I think it's great that you finally have a Power Tower or that you're thinking about getting one. It's one of the best ways to train at home. But, once you've got your tower all set up, it's time to take a step back and figure out how to best use it.
In this article, I will go over the 4 main Power Tower exercises that you can do and give you some tips on how to do them properly. So, read on to make sure you're working out in the proper form.
Power Tower Exercise #1 - Back/Biceps/Shoulders - Pull-up/Chin-up
The first exercise you can do with a tower is the pull-up. This exercise mainly targets the upper back muscles but it also works the biceps and shoulders. It is a highly effective bodyweight exercise which can build strength and tone your muscles.
The Pull-up has many variations: overhand grip or underhand or crossed grip, various distances between both hands as they grip, and so on. I recommend alternating between variations to get the most diverse and complete workout you can.
Power Tower Exercise #2 - Abdominals - Knee Raise/Leg Raise
Each tower comes with a knee raise station, equipped with arm and back pads. Knee raises are an excellent way to train and strengthen your abs. You can do this exercise with bent knees or with straight legs. You can also raise your knees in a straight line, or diagonally to train the obliques as well.
Power Tower Exercise #3 - Chest/triceps/shoulders - Push-ups
Each tower comes with low handle bars which you can hold and do push-ups with. These are deep push-ups which are rather intense but as the handle bars are set, you can't adjust the space between your hands so only regular push-ups can be done with the tower.
Power Tower Exercise #4 - Triceps/Shoulders/Chest - Dips
The dip station allows you to train your triceps mainly but also targets the chest and shoulder muscles. This is a powerful exercise so you shouldn't feel bad if you find that you can't do a lot of reps.
General tips
You can make nearly every exercise harder by using ankle weights to add to the resistance. I also recommend using gloves when performing pull-ups to avoid abrasions on your palms.
As you can see, you can get a solid workout with a tower. Make sure to use it often.
