We’re going to explore what parallettes are and why including a parallette workout in your routine could be just the thing your fitness regime needs.
If you are working out at home, with only a limited amount of space to exercise in, it’s important that your’re able to work every muscle effectively to avoid muscle imbalances as your begin to grow stronger.
Unfortunately, as humans we tend to focus on what we see when we look in the mirror and as a consequence spend a lot of time attending to the showy front muscles of the body and not so much on the posterior muscles. The parallette can be of great assistance in balancing our efforts out.
In this article, we’re considering the most basic use of a parallette. Don’t be put off by that fancy name or by some of the videos of advanced calisthenic athletes performing incredible moves on them! If your’ve got two arms that work then your’re going to get on just fine with a set of parallettes!
What is a Parallette?
Parallettes are simply two parallel bars that your can use to perform a wide variety of movements on. They are commonly 
used in gymnastic training but are becoming increasingly popular as a piece of home gym equipment given their versatility and compactness.
They come in different heights but for this article, we’re looking at the mid-height variants which are the most versatile.
Portable Parallette
One of the many benefits of parallettes is that they can be easily stored away, out of sight, when not in use. We leave ours in the corner of our living room, and they are barely noticeable. You could even take them away with your if your were driving to your holiday destination and wanted to keep up with your training regime whilst away.
Parallette Exercises
The list of parallette exercises is as extensive as your imagination and there are some great online resources your can find which promise to take you from beginner to calisthenics guru! Personally, in our household, the main benefit that the parallette has brought – particularly to my wife and son who struggle to do pullups – is that we can work our back and shoulder blade muscles without needing to resort to dumbbells.
To be totally honest, up until researching this article, we have been using them solely for inverted rows, but why not look at some of the following beginner exercises and try incorporating them into your fitness routine:
- Inverted Rows
- Dips
- Knee Tucks (Tucked Hold)
- Single Leg L-Sit
- Frog Stand
You may also want to check out GMB Fitness’ YouTube channel. They provided the awesome feature image for this post and their YouTube channel is an indispensable resource for anybody wanting to feel better in their body.
Where to buy Parallettes
Parallettes are now widely available online, with many reputable online fitness retailers selling them. You should also be able to buy them from a local fitness store. As I was writing this article, I decided that I wanted to get a set of smaller parallettes and ordered these:
They haven’t arrived yet, but I’ll provide a full review when they do.
A Game Changer for Small Space Fitness
As I mentioned above, we currently use a single parallette for our workouts, predominantly to ensure that we are working out our back muscles as much as our chest and shoulders. However, after writing this article, I’m itching to begin a parallette program and would love to be able to pull off a well executed L Sit or Frog Stand!
They truly are a game changer for home fitness given their portability and how easy to store they are. They offer an incredible variety of exercises which will lead your to improve often neglected areas of fitness such as mobility, flexibility and balance. You’ll also find your muscular endurance and tone improves rapidly from regular bar work.