Many individuals use various kinds of exercise bars to improve workouts. Some exercise bars are mainly used to add weight resistance, such as barbells and body bars, while others, like ballet bars, can help with balance and flexibility. Chin up bars provide a sturdy place from which to hang, utilizing the body weight of the person exercising as resistance.
Barbells are exercise bars made of a heavy, strong metal intended to hold removable weight plates at either end. These bars are typically capable of holding a large amount of weight, making them popular training tools for weightlifters and body builders. Barbells are most well known for the weightlifting exercise called a bench press, but they can also be used in other exercises such as curls, tricep extensions, and squats.
Body bars are weighted bars of varying length, usually 4 or more feet (1.2 meters) long. They are typically made of a heavy, solid metal to add weight and then wrapped in foam or another soft material to improve safety and ease of gripping. These exercise bars can be held while doing exercises that are usually done without added weight to make them harder, such as squats and lunges.
Ballet bars are exercise bars that, instead of adding resistance to a workout, provide a stable surface to hold for balance while performing difficult exercises, such as some of the moves required during ballet dancing. They also can be used as a raised surface for stretching more easily before and after a workout. Ballet bars may be useful in many kinds of exercises besides ballet, especially for individuals who enjoy having extra help with balance.
Chin up bars are generally metal bars mounted horizontally, high enough off of the ground for an individual to be able to perform chin up exercises. Chin up bars can be used by anyone looking to increase upper body strength, and are a popular choice for body builders and gymnasts. They can also be used to perform difficult abdominal workouts. Chin up bars on stands can be large, tall, and difficult to store in a house or an apartment, and many homes do not have strong enough ceilings to have a ceiling mounted chin up bar. For those wishing to work out at home, some chin up bars may be mounted in a solid, sturdy door frame instead of on a typical stand or hanging from a ceiling.