performing special exercises that will stretch the intervertebral discs and form a more even posture. In any case, if you carry out a full range of measures, you are guaranteed to increase your height by 2-5 cm.
So, for those who are under 20-25 years old, in addition to physical exercises that stimulate body growth, it makes sense to take the following measures.
- Drink vitamins A, C and
E. Together, these supplements increase the level in the blood (this is growth hormone), and as a result, the growth process is activated. - Eat properly
. If your diet is dominated by natural foods such as meat, milk, low-fat dairy products, rather than chips, soda and fast food, the body will be free of toxins and will be able to direct all its energies to increasing growth. - Rejection of bad habits
. Alcohol, smoking and drugs also fill the body with toxins, which interferes with natural growth. The sooner a person acquires one of these addictions, the sooner his growth process stops.
If you adhere to these simple principles and simultaneously perform a set of exercises for growth, the results will not be long in coming.
Exercises to increase height at home
To grow, such exercises must be performed daily. Only in this case the results will be really fast. You need to start the complex with a simple warm-up: turning your head, bending your body, squats, running in place. Then you can move on to the main part.
- Stand facing the wall and rise on your tiptoes, straightening your back as much as possible. Repeat 5 – 10 times.
- Pull yourself up on the bar, then relax your body as much as possible and hang for about a minute. At the end, freely move your legs back and forth, then move your body left and right.
- Jump up as high as possible, transferring the pushing force alternately, then to the right, then to the left leg, and then to both. As you jump, alternately raise your right and left arms up, stretching as if trying to reach an invisible high bar. Repeat 5 – 10 times.
- Lie on your back, straighten your legs and spread your arms to the sides. Alternately lift your straight right and left legs up to a right angle. Repeat 5 – 10 times.
- Lie on your stomach, straighten your legs, clasp your hands behind your back. Lift your body off the ground by bending over and lifting your chin up. Bend over, raising your head and shoulders, then return to the starting position. Repeat 5 – 10 times.
Exercises for rapid growth will be more effective if you do a standard “cool down” or stretching exercises at the end.
Let's move on to a more difficult level
- Pull-ups. The back muscles are perfectly stretched, although the exercise is not easy. To make it easier, you can do pull-ups from your knees or using special exercise machines.
- Bringing your feet to the bar. With straight legs, from a hanging position, you need to reach the crossbar. It is often used to increase abdominal muscle tissue. The exercise is very difficult, but you can also raise straight legs to 90 degrees. Important! When lowering your legs, do not relax your body, and always keep your buttocks squeezed.
- Exercise Bicycle. Move your legs to imitate riding a bicycle. Try to raise your legs as high as possible and maximize the range of motion. In addition, strive to push your legs out with the greatest effort at the highest point.
- Holding the corner. Keep your legs at a 90-degree angle relative to your torso. If it is difficult, the angle can be reduced to 45.
Both static training and those during which you should strive to perform as many times as possible are useful. It is best to combine and evenly distribute the load.
That's all, I would like to repeat once again that exercises on the horizontal bar are useful at any age. Try to regularly devote time to this type of training and help improve your physical fitness. Continue reading articles on the blog and recommend it to your friends. At the end you will be treated to a video. See you later.
Alexander Bely
