Artem Orel's Blog - Posts Tagged "toes-to-bar"

Dynamic “leg raises on wall bars” (alternatively referred to as “leg raises” hereafter) with straight legs touching the crossbar above the head is a key strength exercise for abdominal muscles. Considered one of the most challenging bodyweight exercises for this muscle group, it is also one of the most effective. By performing this exercise alone, a practitioner becomes capable of performing dozens of other strength exercises for these muscles, rendering them unnecessary. The exercise engages the same abdominal muscles as nauli, primarily the rectus abdominis.

Video of the exercise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udHk7...

While nauli fully reveals the hidden potential of the rectus abdominis muscles for spatial movement, leg raises fully engage their strength. By manipulating the same muscles in different ways, leg raises
and nauli complement each other perfectly. Nauli is known for its ability to enhance blood circulation
in the abdominal organs by causing negative pressure. In turn, leg lifts achieve the same effect, but in
the opposite way—by increasing pressure.

Regularly practicing leg lifts drastically enhances the benefits of nauli, particularly its therapeutic
effect, which is enabled by its physical and physiological influence. This occurs due to the proximity
of the abdominal muscles to these organs, separated only by a layer of fat and fascia. All exercises
that are therapeutically effective for internal organs have a powerful systemic effect, since those
internal organs ensure the vital activity of the entire body. They contribute to the elimination of dosha
imbalances. By combining nauli with leg raises, one can achieve a powerful therapeutic effect on the
vital internal organs in the abdominal cavity (including those of the digestive, urinary, and lymphatic
systems) that is not possible with either exercise alone.

For the deepest physical and thus therapeutic impact, it is necessary to apply maximum strength
throughout the full range of motion. Maximum strength of the rectus abdominis muscles is attained
when they lift the greatest weight of your body vertically upwards, resisting the force of gravity in the
direction opposite to the movement.

Leg lifts on wooden wall bars (also known as a gymnastic ladder, stall bars, or Swedish wall) are
considered the gold standard in core strength training in gymnastics worldwide. Performing this
exercise is the primary purpose of the stall bars equipment (the most supplied apparatus in any
gymnastics facility) in this sport. There is even a specialized modification of the bars designed solely
for this exercise in gymnastics; details of this modification are described in a later chapter.

Wall bars transform regular hanging leg raises into an exercise in which the strength of the core
muscles is trained separately. An athlete does not need to expend additional effort to keep their body
straight, which would otherwise decrease the number of leg raise repetitions they could perform.

The bars behind the back prevent the use of swing and momentum instead of strength, which is
inevitable when performing the exercise on a horizontal bar (thereby critically reducing the power and
effectiveness of the exercise). Shoulders serve as a foothold, stabilizing the body and simultaneously
preventing the upper back from moving backward, which would reduce the range of motion and make
the task easier. For maximum effectiveness, the exercise should be performed using strength alone
throughout the entire range of motion.

Muscles are utilized to execute any movement and maintain static positions. There are only two
actions muscles can perform: passive extension and active contraction. When complemented by
dedicated core and upper body training, the most challenging asanas and vinyasas are performed with
substantially greater ease and proficiency.

The repetitive movements transform leg raises into a kind of strength yantra, capable of accumulating
and balancing prana in the body, filling the dan tian, and energizing the body’s channels. It is highly
likely that leg lifts help to reverse apana and keep semen in the body, preventing accidental leakage.

If you don’t have access to wall bars, you can install a single bar attached to the wall. Here’s how to set it up for effective core workouts and hanging leg raises:

1. Height: Position the bar about 4 inches (10 cm) above your reach when standing upright with your hands raised.
2. Distance from the wall: The bar should protrude 2 inches (5 cm) from the wall. This ensures the wall behind you prevents body swing.

When performing straight leg raises (touching the bar with your feet), this setup will feel very similar to using traditional wall bars. It’s a space-efficient solution for mastering toes-to-bar progressions and enhancing your nauli practice.