How to hang on a horizontal bar for an iron grip and a healthy back

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A simple and rewarding movement that anyone can handle.

Why hang on the horizontal bar

There are several reasons to include horizontal bar hanging in your workouts, or just do it throughout the day.

Strengthening grip strength

Grip strength is necessary for many movements with your own body weight: pull-ups, lifting legs to the horizontal bar, exercises on gymnastic rings, rope climbing or holds.

Sometimes it is the weak muscles in the forearms and hands that limit the reps - you could do more, but your fingers slide off the bar. This is not only offensive, but also dangerous.

Also, a strong grip is useful in sports such as weightlifting, powerlifting, crossfit, kettlebell lifting, bouldering. Hanging on the horizontal bar is also a good pull-up exercise: it helps to strengthen the forearms, hands and muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Maintaining shoulder health

In Bob & Brad, physical therapists Bob Schrupp and Brad Hynek explain that horizontal bar hanging can relieve shoulder mobility limitation by stretching the coracoacromial ligament.

The stiffness of this ligament can lead to a narrowing of the subacromial space, impingement syndrome and a decrease in the range of motion of the shoulder joints. Brad Hynek claims that hanging on a horizontal bar allows you to stretch it, increase shoulder mobility and relieve pain.

Relieving stress from the spine

We were unable to find research on this, but some podiatrists claim that this is the case.

For example, at manual therapy clinics in Los Angeles, they say that hanging on a horizontal bar relieves the back. During it, the latissimus muscles stretch and slightly expand, which reduces pressure on the spine, increases the space between the vertebrae and improves the nutrition of the intervertebral discs.

Hanging on a horizontal bar is also referred to as a method of spinal decompression at the Canadian Yorkville Sports Medicine clinic in Toronto. An article on the topic argues that exercise helps reduce pressure on the spine and nerves by increasing the space between the vertebrae.

Podiatrist Beth Terranova from New York also advises hanging on the bar. In POPSUGAR, Terranova says that our spine is stressed all day by gravity, and the vis helps to counteract the pressure accumulated during the day.

Warming up muscles before training

Active hanging on the horizontal bar can be included in your warm-up - as a way to prepare the muscles of the shoulders and back for the load. During the lifting and lowering of the shoulders in the hang on the horizontal bar, almost the entire shoulder girdle works.

In addition, the muscles are not only loaded, but also stretched, increasing the range of motion of the limbs. This is especially good for those who suffer from a lack of shoulder mobility.

Who shouldn't hang on the horizontal bar

Orthopedist Beth Terranova advises against hanging on a horizontal bar if lower back pain extends to the legs or numbness of the lower extremities is present. Also on the website of the Yorkville Sports Medicine clinic that spinal decompression is contraindicated in conditions such as:

• spine fracture;
• spinal swelling;
• aneurysms of the abdominal aorta;
• osteoporosis;
• pregnancy.

If you have any of the above, or if you have other spinal conditions, muscle or ligament problems in your shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, talk to your doctor first.

How to hang on a horizontal bar

There are two main options for hanging on a horizontal bar: passive and active.

How to do passive hang

Passive hanging is when you just hang relaxed. It can increase the mobility of the shoulders and the thoracic spine, relieve the load on the lower back. In addition, this design will allow you to stay on the bar longer, which is useful for developing grip strength.

Grab the horizontal bar with a grip shoulder-width apart and hang from it. Relax your shoulders so that they are pressed against your ears. Keep your neck straight, do not tilt your head forward. If there is an excessive bend in the lower back, suck in your abdomen and tilt your pelvis back.

If you feel uncomfortable or painful, you can start with a partial hang - leave your feet on the floor or a chair if the bar is high. As you get used to it, you can first raise one leg, and then completely break away from the supporting surface.

How to do active vis

In an active hang, you lower your shoulders and shoulder blades. Since this involves the muscles of the shoulder girdle and back, this option is used to prepare for pull-ups and warm up before training.

Grab the horizontal bar with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders and hang on it. Then lower your shoulder blades and shoulders, keep your neck straight and your body rigid.

Maintain position throughout the interval.

How else can you hang on the horizontal bar

Change of passive and active hanging on the horizontal bar

This exercise is suitable for those who want to prepare their body for pull-ups, as well as warm up before training.

Hang on the bar and completely relax. Then take an active hang position: lower your shoulders and shoulder blades. Return to passive hang again and repeat.

Advanced athletes can do this exercise with one hand.

Hanging with a rotation of the shoulders

Hang on the bar, and then begin to make circular movements with your shoulders, without letting go of the bar. Keep the body rigid and try to increase the range of rotation first forward and then backward.

Swinging vis

This movement can also be used to warm up. Hang on a horizontal bar and assume a position with lowered shoulder blades and a tense body.

Then push your chest forward so that it goes beyond the plane of the horizontal bar, and immediately swing in the opposite direction so that your shoulders go back. Continue to swing, keeping your shoulders low and rigid.

How often and for how long to hang on the horizontal bar

Hanging time and frequency of classes are determined by the goals set:

• To relieve the back or increase shoulder mobility. Perform three sets of passive hang for 10-60 seconds with 60 seconds rest between them. You can additionally rotate the pelvis from side to side by twisting the body. Do the exercise two to three times a day.
• To pump up your grip strength. Set a timer for five minutes, assume a passive hang position, and hold out for as long as you can. Then jump off, shake your hands and hang on the horizontal bar again. Continue until the end of the five minute interval. Do this exercise once a day, for example in the morning.
• To warm up before exercising. Perform 10 repetitions of the change of active and passive hang, rest a little and do five repetitions of the shoulders in the hang forward and backward. Rest again and finish the warm-up on the bar with 10 swing reps.
• To prepare for pull-ups. Do three to five approaches of changing the active and passive hang 10-12 times. Use in conjunction with other lead-up movements to strengthen the muscles: negative pull-ups, pull-ups with an expander, pull of the upper block.