If you ask us, one of the best pieces of exercise equipment to buy for your home gym is a power tower. So whenever someone asks us what equipment is a must-have for their home gym, we always recommend a power tower.
But admittedly, power towers can be intimidating, and many people don't know where to start when it comes to workouts.
Fortunately, in the guide below, we will go over the best power tower workout moves and routines to remove some of the learning curves. And, these workouts will be suitable for both beginners and people who have been working out for years.
You can check out our favorite power towers for home gyms here.
What Is A Power Tower Workout? (Overview + Benefits)
There's not a person or athlete in the world that wouldn't benefit from a power tower workout. While traditional resistance training might have you using free weights, power towers aid and improve bodyweight exercises, also known as calisthenics.
Power tower workouts combine various bars at different heights and angles to take your calisthenics training to the next level while making it simpler all at the same time.
Power tower workouts are also highly versatile. You can do push and pull movements, upper body workouts, lower body workouts, core workouts, or you can throw it all together and have a full-body workout. Your power tower can also aid in recovery and mobility training.
You can do a little bit of everything with a power tower workout, making them an extremely versatile, all-in-one piece of exercise equipment that everyone should have in their garage gym.
And, while you can use extras like bands and free weights, these are optional, and you can get an excellent workout with just your power tower and nothing else.
Best Power Tower Workout Exercises
Warm-Up
Most people are in too much of a hurry to warm up, but you should always take the time to get warm. This is important no matter how fit or in shape you may be. To warm up on the power tower, just spend about five or so minutes doing light dynamic exercises and stretching. This prepares your body and nervous system to load and reduce the likelihood of injury.
Pull Up / Chin Up
Pull-ups and chin-ups are great moves involving large muscle groups depending on your grip. While you train on your power tower, you can combine variations of the exercises or rotate them.
Incline Push-Ups
To do an incline push-up, grab the handles and keep your body straight. Now slowly bend your arms at the elbows and lower yourself until you almost touch the floor. The handles in the instance serve as the racks for your incline push-ups. This will keep your wrists comfortable and allow you to maintain proper form.
Decline Push-Ups
For a decline push-up, kneel with your back toward the power tower. Put your hands shoulder-width apart and stand on a foam cushion. Lift your body with your torso straight but at a slight angle to the floor. Bend your arms and lower your body to a 90-degree angle at your elbows. Pause briefly at the bottom and lift your body until your arms are straight.
Vertical Knee Raise
To perform a vertical knee raise, rest your forearms on parallel bars. Bend your arms about 90 degrees and raise your legs to a 90-degree angle. Pause and return to the starting position. Do not swing or sway and keep your movement under control. This is an excellent ab exercise.
Tricep Dips
For a tricep dip, lift yourself onto the parallel bars. Lower your body slowly without spreading your arms apart until you reach a 90-degree angle. Take a slight pause and return to the starting position. Tricep dips can be challenging, so never do them cold and always warm up first.
Tricep Dips Assisted
Since tricep dips are an advanced move, assisted tricep dips are excellent for beginners. To do an assisted tricep dip, you can use the bench or any other support instead of the parallel bars. Set your feet on the floor so that the hull is parallel to the floor. Hold your body with your hands, and do not use your legs when lifting the torso.
Supine Row
To do a supine row, you will need additional loops that aren't included with most power towers. However, this is an excellent movie, so it's worth the purchase. Grab the handles and lean back.
Your body should be almost vertical at a slight angle. Straighten your back and keep your head straight. Now bend your arms and work the middle back muscles, maximally reducing the blade. Pause and return to the starting position.
Single-Leg Squat
For a single leg squat, stand with your back toward the tower, about a step away from it. Put one foot on the horizontal bar of the power tower. Keep your head up and straight, and slowly squat down on your free leg. Pause for a second and return to the starting position.
Ab Crunches
Everyone wants washboard abs, so are power towers good for abs? Yes, they are. Before starting the ab crunches, grab a nice gym mat or yoga mat. Lay down on your back and bend your knees. Cross your hands on your chest or put them behind your head, but don't push on your neck.
Now lift your body, making sure to keep your back straight and your feet on the floor, and return to the starting position. Or, with your hands behind your neck, you can lean up and touch your right elbow to your left knee, and vice versa.
Power Tower Full Body Workouts (Sample Routines For All Levels)
The power tower is suitable for professionals and beginners alike. Below we will go over a short and simple workout for professionals and some alternative moves for beginners.
Advanced Workouts
Pull-Up Or Chin-Up
The first part of the power station we'll use is the pull-up and chin-up bar. It's probably found on the side of the tower opposite from the captain's chair or dip stations. This gives you plenty of room to perform a pull-up or a chin-up.
The primary muscle groups worked are your back and your biceps. The pull-up and the chin-up are two of the best exercises in all of strength training. A standard pull-up uses a pronated grip, which means your hands face away from you when you grip the bar, and your hands are just a little wider than your shoulders.
Dips
The dip station on your power tower is usually attached to the front of the captain's chair. Two parallel dip bars are welded to the same part of the frame that has the arm pads for the chair attached to it.
The muscles you work doing a dip are your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Low Incline Push-Ups
Near the bottom of your power tower is another exercise station. It's really just two handles welded parallel to each other a few inches off of the floor on the pull-up bar side of your power tower.
These handles are excellent for performing a slight incline push-up. You can stop and perform a push-up anywhere, of course, but we'll take full advantage of your power tower and do inclined push-ups.
The low incline and the neutral grip used with the parallel bars make this push-up version a bit easier to perform than the standard push-up.
Beginner Workouts
If you're brand new to exercising and you aren't quite ready for those exercises, here are a few alternatives for you.
Pull-Ups With An Assist Band
If you aren't able to do a pull-up yet, an assisted pull-up is a great option. But, first, you'll need an assist band. They're cheap & very useful and can be used for countless other exercises, including the dips we'll be talking about next.
Assist bands are sold in different strengths and are color-coded, so you can decide how much resistance you'd like.
To perform a band-assisted pull-up:
- 1Loop your band over the pull-up bar and pull the other end through the loop. Adjust the loop, so there is one long loop hanging from the bar.
- 2Hold the bar with an overhand grip with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
- 3Put your feet or knees inside the loop. Putting just one foot or knee in the loop makes the exercise harder.
- 4Slowly pull yourself up to the bar.
- 5Lower your body back down in a controlled movement.
- 6Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Band Assisted Dips
Dips can be just as hard to perform as a pull-up or chin-up if you've never done them before. Fortunately, dips can also be performed with some help using a band. To perform a band-assisted dip:
- 1Attach a band to each of the handles on the dip station of your power tower.
- 2Step up onto the dip station, place your knees in the center of the band, and position your hands on the handles with a neutral grip.
- 3Start the dip by unlocking your elbows and slowly lowering your body until the forearms are almost parallel with the floor.
- 4Now drive back to the starting position by pushing through the palms.
- 5Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Scaled Push-Ups
If you cannot do a traditional push-up, you can still do a decent amount of reps using a scaled, or modified, version of the push-up.
Simply get into the traditional push-up position and then drop your knees to the ground. Next, lower your upper body to the floor by bending your elbows, and then push yourself back up. Perform as many as you can.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Can you use a power tower outside?
If you prefer to soak up the sun's rays while you work out, it is possible to put your power tower outside. However, don't just put any power tower outside. Make sure it's designed for outdoor use.
What is the weight capacity of a power tower?
The weight capacity of your power tower will depend on the power tower you purchase. Some power towers will have a weight limit of up to 550lbs, while others will hover around 300lbs.
How tall are power towers? Can they fit in garage gyms?
Most power towers today will have adjustable heights. They can range anywhere from 5 feet to 7 feet tall. This makes them suitable for most garage gyms.
How much do power towers cost on average?
Again, the cost of your power tower can vary significantly. You can get a power tower for right around $100, or you could spend well over $300. It's possible to get a good power tower between $100 and $200.
Conclusion
The power tower is an excellent addition to any garage gym. After reading this article, you should know what to expect when purchasing a power tower and a few moves you can do to start getting in shape right away. Enjoy your power tower!
Last Updated on February 23, 2023