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Why you need to incorporate a parallette into your next workout

Gymnasts are superhuman. Their muscles fire like pistons as they flex limbs with balletic grace; meanwhile, mortals grunt through pedestrian workouts — less pirouette, more plod. But while superhumanity is beyond most, closing the gap on the gymnasts is not impossible — you just need the right equipment.

Make parallettes — those weighted mini-hurdles you might have tripped over during a high-velocity HIIT class — your secret weapon. They look small but they’re mighty — far more than the sum of their parts. Indeed, used correctly, they become a one-stop shop for giving your whole body a runaround, which is why they’re the choice of the capital’s enlightened PTs who want to give their clients an edge.

“Parallettes are one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment on the gym floor and a favourite with personal trainers,” confirms Rob Allan, personal trainer at E by Equinox in St James’s. “It’s a one-kit workout that you can do almost anywhere. A solid training session on the parallettes will work your back, shoulders, core, chest and arms.”

Allan suggests using the parallettes to incorporate handstands, balances, planches, push-ups, climbers, planks and dips into your workout. These are all bodyweight super-moves in their own right, but doing them at elevation means you’re working in a wider range of motion, tripping off more muscles and making the body work harder. He also recommends using them to stay in a balanced position for a long period of time, or working on three sets of 10 slow push-ups. Your arms will be begging for mercy.

Moreover, using them can be a gateway to weightlifting. “Parallettes are a fantastic way to get your upper body working without loading weights and a great place to start,” Allan adds. Using parallettes also improves your grip, which will translate to success in barbell workouts — you can use gloves or boxing wraps to protect hands from blisters — and you’ll also chew through fat and gain lean muscle growth.

Plus, as every parallette workout is different, your muscles won’t get complacent. Keeping your muscles guessing is how the magic happens: your body must rise to the challenge. Easy does it, though. “Do the easier exercises before you build up to the more advanced — it may take time but you will be rewarded. Balancing is skill-based and you may even have to regress initially: you have to excel at base strength first to progress. Parallettes can be a humbling experience for the most advanced gymgoers.”