Captain’s Chair Abs Workout – Alternative Exercise Method

The Captain’s Chair workout is rated one of the best and most effective abdominal exercises according to a study conducted at the San Diego State University Biomechanics Laboratory. Although it is a relatively easy exercise to learn and do, not everyone has access to a captain’s chair or Power Tower device. However, there is an alternative to these exercise equipment.

With a grip lock exercise bar and two abdominal straps, you can perform a similar abdominal exercise. This alternative equipment uses a door frame to allow you to perform exercises such as knee raises and chin-ups. Two brands that sell the combination of a grip lock bar and abdominal straps are:

• Gold’s Gym local circuit
• And the Iron Gym total training bar for the upper body.

The advantages of using the grip lock bar and abdominal straps for this exercise are:

• The equipment is less expensive
• It allows you to do this training at home.
• It can be easily stored in a closet.
• And it is easy to install on the suitable door frame.

The disadvantages of this alternative are:

• There is no back support. You must pay particular attention to keeping your spine straight and in line with your neck.
• You may experience shoulder pain as the shoulder muscles will support your body weight. This pain usually goes away after the shoulder muscles get stronger.

With this type of exercise bar, you need a door frame that is 27.5 to 30 inches wide and 4.5 to 6 inches deep. The bar locks easily and quickly to the door frame and will support a body weight of up to 250 pounds.

The grip lock bar comes with an upper cross bar and a lower exercise bar. Use the following procedure to properly install the grab lock bar on a suitable door frame:

1. First attach the abdominal straps to each side of the lower exercise bar.
2. Pass the upper crossbar through an open door leaving the lower exercise bar on the opposite side of the door frame.
3. Place the crossbar on the top edge of the door frame and push it as far as possible towards the edge of the door frame.
4. Next, rest the ends of the exercise bar against the opposite side of the door frame.
5. If there is a door attached to the door frame, make sure the crossbar and door hinges are on the same side of the door frame.

Once the exercise bar is properly installed in the proper door frame, use the following procedure for the knee lift exercise:

1. Slide your arms through the abdominal straps as much as possible.
2. Hold on to the handles to support yourself and keep your body stable.
3. Let your body hang down while keeping your back straight and well aligned with your neck.
4. Keep your legs together.
5. Keep your abs engaged and focus on using your abs to lift your knees toward your chest.
6. As you inhale, bring your knees up to your chest.
7. As you exhale, lower your legs back to the starting position.
8. Do 10 reps at a time at first. Increase the number of repetitions as you get stronger.

This alternative to abs training in the captain’s chair will help you develop a flat, muscular abs. And now you can do this exercise at home and with minimal spending on exercise equipment.