Poor Man's: Pull ups in the playground

Besides learning the techniques and skills in what ever martial art you do, general fitness is also important. Exercises such as jogging, skip ropes and weights are good to keep your body strong.

While some might complain that they cant afford to go to a gym or worst cant even buy dumbbells for training, this next "Poor Man's" post will introduce you to the simple solution of going to a playground.

Playgrounds are perfect as your own make shift gym. There's a lot of exercises and space for you to do here (that is you are not fighting for space with the kids). In fact a good exercise is the pull ups & chin ups.

All you need is a bar hanging above your head and you can start with this great exercise already.

"There are numerous variations on the standard pull-up. You can pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. You can pull yourself up and touch the back of your neck to the bar. You can pull your knees to your chest as you pull yourself up (make sure to not arch your lower back). You can raise your legs in front of you to form an "L" with your body. These are advanced routines that work different muscle groups.

Another simple variation is the wide grip pull-up. Grip the bar with your hands as far apart as is comfortable. This variation works less with the biceps and more with the back muscles. Pull-ups are one of the best back builders. If you are a martial artist, thinking about getting into martial arts or just looking to increase strength, start with chin-ups and advance to pull-ups. Start slow but be consistent and you will gradually build up strength. Just as learning a style of martial arts, gaining strength takes time." -

Source here.

Below are some videos on pull ups in the playground to give you some ideas.





Only problem you might face is either rain or mosquitoes... enjoy working out poor man style.