BaseBlocks B-Bars for the recommended routine?

[xelalex]

Anyone using BaseBlocks B-Bars to do the recommended routine?

I think you could use them to do many of the exercises in the recommended routine: pull-ups, dips, rows, ring ab rollouts. You'd still need to figure something out for nordic curls, pallof presses, and reverse hyperextensions, but for one piece of equipment the B-Bars (plus a pair of rings) look like they'd enable quite a lot of the RR.

But I'm not sure whether adjusting the b-bars mid-workout would take too long? For example putting them up to maximum height to do pull-ups then putting them lower to do rows.

Anyone using them?

I guess the alternative would be separate pieces. For pull-ups and ring ab rollouts something like a BaseBlocks Basebar at its high setting or just a pull-up bar, and then a separate pair of parallel bars for dips and rows.

Thanks!

 

[power1]

@xelalex I have similar bars and they definitely are super useful and versatile. They're best use is for dips, but also great for lots of different row variations. I don't think they are that good for pull ups because of their height, an L-sit position is necessary, and that's a more advanced variation that I wouldn't advise for someone doing the RR. You'd be better off with a dedicated pull up bar, which will also you to do alternate between dips and pull ups. It can also serve as an anchor point for rings down the road.

I still think they are an essential starting piece of a home gym, but should be paired with a pull up bar for optimum efficiency.

 

[xelalex]

@power1 Yeah, I've never tried it but I seriously doubt that I can do L-sit pull-ups. Somewhere I saw a video of someone doing pull-ups on b-bars with his knees raised up towards his chest rather than in an L-sit, I'm sure that's harder than a normal pull-up as well but it's probably a lot easier than L-sit pull-ups.

 

[xelalex]

The "baseball chins" in this video at 0:47. Okay that's not quite a pull-up exactly but you get the idea: you can do it just by raising your knees instead of having to do an L-sit

 

[shellydan8]

@power1 This is a bit weird, but when I was starting and faced with similar constraints around pull-ups I did the following:

1. Set height of bar to be just above where I can reach while sitting on floor.
2. Sit cross legged.
3. Tie legs into cross legged position with jiujitsu belt.
4. While tied, go up on knees a bit to grab bar.
5. Execute chins.

This seems like a lot but actually the set up didn't take long and these are far easier than L-sit chins.

 

[vince304]

@xelalex If your intention is to get/have rings anyway, you only need the high bar / pull-up bar: you can 100% do rows and dips on a pair of rings vs needing any additional equipment. Skip the short parallel bars and go for more height, I’d say.

 

[xelalex]

@vince304 I've got a feeling that ring dips are far too hard for me, those are a pretty advanced version aren't they?

 

[vince304]

@xelalex I worked up to them on rings, I was doing just rows and push-ups in terms of upper body exercises (via BWF Primer) and started with ring support holds for my vertical push movements because I didn’t feel like investing in special dip equipment.

Start with just 5 seconds for 3 “sets” and by the time you’re holding yourself up stably for 30+ seconds you should be able to do a set of decent ring dip negatives and you’re on your way.

 

[xelalex]

@vince304

started with ring support holds for my vertical push movements because I didn’t feel like investing in special dip equipment.

Start with just 5 seconds for 3 “sets” and by the time you’re holding yourself up stably for 30+ seconds you should be able to do a set of decent ring dip negatives and you’re on your way.

Thanks! That might save me some cash and space on a dip equipment

 

[raymo]

@xelalex They're harder. You would start with just trying to do a static hold.

The cheap dip bar is a used walking. You just can't do anything dynamic or something to throw it off balance. It works fine for normal dips and holds and doesn't cost more than a barbell.

 

[joycee1971]

@xelalex I have them and like them. It might be difficult to do the ring an rollout with them though. They aren't very high off the ground even at full height. I'm 5'10" and can grab the high bars while sitting flat on the ground and my butt barely comes off the ground.

I do like them overall though, but it might not fit everything you hope it would. Happy to answer questions if you have more.

 

[xelalex]

@joycee1971 Good to know about the ring ab rollouts.

I was also wondering about converting the b-bars between maximum height (for pull-ups) and minimum height (for rows) mid-workout. How long does it take / how fiddly is it to change the height? Is this something you're going to want to do in the middle of every workout?

 

[joycee1971]

@xelalex It doesn't take long. I would try to plan your workout around the height levels, but it is pretty fast and easy to switch.

 

[xelalex]

@joycee1971 Good to know. Thanks!

 

[raykay]

@xelalex I use the large Baseblocks pullup bar. The material is great, it can be a bit wobbly (I don't think this is an issue for the shorter bars). The thick grip is fantastic and very comfortable. The wobbliness can be addressed with heavy counterweights.

I also have the old basebench, I picked it up used and everything is great but the seat itself. I'd imagine the newer model has corrected for the seat issue. Still solid for anchoring bands though, absolutely worth it for that alone.

 

[xelalex]

@raykay Yeah I might get that large pull-up bar at some point because having to occupy a doorway to do pull-ups is inconvenient (and other things like rows or dips using rings on a pull-up bar). On the other hand the big bar looks like it takes up quite a lot of space in a room when you're not using it. In a small apartment guess you have to compromise one way or another

 

[xelalex]

Thanks for all the thoughts! So no one has any experience of how long it takes to convert the b-bars between rows height and pull-ups height mid-workout?

 

[raymo]

@xelalex A low bar isn't ideal for pull-ups. I have a door pull-up bar that I often find a bit low and I'm not exactly tall. On a lower bar you basically have to do a hanging l-sit to do a pull-up.

I think this could be useful for some movements but more useful for more advanced things that need more stability. I personally do dips using a used walker from goodwill or on rings. I'll use the rings for rows too. I generally hang the rings off the pull-up bar.

 

[xelalex]

@raymo

A low bar isn't ideal for pull-ups. I have a door pull-up bar that I often find a bit low and I'm not exactly tall. On a lower bar you basically have to do a hanging l-sit to do a pull-up.

Yeah. I tried hanging my rings from my doorway pull-up bar and adjusting them to be about the same height as the b-bars would be (132cm at their maximum height). This is too low for me. I don't mind having to do an L-sit or tuck my knees (this seems to be much easier than I expected it to be). But the problem is that even when doing that I can't fully extend my arms at the bottom of the pull-up or my butt will hit the ground (apparently I have longer arms than the guys in baseblock's marketing videos). It feels terrible because the bottom of the movement is really compromised, I'm hesitating because I feel like I'm going to hit the ground and my muscles are tensing and doing weird stuff as a result. Really annoying and feels like it could even cause an injury

 

[bcsgrandma]

@xelalex This is my set up for the recommended routine. It works very well! I do pull up, dips, and rows with them. I would not recommend readjusting the height mid workout because you have to essentially disassemble and reassemble it. If you don't, the bars get stuck on either side when trying to change the height. Instead, I have an ottoman to elevate my feet so I can do rows at the high setting.

I'm looking to get some foam grips or something because I have crazy callouses from using the B-bars, probably because of how thick they are.