Chin-up Bar at Home

An excellent cheap home training tool is the chin-up bar.  The one picture below was around $20.  For most kids the bar should be installed around chin height.  Just playing on the bar allows kids to gain strength and confidence. 

Skills that can be practice on the home chin-up bar (you should be there all times, smaller kids will just let go of the bar)

   Possum hang:  turn sideways under the bar wrap legs around the bar while hanging on it

   Strong arm support (as shown in the picture):  belly should not be pushing on the bar

   Strong arms with swinging legs: same as above with small, straight swinging legs

   Chin hang: hold chin above the bar for as long as possible

   Pike hang: hang from bar while hold legs together straight in front

   Skin the cat: hang from bar, pull feet under the bar between the hands and roll through (THIS SHOULD BE SPOTTED: some kids will let go upside down and it can be hard on shoulder if done too fast or out of control)

   Small cast:  from strong arms, swing legs, push body off the bar, and return to the bar

   Glide: Pike hang from bar with small swings

   Strong arms roll forward: (THIS SHOULD BE SPOTTED: this can be a scary skill and it can hurt their stomach) they should try to keep their arms straight and roll forward VERY SLOWLY, when they lean forward to upside down and are hanging by their hips, they will need to roll their hand forward around the bar and pull so they can lift their feet, then they need to keep their feet as close to the bar as possible and lower them as slowly as possible so they don't smack the floor; ideally they will finish in a pike hang.

   Pullover:  (this can be somewhat difficult skill that does require strength)  they should start standing on the floor, holding the bar in a regular grip with their chin just above the bar, they will need to kick one or both legs all the way over the bar while pulling down with their arms (trying to hold the chin or chest to the bar as long as possible), they will finish in strong arms.

   Back hip circle: (this is a much more advance skill and everything above will need to be mastered first)  they will start in strong arms, perform a small cast, a small cast, a larger cast, come back to the bar, keep their arms straight, lean their shoulders back, pull their toes over the bar and down, and circle the bar back to strong arms.

Please be careful and let me know if you have any questions.