How to use…
The Mid Bar Station (#12)
The second of three “bar” stations, the Mid Bar, set at 36″ off the ground, is a perfect height for a number of activities from exercises to stretching.
The Mid Bar is great for pulling exercises, specifically perpendicular angles, much like seated rowing. But in order to get the most work from pushing exercises, you’ll want to place your feet on the bar and hands on the ground, approximating an incline chest press (not currently shown among the animations).
While stretches are not listed here among the exercises, be creative and make the Mid Bar work for you. Place the heal of one leg over the bar and enjoy a hamstring stretch. Hang down from the bar, arms overhead, butt towards the ground for a spine stretch.
How-to Animations:
The how-to animations below provide snippets of exercises demonstrating proper form, posture and positioning.
1. Push up
Notes:
If you’re looking for the easiest angle to push from, look no further than push ups when performed on the Mid Bar. This is a really good angle to work at to learn to engage your mid section core muscles to help keep the body rigid. Advanced users may want to try push ups with feet on the bar and hands on the ground (nor currently shown).
Muscles used:
Shoulders – anterior deltoids, medial deltoids
Chest – pectorals
Back – trapezius, rhomboids as stabilizers
Arms – triceps
Anterior mid section – abdominals, external obliques as stabilizers
Posterior mid section – erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – gluteals, quadriceps as stabilizers
Difficulty:
2. Tricep press
Notes:
Notice how far back the feet are placed in order to duck under the bar for the tricep press. This exercise provides a very good range of motion for the triceps to work through, with the elbows closing quite a bit (in flexion) prior to extending back to straight arms.
Muscles used:
Arms – triceps
Anterior mid section – abdominals, external obliques as stabilizers
Posterior mid section – erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – gluteals, quadriceps as stabilizers
Difficulty:
3. Pull, one
Notes:
This is a very accessible version of perpendicular pulling, made even more so by keeping the knees bent with feet closer to the body. Drawing the feet in as shown reduces the length of the body and thus reduces the moment arm (resistance) the pulling muscles have to work against.
Muscles used:
Shoulders – posterior deltoids
Back – lats as prime movers; trapezius, rhomboids as scapular stabilizers
Arms – biceps, forearms
Anterior mid section – abdominals, external obliques as stabilizers
Posterior mid section – erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – gluteals, quadriceps as stabilizers
Difficulty:
4. Pull, two
Notes:
This remains a very accessible version of perpendicular pulling, even with your legs extended to increase the moment arm (and thus the resistance the pulling muscles have to work against to bring you towards the bar.)
Muscles used:
Shoulders – posterior deltoids
Back – lats as prime movers; trapezius, rhomboids as scapular stabilizers
Arms – biceps, forearms
Anterior mid section – abdominals, external obliques as stabilizers
Posterior mid section – erector spinae as stabilizers
Lower body – gluteals, quadriceps as stabilizers
Difficulty:
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