Fitness: Master vertical training with these 3 exercises

We shuffle, we run forwards and backwards and we squat low, but it is rare that we move vertically during an exercise. Apart from the overhead press for shoulders, vertical exercises are not on everyone’s agenda. But even the smallest addition of more vertical movements can make a big difference to the way the body moves in every other direction. These don’t always need to be jump-based exercises. Something as simple as taking the stairs can count as a vertical move.

In a Lounge article I wrote early in the year, titled Jump Your way To Better Strength And Fitness, I wrote about the advantages of jumping to increase your explosive power. Jumping increases coordination, speed and agility as well. But vertical training benefits are not just those. In fact, if you have been going to the gym for a while now, you have been doing the most common vertical exercise: the squat. The idea is to build on this and take the benefits of this training style to the next level using more targeted exercises and fitness innovations.

Also Read What is the best time to have protein?

New machines like stair climbers (e.g.: the StairMaster) and vertical climbers (CLIMBR and VersaClimber) are slowly entering gyms in India as the concept of working against gravity is becoming more popular. The popularity is rising, given that there are now fitness movements like Rise Nation, that specialise in vertical climber training drills. Their website promises workouts on the VersaClimber using methods that keeps “the body upright, aligned, and balanced. Each class delivers a heart-pumping, sweat-dripping choreographed workout during which you climb hundreds (and thousands) of vertical feet, all while avoiding strain and injury.”

This is the newer and more sophisticated way to train vertically, since the arms and legs are both involved in a primal movement that humans are actually adept at: climbing.

As shown in the video below, the user will be holding onto handlebars with the feet wrapped into a foothold like in a rowing machine. The impact of using this is less than doing jumps or burpees. A machine like VersaClimber promises a true full body workout that engages the upper and lower body, as well as the core.

Also Read Is there a time of day when you shouldn't stretch your muscles?

It is easy to get lost in the vastness of vertical training so here’s a list of the most doable ones. These are slightly different from the commonly used lateral pull down and the conventional versions of a squat or overhead press. These will be easy to remember and you can spread them over the course of your fitness split along with the usual suspects.

Dumbbell thrusters: Surely one can’t refuse the offer of combining two of the most common vertical muscle building moves. The thruster is the lovechild of the squat and the overhead press, and is the foundation of complex weightlifting moves, due to its multi-joint use. The key is to squat down with the dumbbells racked safely on the shoulders, and press them overhead on the way up. The idea is to use lower body strength to generate overhead strength using the squat.

“Throughout every phase of the dumbbell thruster, you want to fight to keep your elbows high. They should be parallel with the ground or (even better) slightly higher than that. This position actually takes stress off the shoulders and places it on your core, centralising the weight and making this a more natural squat,” states a Men’s Health article titled Master The Dumbbell Thruster For Full-Body Power.

Also Read How to build yourself a bulletproof abs workout 

The Z-Press: Often called the expert’s version of the shoulder press, the Z-press is a shoulder press done in a way that makes the move more effective. But even beginners can start with light dumbbells and learn this one.

Just sit on the floor with your legs outstretched in front of you and do the overhead presses. The position increases the force of gravity acting on the spine, and the stability this demands on the upper and lower body make this a special exercise. Start easy, use dumbbells and eventually move to the Smith machine but get this one done. The best takeaway: your hamstring flexibility will go through the roof.

Also Read 5 great home workouts for rainy days

Bulgarian split squat jump: The Bulgarian split squat is probably the most complete leg exercise in terms of what it offers. But pair it with a jump and you’ve hit the apex of leg training. A favourite of every elite athlete and runner, the jump in this exercise unlocks new potential. I have started doing four sets of Bulgarian split squats: alternating between basic ones and jumping ones.

Adding a unilateral jump and landing will test balance, strength, and most of all, increase the speed of the stretch-shortening cycles of the muscles involved. This leads to more power generation through the lower body and up over a period of time.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator, podcaster and writer.

Also Read What is the 12-3-30 workout and should you do it?