How to Get an 8 Pack With a Pull Up Bar
A pull-up bar is an incredibly versatile piece of exercise equipment that allows you to work on many different muscle groups with the right exercises. You can use nearly any anchored, elevated pole as a pull-up bar, making even the monkey bars at a local school a solid piece of workout equipment. Performing abdominal exercises on them is particularly effective because you are using your own body weight (coupled with the force of gravity) to provide the resistance. There are many different exercises that you can do to increase the strength and definition of your abs, but the key is making a habit out of performing them regularly and with proper form.
Instructions
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Leg raises target your middle and upper abs, making them stronger and increasing definition. Keeping your legs straight and feet together, lift your legs straight out in front of you (or as high as you can go while maintaining proper form) in a controlled motion. Slowly lower them back down again. Complete 10 repetitions, rest for one minute, and then do two more sets.
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Pull ups with leg raises are a combination exercise that will tone your entire midsection and chest along with your shoulders and back. Grab the pull-up bar with an underhand grip and perform a pull up until your chin is just above the bar. Hold this position and use your abs to lift your knees up towards your chest. Lower yourself back down in this position and then relax your abs and legs. Perform 12 reps, rest for one minute, and then repeat one more set.
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Bent-knee raises target your lower abdominal muscles. Grip the pull-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from your body). Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle behind you and carefully bring them up until the top of your thighs are parallel with the ground. Perform 15 repetitions of the exercise, rest for 45 seconds, and then repeat one more set.
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For an exercise that is a bit more advanced, you can use the monkey bars at a local school to provide an anchor for inverted sit ups. Put your knees over one side of the bars and lock them underneath the parallel bar. At this point, you with be hanging upside down. Perform a sit up as you would lying down by crossing your hands across your chest and bringing your upper body up as high as you can. On your way back down, keep your abs engaged and lower slowly, resisting the urge to let your body drop back down. Perform 10 repetitions and then drop down from the bar. Rest for one minute and repeat one more set.
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Tips & Warnings
Keeping your form as steady as possible throughout the range of motion is important for any workout, especially with an ab exercise. Breathe steadily out while you contract your muscles and breathe in during the resting portion. Perform the motions slowly and carefully to ensure that you are targeting your abdominal muscles and not allowing secondary muscles (such as the glutes or quadriceps) to take over.
Make sure that you have a firm grip on the pull up bar anytime you perform an exercise on it. Falling off of a bar, even if it is suspended just a couple feet off of the ground, can lead to a sprained muscle or even a broken bone if you land the wrong way.
