Parallette Training: Parallettes One

If you’re at all familiar with what GMB is about, there’s a good chance that you already know what you’re after here.

You’re not convinced that the bench press is the end-all-be-all of upper-body exercises. You know that there’s more to fitness than how many pounds you can lift how many times. You want functional strength that you can use in the real world, for whatever it is you feel like doing.

Looking for the advanced program? Click above to check out P2. Parallettes One (on this page) is perfect for beginners.

Congratulations.

You’re taking your training beyond the one-dimensional pressing routines of the bodybuilding magazines and into the world of 3D strength and body control.

Parallettes One is designed to build your body, yes, but we don’t stop there. Powerful shoulders, tight abs, pecs that are visible through your clothes are just side-effects of this program. The real goal?

Control. Balance. Mastery. Grace. Beauty.

OK, so maybe it seems like we’re going a little too far, but really, don’t we all aspire to move beautifully? Just looking good isn’t enough once you’ve seen what the human body is capable of – what your body is capable of. You don’t need to be content with adding a few more reps or a few pounds to the bar.

Parallette training can give you the skills as well as the strength to finally feel like you own your movement.

Why Parallettes?

P-bars give you the leverage to do things that are more difficult to do on the floor.

Parallette training has come into vogue in recent years, mostly due to their portability, ease of construction, and effectiveness at building upper-body strength. However, gymnasts have been using “P-bars” (as we call them) for much, much longer to refine their technique and aid in learning new skills.

Parallettes give the gymnast (or any athlete) two major advantages when mastering feats of balance and strength:

Leverage
Ground clearance

By increasing leverage, we’re able to add some advantage to skills like planches that might otherwise be beyond our capability. As we train and improve, we can gradually rely less and less on the tool itself. Adding ground clearance gives us more space to execute movements where we might not yet have the strength or mobility to perform the same skill on the floor.

These two advantages make parallette training a great choice for building the strength and mobility necessary to perform difficult bodyweight skills. It’s also a great way to practice technique without putting as much stress on the body (which is useful because fine motor control decreases as exercise intensity increases – in other words, you can’t do the fancy stuff when you’re muscles are struggling at the limit of their ability).

Of course, parallettes aren’t just a “stepping stone” to more difficult exercises – they can be used to actually increase the challenge of exercises like inverted presses by adding to the range of motion. This simply builds more muscle than doing the exercise on the floor would allow.

Since the Gold Medal Bodies approach to strength training is based on skill acquisition, it’s only natural that we would make use of parallettes to build both strength and skill.

It’s also ridiculously fun.

Parallettes One is our complete introduction to parallette training that lays the ground work of strength and skill for serious movement artistry.

A little P1 feedback. After three weeks of phase 1, I have noticed incredible improvements with my handbalancing, which is my goal. Suprisingly the increased strength is not so much from arms and shoulders, but mostly from core activation. Which is another smaller goal. Tighter and lighter. Fantastic program.

~ Mark Schoenhard

Here’s what you get with Parallettes One:

Parallettes One Course Manual

Our 69 page manual explains everything you need to know to put parallettes to work in your training -basic training theory, how to progress to the next level, managing your schedule, where to focus your attention while training – everything. It’s the most thorough guide to parallette training anywhere, so you’ll never be stuck wondering what happens next.

The last 30+ pages of the manual are dedicated to 24 Weekly Charts showing your day-by-day exactly what you need to accomplish to keep moving forward. No guesswork required. Just follow the plan and get strong.

Loads of Video

Exercise Tutorials

We’ve included 5 Detailed Instruction Sessions explaining the correct form of each exercise in the program. If you’ve seen any of our sample videos, then you know that Ryan provides extremely detailed coaching on the precise techniques you need to perform the movements correctly. These are the details the other guys always leave out (maybe they don’t know about them…).

Everyone knows that doing an exercise right is often the difference between getting stronger and getting hurt. All Gold Medal Bodies courses are built on years of experience in athletics, coaching, and physical therapy, which means we know how to get optimal results safely. You simply will not find a better tutorial series for parallette exercises online.

Workout Videos

In addition to the tutorials, there are 16 Walk-Through Videos covering each workout in the program. Follow along with these during your first couple of sessions as an example of the correct form and to ensure that you’re moving though the routine with the correct pace and rhythm.

With a video for each workout, you’ll never have to worry about getting lost or trying to read the manual between sets. Put these on you iPod and take them with you for total convenience.

P1 Leg Module

If your hands are grabbing p-bars near the floor, then you aren’t putting much weight on your legs… Unfortunately, there aren’t too many parallettes exercises for your bottom half. Since nobody wants chicken legs, we created this bodyweight-only leg strength program to complement P1.

There are 3 Levels of difficulty with Instructional Videos and a Full Program Manual outlining how the Leg Module fits into your P1 training schedule. Some of these exercises are tried and true, and some of them you may not have seen before. In either case, they’re all brutally effective, and we explain them all in detail, revealing subtleties of execution that will multiply your rate of power development.

Yoga Recovery Routine for Parallettes

Yes, we’re yoga guys, so we had to include some yoga in this program.

Our P1 Yoga Flow consists of a Manual and Tutorial Video for specific compensatory movements after performing P1. Any kind of intense strength training is going to cause muscle soreness and tightness. Performing these yoga “compensatory exercises” will help to reduce and alleviate that discomfort.

Do your yoga and say goodbye to feeling stiff and sore.

That’s a lot of strength-building resources, and they’re being put to good use by people all over the world who want to build powerful shoulders, arms, and trunk – people who are already closer to nailing skills like the planche, like handstands and other inverted positions.

Ready To Do This?

Parallettes One is the program for increased forward pressing strength and control in inverted positions. There is nothing on the market like it that provides months of solid training progressions, clear instructions for each movement, and a clear path to more advanced skills. Seriously.

Click Below to Download P1 Now

Highly recommend the P1 program.

I’ve been working on it myself over the past several weeks and have been having a blast!

~ Jeffry Larson

Lyonheart Fitness

GMB’s Got Your Back, Guaranteed

We have the lowest refund rate we’ve ever heard of – fewer than 1 in 500 clients have requested refunds. Chances are, you’ll be extremely glad you joined the Posse.

But we understand that it’s difficult to trust online – especially when you don’t know us yet. So we want you to know that we’ve got your back:

We've got your back

No Monkey Business

The GMB 100% Jive-Free Guarantee

If you do the work you will get results.

GMB is about strength in all its various meanings, and that means you’re going to have to work hard. But if you find yourself stuck or having a hard time understanding what to do next, let us know – we’re here to help.

We will work with you to make sure you get results you can be proud of.

You won’t find a better guarantee, because you won’t find a better group of people who care more about seeing you exceed your expectations of what kind of health and ability it’s possible for you to achieve.

We’re on a mission to build stronger men and women, stronger families, and a stronger society. And it all starts with a stronger body. Yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click to see the answers…

Am I too old?

No.

We have clients ranging from their teens to their 90s.

Yes, 90s!

You are not too old.

Age is definitely a factor in how resilient your body is to stress, so you might need to work out less often and spend more time recovering. You might need to adjust the intensity of the exercises.

But we’re here to help you with that – just ask.

The number one thing is not to count yourself out because you’re over thirty, or forty, or… If you practice smart and focus on form (two key tenets of the GMB Method), you’ll make progress regardless of age.

One more thing:

If you do happen to be young and strong, rest assured that this will offer plenty of challenge for you too.

We have multiple difficulty levels and variations on every exercise, and you ultimately set your own level by using perfect form and adjusting the rep ranges and rest times to your capabilities.

GMB programs scale very well, because we teach you how to adjust for your own performance and recovery.

How long will this program take to complete?

The word “complete” is pretty loaded, so this isn’t easy to answer.

The program is designed to be followed in three-month cycles, and you can do as many cycles as you want (you’ll go deeper into the practice each time through). We recommend alternating cycles with a different program for variety and to balance other goals.

However, depending on where you’re starting from, it could take more or less time.

You see, a training program is a process. Like a highway, there are multiple entrances and exits. If you’re already pretty strong, you can work through the phases in the specified time. If you’ve never done anything like this before, you may need to add a couple of weeks to Phase 1 to build the basic strength before moving on.

As far as “completion” goes, that depends on your goal.

If you’re doing this to get stronger, you’ll be achieving that all along, and you can judge for yourself just how strong you want to become.

If you’ve got a particular skill goal in mind, it may take longer to perfect, but you’ll still be getting stronger the whole time, so no effort is wasted in taking you time to practice correctly.

the most important thing to realize is that your training is not a race.

Do it for yourself and don’t compare your progress with other people who don’t share your same situation. When you run your own race, you can stop “racing,” and still win.

What exercises are covered in P1?

Oh, we just do a ton of push-ups…

Kidding.

Parallettes One is not just a push-up program with fancy bars. The parallettes allow stability, leverage, and freedom of motion that aren’t available on the floor, so we take advantage of that.

Some of the exercises in P1 include:

Push-Ups – Standard, lateral shifting, front/back shifting, overhead, and more
Dips – Vertical pressing with varying degrees of bodyweight
Swing-Through Variations – Moving from behind to in front of the bars and back
L-Sit Progression – Beginning with a solid tuck
Bent-Arm Stands and Presses – Working towards a press to handstand

And a few more things that are a little more difficult to describe.

P1 is an entry-level strength training program, so it’s not designed to teach you how to do a planche or any other advanced hand balance movement. However, it does build the fundamental strength you’ll need to have before you even consider this advanced work.

What if I can’t do a handstand?

No problem.

You don’t need to be able to do a handstand before beginning Parallettes One.

Working P1 will build your wrist, arm, and shoulder strength to make handstands easier, and as your balance increases, you’ll find that parallettes help you build your hand balancing skills more quickly than you could without them.

Will this work my legs?

Since gymnastic rings and parallettes exercises tend to be focused on upper-body and trunk strength, we created a supplemental Leg Module that integrates with our rings and parallettes programs.

The Leg Module covers bodyweight squat and lunge variations to complement your core apparatus training.

You’ll learn and practice a series of leg-dominant movements that focus on building explosive strength throughout the lower body in all directions. There are three difficulty levels for each movement in the series, and you can choose the ones that suit your level.

Of course, you’re welcome to go to a gym and do squats or deadlifts if that’s what you prefer, but most people find these movements to be adequately challenging in the context of a program that is focused primarily on ring or parallette training. In other words, you don’t want to do so much leg training that you are too tired to perform well in your main workouts.

The Leg Module isn’t an “ultimate leg workout,” but it suits the goals of our R and P Series programs.

What kind of equipment do I need?

We recommend buying or making a solid pair of parallettes.

Our recommended brand is handmade in the US by a GMB client, and we’ll show you how to get a pair on the program download page. These top-of-the-line P-bars will set you back about $100, but it will be one of the best workout equipment purchases you ever make.

And if you want to save some money, we’ll also show you how to build your own parallettes for about $20.

Sometimes, we’ll see people trying to perform parallette exercises on other equipment like push-up handles, kettlebells, dumbbells, or any variety of contraptions.

We don’t recommend that.

Parallettes offer several advantage: size, stability, and clearance from the ground. Must push-up bars are only designed to support some of your weight and are so low to the floor that you will have difficulty swinging your legs underneath you at first.

A quality set of P-bars is a (cheap) investment in getting stronger that we believe you will be very happy with.

Is this a good program for women?

Parallettes One is a fantastic program for women. Here’s why:

P1 develops upper-body pressing strength – one of the chief areas in which many women tell us they feel weak
Using parallettes is easier on the wrists than pressing against the floor or a heavy weight
The tuck and L-sit holds build stability and strength for a firm, tight core and glutes
Correct form in the the P1 exercises will improve posture as well as definition in your arms, back, and shoulders

Depending on your present condition and training background (if any) getting started with any training program can be a challenge. But that’s OK. Challenge is how you get better.

P1 is a great starting point and we definitely recommend it for women.

What if I need to lose a few pounds?

None of the programs in the GMB Curriculum are designed for weight loss. We’re concerned with making you stronger and teaching you how to move better.

You can lose weight by doing this, but it would just be a side benefit in our view.

Depending on where you’re at right now, you might decide that you need to lose weight before starting. That’s completely fine. Any of our programs will be easier to perform if you are at a healthy weight… though, by the same logic, almost anything is easier to perform at a healthy weight.

If you are otherwise healthy, the biggest factor in reducing bodyfat is nutrition.

Your program manual will include links to resources that explain our nutritional approach, but we don’t go so far as to include meal plans and a regimented diet. That’s because everybody likes different foods, and we’ve found that you can make progress without having to eat a preselected menu.

If you eat good foods, train effectively, and get enough sleep, you can build your strength while reducing the amount of fat your carry.

Following this program may or may not reduce your scale weight, because as the fat comes off, you’ll be adding muscle. The result is that your bodyweight will “reproportion” itself into a nicer shape overall.

Just to be clear, this is not an appropriate program if you are obese.

But if you’re a bit overweight and want to get stronger and learn how to use your body better, this is a great place to start.

Can I lift weights on my off days?

Well, you can actually do whatever you want…

But if you’re asking our advice, we’d reming you to think about what an “off day” means. It means that you don’t train.

We’re not saying you can’t/shouldn’t use weights. We all train with weights (sometimes, depending on goals). They can be extremely useful, but you have to decide what your main training priority really is.

If your main priority is increasing your squat, then we wouldn’t call weight training days an “off” day.

If you want to do squats or deadlifts while working a GMB program, that’s fine, but we do have some recommendations for integrating that practice effectively, and these are explained in the program manual.

Needless to say, you will have to focus on one or the other if you really want to improve.

You can focus on weights and do some GMB movement practice on the side. Or you can focus on improving your movement skill and use weights on the side to build specific strength or work on your physique goals. You just need to know which one is your main training and which one is your extra training and plan your schedule accordingly.

Whichever you put first, don’t skimp on recovery by trying to turn “off” days into “on” days.

How long are the workouts?

We live in a busy, time-obsessed culture. Every fitness program is judged in comparison with such crap as Six Minute Abs and other programs claiming to provide magical fast results with minimal effort.

Sorry, but it simply doesn’t work that way.

You will have to devote time to your training.

How much? That depends on where you’re at in the program.

All of our programs feature four different phases which are organized around different training principles. Each phase has work days on which you’ll complete a full workout and recovery days that you might just want to do some stretching on.

The first couple of sessions of a new training phase may require an hour or more.

That’s because you’ll want to check the manual, refer to the instructional videos, try new movements, check the video again, fix your technique, etc. And since each exercise will be pretty difficult at first, you’ll want to take the maximum suggested rest period between sets.

This isn’t a “cardio burn” workout, so resting is OK. Your CNS needs that time to learn new motor patterns.

As you memorize the movements and refer less often to the videos, you can complete the sessions in less time. We planned all of the workouts to be doable in under an hour, but the exact time for you may vary.

One of the benefits of this kind of training is that you probably don’t need to go to a gym to do it, so you can save a good deal of time that way.

Regardless, remember that you control your priorities, and that includes how you choose to use your time. If you have time for reality TV, you have time for training. It’s as simple as that. Ask yourself how important your fitness is to you, and make a commitment to reflect that in your scheduling choices.

Plan on three to six hours a week for most GMB programs.

It might be the best time investment you ever make.

Sound good? Then let’s get started.

Have Fun and Get Strong – Start Now

Parallettes are a fantastic tool for using leverage to your advantage – and you’ll get the most out of your practice by following a solid program that gives you a clear progression from simple pressing movements to impressive inverted skills.

P1 is the only program of its kind anywhere.

For instant access to parallette training the GMB way, you’ll want to click the big button below. You’ll get instant access to the video tutorials, program manual, Leg Module, and Yoga recovery flow.

Download P1 Now for Just $95

All payments are handled by our secure cart system employing PCI Level 1 Certified 128 bit encryption for your privacy and peace of mind. After check out, you’ll be directed to register to our Private Members’ Area, where you’ll have continued access to your download files. The Manuals and other documents/charts are delivered as Adobe PDF ebooks, viewable on all modern computer platforms. The high-quality videos are optimized for iTunes, but can also be played on other media players.

Let’s Get Started!

P.S. – Parallettes One is built on proven methods that are not only a load of fun but get serious results. P1 will have you looking great, feeling strong, and performing skills you’ve always though were unattainable. Get started today.

You will learn more about your body than you ever did before, you will be able to do some funky moves that will baffle and impress your friends, and you will save a ton of wasted time by doing effective movements!

~John Panella

Having gone through about 6 weeks of the program, I can say that I love the challenge. There’s nothing quite like starting a program unable to perform a movement, only to find ownership of that movement (and quite a few others) a mere 6 weeks later. You can’t say that about many programs, as many have you starting and ending the program with the same movements, only increasing reps or sets, decreasing rest or a combo of both. P1 has dramatically increased my strength.

~ John Belkewitch
Day 1 Personal Training

Hi! I just finished P1 (advanced) and I wanted to give you guys some feedback regarding the program. First of all I just gotta say YOU ABSOLUTELY ROCK.

In the three months since I embarked on my journey to complete the program I have made some monstrous gains in upper-body strength and core strength. Stuff I thought I’d never do just got possible From barely being able to hold a tucked sit to cranking out high l-sits, straddles and inverted presses with ease. I’ve also noticed great carry-over strength to other advanced calisthenics.

Big thanks to you for creating such an awesome program. I’m looking forwards to trying out your other programs as well.

~ Cyrus

What Makes GMB Different from Other Fitness Programs?

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This ain’t Jane Fonda. Every exercise is specially chosen to serve a purpose and to fit together with the rest of the program. Each of four phases moves you further along from basic strength to sophisticated skill flows.

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