Parkour involves the whole body, and an athlete must master body coordination and develop the strength to perform parkours moves in good condition. If you already know the basic body movements, it is time to take it to the next level by doing parkour weight lifting exercises. These exercises will add more tension to the muscles to train more effectively.
Weighted Pull Up: Develop The Strength For Climbs and Latches
There will be many climbs and leaps in parkour, and you need the most power. This exercise will provide training variations to help you progress faster in your leaps and body-lifting.
Weighted pull-ups involve adding weights while doing a classical pull-up. It can be in belts or vests, resistance bands, and more weights.
Performing weighted pull-ups properly can activate the core muscles and give the back muscles more shape defining their functions. It can certainly improve your strength for climbing moves and the like.
Selecting the correct weight that will not restrict your movement when weighted pull-ups are crucial. Pay close attention to your body and if you find pain or discomfort, stop immediately.
Also, do not forget to do a warm-up to avoid muscle soreness. It would be best if you also noted the common mistakes in doing weighted pull-ups or pull-ups in general.
Notice that the proper way to do it is by getting your chin above the bar enough and gripping the bar with enough distance apart.
Do not use momentum in the pull-ups; otherwise, you will perform a kip-up. Be in control as you go up and down in the bar.
Front and Back Squats: Achieve More Power and Mobility
Many squat variations exist, but front and back squats are the most functional exercise in parkour. Both these focus on muscles needed for mobility and power in parkour moves.
However, you should know what type of squat you should do depending on your goal since each squat variation works on different muscles.
If you want more strength and power, go for a back squat. At the same time, if aiming for robust quads, focus on the front squat.
Start squat, bend the knees and resist the pull to fall forward or backward. In performing either of the two squats, you will need a barbel. They are differentiated by the placement of the barbel, either carried in front or at the back.
I recommend a back squat for beginners because it requires lesser mobility and can focus on form. After all, a proper form is a key to performing squats effectively.
Avoid dropping your chest; always maintain proper knee placement and spine alignment. Also, do not sit on your heels.
Some of the common mistakes in doing squats is not going down low enough, and if you do this, you will not be able to gain a range of motion because the force will be concentrated on your knees. Aim to position your thighs parallel to the floor.
Also, do not lift your heels when going low since the weight will shift forward, putting too much stress on your knees. If you notice that your heels rise without your control, you can work more on ankle mobility exercises.
Master the proper form, and add more weight as you please. It will also be helpful to use the safety bars for a start if you have never done front and back squats before.
Split Squat: Enhance Leg Strength and Flexibility
A split squat resembles a lunge since it works with muscles in the lower limbs. However, these two exercises are different since split squat works on leg strength while lunges focus on balance.
If split squats are done properly, it will efficiently enhance leg flexibility and strength. It is also a great way to pump up to other squat variations.
You can do the split squat by placing a single leg in front of your back foot and carefully lowering your body. Stabilize yourself by gripping the floor with your front foot.
Position your torso upright, with your head and neck neutral as you bend toward the floor. Then, place your hands on your hips or hold a dumbbell.
Pause while down for two seconds, then go up, squeeze your glute muscles, and repeat the steps until satisfied. Ensure that you avoid raising the heel of your front foot since it will cause you to over-exert your quads.
Keeping the front heel grounded is essential to keep the posterior hamstring and glutes engaged in the movement.
Another mistake you should avoid in a split squat is the knee-buckling. It is where the knee caves in as you go forward. It is a wrong move and will damage your knees.
Weighted Dips: An Exercise For Your Chest and Shoulders
Chest dips are common upper body exercises in parkour training because it develops the shoulder, triceps, and chest. Weighted dips are advanced chest dips wherein you wear added weights anchored on a belt, a backpack, or dumbbells between the ankles.
It may appear simple before performing a weighted dip, but it requires an established upper body strength to avoid muscle injury.
If you are not familiar with weighted dips, master regular chest dips first and build the strength to do weighted ones.
It is essential to add weighted dips to do other strength exercises like bench presses. You can add mass to your upper body muscles by mastering weighted dips.
At the same time, weighted dips work on opposing muscle groups to withstand muscle strain for longer periods.
Like pull-ups, you need to have controlled movements in chest dips. Ensure that you are dipping low enough so that the arms can get the contraction it needs, but be sure not to touch the ground.
Since the triceps and the legs are greatly involved in weighted chest dips, you have to train to lift your body using your arms and not your legs. It will be tricky at first but once done properly, and you can reach the results you want to see.
To begin a weighted dip, you need to wrap the weighted belt on your waist or back. Once the weighted plates are secured, mount them on the dip bar and hold them at arm’s length.
Inhale while you lower your body and move your chest and torso slightly forward. When you feel a stretch in the chest, exhale and push back up in the starting position, and repeat the steps.
Ensure that you do proper breathing, particularly breathing out while going up and breathing in as you go down.
It is ideal to do this exercise at least two times a week, giving the body a break before doing it again. Ensure to do enough repetitions and hold your pose for two seconds after each rep.
Chest and Bench Press: Building More Upper Strength
In training, the chest press is a classic exercise that traceurs should not forget. In doing a chest press, the correct form is very important for the best results; hence it is best to have someone who can supervise your training, especially if you are a beginner.
You can do a chest press by holding on to two dumbbells, palms facing forward with your back pressed on the floor or bench.
Exhale and raise your arms upwards with elbows slightly bent, resisting your chest. When you inhale, lower the dumbbells down with control to your chest.
You should do it two to three times a week and allow at least a day off between exercises to avoid muscle overuse.
The chest press effectively targets the pectorals, triceps, and deltoid, enhancing muscle strength and endurance. It is beneficial to parkour and the simple activities you do daily.
At the same time, the bench press is also good for strengthening muscles of the upper body, including the pectorals.
Bench presses have many variations ranging from the traditional, narrow grips to inclining and declining bench presses. These modifications target small muscles in the pectorals that work synergistically with other muscles for the improved upper body.
For both bench and chest press, ensure that your feet stay grounded, supplanted with a proper grip, and flat upper back to avoid breaking your ribs if the bar falls accidently and also tears your wrist.
Deadlift: The Best Shot to A Controlled Weight
The term deadlift may be daunting to beginners. Still, it is one great exercise to include in parkour training because it can improve your posture and increase core stability and strength, which are important factors in any sport, especially parkour.
It is hard to see someone perform a deadlift, but it surely is worth all the benefits. Deadlifts work on several muscle groups, effectively stimulating fat loss and muscle growth to help you manage your weight.
You can also burn tons of calories in a deadlift and increase your endurance. All these benefits can be yours if a deadlift is done properly.
You can perform a deadlift by starting in the correct position. Remember that almost every weightlifting exercises require a good form.
Stand on your feet with shoulder-width apart, grab the bar and lift, keeping your back flat. Bring the bar to mid-thigh level, and lower the bar in control.
Overall, a deadlift has been improved an athlete’s performance and a great exercise for those planning to control weight gain. All of these are crucial in your parkour journey.
Deadlift certainly involves a considerable weight, and you should be careful not to get hurt. Always warm-up before your deadlift, position your feet properly, and never bend the back immaturely.
Triceps Pushdown: Work On Those Triceps!
Parkour involves many shoulder movements, and a triceps pushdown can be the answer to the robust stabilization of the shoulders. The triceps are often overlooked in training because they can be developed with other compounding exercises; however, they need more.
Almost anyone who wants to improve the arm and shoulder joint can do the triceps pushdown. Although it can be categorized as an isolation exercise since it focuses on the triceps, it can activate other muscle stabilizers.
It works distinctively on the triceps, improving dips and presses where your triceps work a lot. First, you have to choose a weight that will maintain a constant technique throughout the exercise.
You need to set the pulley, then grab the handle. Position your feet slightly wider than the hip-width and bend the knees. Squeeze the triceps and straighten your elbows.
A few tips in doing a triceps pushdown are not to arch your back and curl your wrist to avoid unnecessary tension on the wrist. Grip your feet on the ground, maintain body alignment, and return to the body position. It is best to do it for two to three sets for a start.
Leg Press: Improve The Quadriceps
The legs are well-involved in parkour, and you should enhance them since they can take you to places. It is a general fact that a traceur can encounter many rugged terrains and surface imbalances, and the skill to overcome this will come in handy.
Leg presses work on the hamstring, the calves, the glutes, and the foot, and it is the best you got in developing the resistance to ground imbalances in parkour. It needs a machine typically in gyms.
In doing leg presses, you need to lay your body on the machine with your head supported properly, then place your feet on the footplate. Brace your core muscles and push the footplate properly using the heels.
Exhale and extend your legs, returning the footplate to the starting position. If a beginner, keep it at a maximum of 10 leg presses, and then you can advance as you build your strength.
Since you will be using a leg press machine in this exercise, you need to know the common mistakes you should avoid. This includes lowering the footplate too far and putting tension on your lumbar, which is uncalled for.
Also, plant your heel on the footplate and allow the knees to collapse inward with the feet positioned shoulder-width apart.
Weighted Chin-Up: Work Wonders For The Chest and Biceps
The weighted chin-up resembles a weighted pull-up, but their main difference is the positioning of the palms. Your palms are positioned towards you in chin-ups, working better on the chest, biceps, and other front muscles.
In contrast, the pull-ups target the back and shoulder muscles. Both these exercises work on upper body strength.
Like in weighted pull-ups, you need a vest added with weights. Wrap it around your chest and start pulling yourself up.
When doing chin-ups, avoid too much momentum and keep your reps short. Do not kick your feet as you go up, and stabilize your grip on the bar. This is similar to the mistakes one might make in pull-ups, and you should not commit this at all costs for safety training.
Tips To Avoid Injury In Weighlifting Exercises
Injuries can happen anywhere, and there are high chances, especially in training; you have to train safely to avoid nasty injuries that can hinder your progress. Here are some tips to avoid injuries during weightlifting exercises.
Assess Your Health. Anyone can do weightlifting, but there will be cases where you might be limited to what you can do if you have pre-existing health conditions. Consult your doctor first and ask for guidance on what techniques and drills are suitable for you.
Do Adequate Warm-ups and Cool Down. Muscle soreness and pain are one effect of muscle use, and you can avoid this by doing proper warm-up and cool-down drills. Incorporate this into parkour training. Make it a habit before starting any exercise, and you will never suffer from bad muscle pain again.
Start Slowly But Surely. When you start incorporating weightlifting exercises in your parkour training, start slowly. Do not push yourself to perform advanced and complex weightlifting exercises. Allow yourself to learn the proper techniques before trying the difficult ones. If doing weighted exercises, be sure to use only the appropriate weights.
Prepare your Body. There will be exercises requiring established body coordination and strength especially advanced variations of a typical weightlifting exercise. If this is the case, do not attempt to perform them without properly prepping up your body unless you risk getting your tendons torn, muscles overexerted, and broken bones.
Always Maintain a Good Form. Most weightlifting exercises you can use as a stepping stone in parkour require an effective form. Maintain this as you practice to make it second nature.
Wear Proper Attire. This can be overlooked sometimes but wearing proper attire such as good shoes with proper traction is essential in weightlifting to avoid slipping or falling that can cause a major injury.
Do not Overexert your Muscles. It would be best to allow your muscles to recover before engaging the same muscle group again. Remember that your exercise results depend on your body to recover. If you think you are doing enough training yet do not gain muscle strength, here is an article that can give you an answer.
Always Concentrate. Some injuries come because of a lack of concentration caused by distraction or a pre-occupied mind. If you are training, it is best to focus since this is the ultimate skill of professional athletes. You can develop this over time, and you have to pay attention to what matters inside the training ground.
Prioritize Compound Exercises. Parkour is a whole-body exercise, and you have to remember that you should prioritize compound exercises that work on many muscles of the body. You can save time but still benefit from weightlifting for parkour.
Have Someone Help You. It is better to have a coach, another parkour athlete, serving as your spotter when lifting weights. The spotter is vital to point out the weak spots you have to improve.
Challenge yourself. One of the possible reasons you cannot incorporate or do weightlifting exercises is that you may not be challenging yourself enough to conquer your limits. It is good to challenge yourself to advance your training as simple as adding weight or doing more repetitions to gauge your improvement.
Conclusion
Weighlifting exercises can help your parkour training. It can increase your leaps, resistance, grips, jumps, and landings. Start your weightlifting exercises now and reach different levels in your parkour journey.
