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Man using chin up bar on leg lif station

PRODUCT FOCUS: The Leg Lift and Chin Up Station

The Leg lift and Chin Up Station offers multiple strength and resistance training workout options, to increase upper body and core strength, largely using body weight exercises. Following a tweak to its design with the addition of dip handles it has become even more versatile, so it’s not surprising that it is one of our most popular pieces.

man performing leg raises on fresh air fitness leg lift station

5th August 2019

Why is strength and resistance training important for all ages? The benefits are significant and include:

1. Increased bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis

2. Help with weight loss, since more muscle will burn more calories

3. Strength training boosts energy levels and improves mood

4. Resistance training twice a week by older people can improve “quality of life” by up to 4 years.

 

How can you get the best out of the Leg Lift and Chin Up Station?

The equipment is devised for two users, so users can work out with a friend. On one side are the chin up bars, which have two handle positions to give variety to the exercise. Pull ups and chin ups, the latter using an underhand grip, are one of the best exercises to improve upper body strength. These exercises principally work the back, biceps and core as well as improving grip strength. Chin ups and pull ups are body weight exercises and are difficult exercises for beginners to perform without some assistance. There are several ways to approach these exercises when starting out and always remember to engage the core stomach muscles when performing them:

Beginner tips

1. Using resistance bands, which take weight off the exercise, so you can perform several repetitions. The thicker the band the more weight is taken off. As strength improves then thinner resistance bands can be introduced.

2. Perform eccentric only chin ups, which means performing only the lowering part of the exercise. These means jumping through the first part of the exercise, so your upper chest is in line with the handles and lowering the body slowly on the lowering part of the exercise.

3. The chin up bars offer the ability to take a neutral, overhand and underhand grip in order to perform chin ups and pull ups. These handles can also be used by advanced athletes to perform more difficult core exercises too, i.e. whilst hanging down from the grip bars performing knee to chest exercises.

Leg Lift Exercises

The other side of this piece is the leg lift station, which has two main exercise types. It has a leg left station or “Roman Chair” which is great for exercising the stomach muscles. Main uses which can be performed are knee to chest exercises, great for the back as well as the stomach, and left lift raises with a straight leg. You can see these being demonstrated below or on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO5Lpe45Dpw

Dips

In addition to these, dip handles have been added so challenging dip exercises can be performed, which are a great body weight exercise to improve strength in the triceps, strength and shoulders. It also engages the core too so has lots of benefits within one exercise.

In terms of progression in terms of dips exercises, we would suggest the following progressions for beginners always remembering to engage the core stomach muscles when performing these exercises:

To start with simply hold your bodyweight upright off the ground for a count of 5 and then lower the body to the floor and repeat 5-10 times.

When you can do three sets of 5-10 repetitions holding bodyweight off the floor, move onto “mini dips”. This means starting in an upright position and then lowering at the arms with a slight bend in the elbow. After holding the bend for a second push back to an upright position.

Lastly, when able to perform three sets of “mini dips”, progress to full dips which involves a fuller bend of the elbow before pushing through to straighten the body. See our YouTube channel for a demonstration of a full dip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw0QjLAXobs

More exercises to tone the legs and arms

The use of this piece of equipment does not end there! Resistance bands can be attached to one of the two legs of the equipment to perform lower leg exercises, e.g.hamstring and glute kickbacks, or upper body exercises like upright rows or bicep curls.

The footrests at the bottom of the leg left station can also be used to perform press ups if you are looking for some further body weight exercises.

This piece of equipment covers so many bases, so it’s easy to see why it has become one of our most popular pieces.

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