While most people are comfortable picking up a pair of dumbbells or a barbell, many ignore or are even intimidated by, bodyweight exercises. Pull-ups, chin-ups, dips and other similar exercises are some of the most effective, yet underused options available.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at a piece of equipment designed to help you perform these sorts of exercises, the power tower. We’ll look at what it is, how it works and cover some of the most frequently asked questions people have about this fabulous piece of equipment.
What are the benefits of a power tower?
Muscle building
Whenever you train against resistance you have the ability to build muscle. With the resistance on a power tower being, at the very least, your entire body weight, it makes it a fabulous option to achieve this goal.
Strength and endurance training
Performing bodyweight exercises is one of the most difficult tasks for many, even experienced lifters. However, that difficulty leads to it being able to produce some fabulous gains in both strength and muscular endurance.
Weight loss
The ability to burn an incredible number of calories while you perform big, compound, bodyweight exercises will combine with the heightened metabolism you’ll have as a result of your increased muscle mass, making power towers ideal to help with weight loss.
Versatility
Having features to train almost every part of your upper body makes it an incredibly versatile piece of equipment, which helps to justify the space it takes up.
Optimise workouts
The ability to train almost your entire upper body on a single piece of equipment greatly optimises your workouts and allows you to reduce any wasted time switching between stations.
Full body workout
The ability to train the majority of your body will help you burn a lot of calories, lose weight and strengthen almost all of your muscles, creating an incredibly well-rounded piece of equipment.
Features Of A Power Tower
Dip station
A dip station is a pair of horizontal handles sticking out of the frame, often at a variety of widths. These are designed to help you train your chest and triceps.
Pull up/chin-up station
The pull up/chin-up station will be the bar or handles at the very top of the power tower. It is for training the users back and biceps.
Vertical knee raise station
While not all power towers will feature a vertical knee raise station, those that do will usually have a padded backboard and armrests, as well as short vertical handles at the end of the armrests. This is designed for training your abs, particularly their lower half.
Push up station
Probably the most uncommon feature on a power tower, some will have handles at the very base, designed for you to perform press-ups on. While press-ups train the same muscles as dips, they switch the priority, focusing mainly on the chest, with triceps as a secondary consideration.
Things to consider
Multi-grip
Some power towers will have more grip options than others, so make sure your chosen tower will let you perform all of the exercises you plan to.
Training use
If you have any specific, yet more unique, exercises you hope to perform, make sure your chosen power tower will accommodate them.
Space
As a large piece of equipment, make sure your chosen power tower will fit in the space you have available for it before purchasing.
Freestanding
If you don’t want to have to bolt your product to the ground or a wall, make sure the option you select is a freestanding power tower.
Padded
If you plan to perform a lot of abdominal exercises on your power tower, consider a heavily padded option, to ensure you are as comfortable as possible while you do so.
Adjustable
While many power towers will be set to a standard height, some are adjustable, which is an important point for anyone who is particularly tall or short.
Ability
Bodyweight exercises are often among the more challenging options that are available. If you are a less experienced user, consider issues like price and features carefully, to determine which one will give you the best value, in terms of both cost and results.
Foldable
As an exceptionally large item, anyone with space concerns may want to consider looking at foldable options, so they can easily store it away when not in use.
Warranty
A power tower is designed to be put under a lot of stress, due to the nature of the product. Make sure the option you select comes with a warranty that makes you feel secure in your purchase.
Your budget
Make sure checking the price is the first thing you do, as this saves you wasting your time analysing a product, only to discover it wasn’t in your budget, to begin with.
Power Tower Maintenance
Power towers require very little maintenance. Simply keep them clean and make sure no bolts are coming loose.
