Unleashing the Power of Stall Bars: A Complete Swedish Ladder Exercise Tips

Stall bars do not only look very versatile. You can also use them in a variety of exercises that work a variety of muscles, it will help you lose weight build muscle.

Related: Stall Bars Unleashed:  The Benefits of Stall Bar Workouts

This ladder of horizontal bars, also known as stall bars, Swedish ladder, and wall bars, is mostly great for hanging exercises but you will also find a few other examples.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll not only walk you through the process of choosing the perfect stall bar for your needs but also explore a range of wall bar exercises. From fundamental bodyweight exercises to incorporating resistance bands, we're here to ensure you make the most of this wall ladder fitness equipment.

Hanging knee Raises

This first exercise is the most beginner-friendly way to start increasing your core strength and muscle mass with stall bars. Take the following steps to do a hanging knee raise on a Swedish ladder:

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1. Stand in front of the stall bars with your back toward them, step on a low bar, point your arms up, and grab a ladder with your hand palms facing forward. In the rest of the article, this sequence will just be considered hanging from the Swedish ladder.
2. Fold your legs and raise your thighs until they are about horizontal.
3. Slowly raise your knees/hips to your chest as far as comfortable while keeping your legs at the same angle in relation to your hips.
4. Lower your knees and hips again until you get in the position of step 2 in a controlled motion.

By keeping your upper legs at the same angle in relation to your hips, hanging knees raises mainly work your abs.

At the same time, if you want to train your hip flexor muscles instead, your hips should stay in the same position.

Both can be helpful Swedish ladder exercises but the training effects are different.

Sideways knee raises

As the name implies, sideways knee raises are similar to the previous movement. However, by changing up your technique, you focus on different muscles. Take the following steps to do the exercise:

1. Hang from the stall bars with your face away from them and hand palms pointing forward.
2. Raise your upper legs until they are about horizontal. Let your lower legs hang down for now.
3. Slowly raise your hips sideways to one side as far as comfortable.
4. Return your hips to the position in step 2 in a controlled motion.
5. Repeat the movement from step 3 but in the other direction.

What muscles you work in sideways knee raises is more straightforward than the previous version. More specifically, this exercise mainly works your oblique muscles on the sides of your core.

People who are more advanced when it comes to resistance training may find the bodyweight version too easy. If that is the case for you, you can wear ankle weights or clamp something like a dumbbell between your legs.

 Wall bar Pull-ups exercise

Stall bar with pull up bar exercise are typically done on a regular horizontal bar but you can also use stall bars. Take the following steps to do this exercise:

1. Hang from the Swedish ladder with your face toward it and hand palms pointing forward.
2. Slowly pull up your body until your chin reaches the ladder your hands are on.
3. Lower your body back into the position of step 1 in a controlled motion.

Similar to the regular version, stall bar pull-ups mainly work your latissimus dorsi (middle/upper back), bicep, and forearm grip muscles.

Since this exercise is relatively hard, not everyone can do a pull-up. Luckily, stall bars are great for doing assisted and negative pull-ups.

In assisted pull-ups, you use either your legs or resistance bands to create upward force and relieve tension from your muscles.

Negative pull-ups involve stepping up on the ladder until your chin is at the height of the bar your hands are on and only implementing the downward part of the exercise. This works similar muscles in a different way.

Wall ladder tricep extensions

The previous options all involved hanging from the stall bars. This next exercise uses the horizontal bars in a different way. Take the following steps to do a stall bar tricep extension:

1. Stand in front of the stall bars and put your hands with your hand palms downward on a ladder around waist height.
2. Step back with your feed and climb down with your hands until you reach the desired tension. Keep your body about straight from your shoulders to your heels and arms folded for now.
3. Slowly stretch your arms.
4. Return to the position in step 2 in a controlled motion.

As the name implies, this exercise mainly works your tricep (back upper arm) muscles. Additionally, you engage core muscles like your abs and obliques a nice amount.

Swedish ladders are great for standing tricep extensions because you can adjust the height of your hands precisely. This makes it easier to do the movement at a challenge level that is good for muscle growth and strength progress.

One downside of the bodyweight version is that stronger individuals may find it too easy. To avoid this, you can consider investing in a good weighted vest.

Basically everyone will need some extra resistance to make this next exercise challenging enough.

Since your hands will hold the stall bars, you will need something like ankle weights or clamp a dumbbell or heavy backpack between your feet.

Hanging leg curls

Once you have the right equipment, take the following steps to do a hanging leg curl:

1. Hang from the wall bars with your face toward it and hand palms pointing forward. Clamp any weight between your feet if needed.
2. Slowly fold your legs as far as comfortable. Keep your upper legs and the rest of your body in the same position.
3. Return your lower legs to the position in step 1 in a controlled motion.

Hanging leg curls are another isolation exercise. This time, to work your hamstring (back thigh) muscles.

Since these muscles are relatively strong, you may find it challenging to find enough resistance for muscle growth and strength progress.

Stronger individuals can consider one of the more challenging hamstring stall bar exercises below called the Nordic hamstring curl.

Hanging leg raises

Take the following steps to do a stall ladder hanging leg raise:

1. Hang from the stall ladder with your face away from it and your hand palms pointing forward.
2. Raise your hips as far as comfortable while keeping your leg slightly less than stretched and at the same angle in relation to your hips.
3. Slowly lower your hips again into the position of step 1

The stall ladder knee raise exercise above may be too easy for your ab muscles but you may lack the equipment to make the movement harder.

Luckily, you can also use a Swedish ladder in a similar way but with stretched legs. Due to the laws of physics, this makes the movement harder.

Again, you can also only move your legs, not your hips, to work your hip flexor muscles instead of your abs.

Dead hang

This next exercise does not need an entire step-by-step walkthrough. Dead hangs simply involve hanging from a stall ladder bar for an extended period of time.

Most of the movements on this list will work your forearm grip muscles to at least some extent. However, in dead hangs, improving muscle endurance in this area becomes the main focus.

In turn, this can make daily activities like carrying grocery bags or a suitcase easier.

Lateral Hip Raising Supported On The Elbow

We start by lying on the side and supporting the body on the elbow and forearm. Straighten the legs at the knees and connect them, resting them on the second rung from the bottom of the ladder. Then we lift the hips up so that the torso is in line with the legs. We tense the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks, holding this position for a while. We repeat the exercise several times on one side, then lie down on the other side to do it on the other side.

Hip Pushing Down With Legs Clutched On A Wall Ladder

Lie down on the mat next to the ladder, place your feet at the height of the second rung from the bottom, and place your hands freely along your body. Then we try to push the hips up as high as possible, leaving the shoulder blades “stuck” to the ground.

Swedish Ladder Exercise with Resistance Band

Nordic Hamstring Curl

To do Nordic hamstring curls you preferably have a soft surface to lean on with your knees. Once you have that, take the following steps to do this exercise with a Swedish ladder:

1. Put the soft pad in front of the Swedish ladder.
2. Sit on your knees on the pad with your face away from the Swedish ladder and ankles anchored under the lowest horizontal bar. Keep your body in a straight line from your knees to your shoulders throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly tilt your body forward. At some point, the pressure on your hamstrings will likely become too much and you will have to “let go” of the tension. Make sure you are prepared for this and catch the fall with your arms.
4. Get back to the position of step 2.

As you get more aware of at what point your hamstring muscles fail, you can also consider doing Nordic hamstring curls back and forth to that point.

It is typically a good idea to do both the back-and-forth parts of the movement under tension.

If Nordic hamstring curls are too hard, you can also use resistance bands as assistance as in the walkthrough video, or start with the hanging leg curls above.

These movement alternatives train similar muscles but at an easier challenge level.

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Knee Jumps With A Suspension Trainer

First, attach the straps properly. We start from the starting position, supporting the arms straightened in the elbows, as for push-ups, with the feet placed in the handles of the straps. Then we make the movement by lifting the hips, while bending the knees, directing them to the chest. At the moment of maximum tense, hold the position for a few seconds and then slowly return to the starting position.

Inverted Row

For this exercise you will need Resistancestraps attached to the ladder. Stand at a certain distance from the ladder so that the tape is taut. We grab the tape with our hands so that we feel stable. Then, remembering about keeping the spine straight, lower the body down, leave the feet in the same position, and transfer the entire body weight only to the hands and shoulders, and then lift them up, taking the starting position.

High Squirt With The Help Of Exercise Belts

We stand in front of the ladder, grasping the straps attached at the height of the chest, our arms are slightly bent. We keep the back and lumbar section straight, tighten the abdominal muscles and buttocks. Then we squat to a position below the right angle, keeping the straps slightly taut, followed by dynamic extension of the knees along with the jump. When descending, the jump should be cushioned by bending the knees, and by directly descending to the squat position, we prepare for the next jump.

Sitting On One Foot With Resistance Belts

We stand in front of the ladder, grasping the straps with both hands so that they are tight. Then we do squats on one leg, trying to maintain balance and working with the muscles of the hands.

Triceps With The Trx Trainer

As in the exercise above, this time we use the strength of the triceps muscle of the shoulder, but we stand with our back to the ladder, grasping the straps with our hands and alternately lowering and lifting the body with the strength of the muscles.