A spring bar is a metal bar, between 2 and 2-1/2 feet long, with coils in the center. The coils act as resistance as you bend the bar from different angles. The muscles in the chest are the main muscles you work with a spring bar. Although you cannot adjust the tension of the bar, you can adjust the position of the bar to change the intensity of the exercises.
Basic Squeeze
Squeeze the handles of a spring bar together to work your chest. Hold the bar in front of your chest with your palms facing the floor. Your arms should be parallel to the floor with about a 90-degree bend in your elbows. Press the handles of the spring bar down and in. The coils of the bar will curve upward. Try to press the bar together until your hands touch each other. Hold this position for a count before slowly returning to the bar to the horizontal position.
Reverse Squeeze
Flip your hands over for a different feel to the exercise. Hold the bar with your palms facing the ceiling. Position your upper arms against your sides. Your elbows should have a 90-degree bend and your forearms should be parallel to the floor. Press the spring bar handles up and in. Try to press the handles all the way together. The coils will curve downward. Pause and then slowly release to the starting position.
Intensity
The main drawback of the spring bar is that you cannot adjust the resistance. The coils provide a set resistance. However, you can adjust the difficulty of the chest exercises by adjusting your arm position. The farther you hold the spring bar away from your body, the more difficult it is to squeeze the bar. Once you can do 15 to 20 full repetitions of the basic squeezes, extend your arms and hold the bar arms-length away from you. Squeeze the bar while keeping your arms extended.
Variations
You can vary your spring bar chest routine by alternating the exercises. For example, the in and out exercise combines a basic squeeze with an advanced squeeze. Hold the bar close to your chest and perform a basic squeeze. Hold the squeeze and extend your arms out in front of you. Release the bar. Squeeze the handles together in the extended position. Hold the squeeze and bring the bar closer to your body. Continue alternating extended and close squeezes. You can also alternate the basic and reverse squeezes.
Member Comments