Top 5 Weightlifting Exercises for Parkour

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Once a parkour athlete has mastered basic bodyweight exercises such as squats, pull ups, and push ups, it is time to start considering the addition of weightlifting to your workouts. In many ways, weightlifting is the antithesis of parkour. Weightlifting requires special equipment, lacks creativity, and is mostly limited to specialized gyms. However, there is no denying the fact that weightlifting can increase strength and power like nothing else. When done right, weightlifting is a powerful supplement to your parkour and plyometric training; it will increase your jumps, fortify your landings, and boost your climbing to new heights.

Some people are afraid to get into weight training because they think it will make them slow, heavy, and inflexible. On the contrary, olympic lifters are some of the most explosive, mobile, and fastest athletes on the planet. If you focus on the correct exercises, weights will enhance your athletic ability. As an athlete, you are generally wasting your time if you do isolation exercises (exercises that isolate a single muscle) like biceps curls, leg extensions, and chest flies. Stick to the compound exercises (exercises that work many muscle groups together) you see below and reap the benefits that weightlifting can offer. Looking for even more on the subject? Check out my book, Parkour Strength Training.

Deadlift

As 1 of the best movements for strengthening your hamstrings, glutes, & low back, deadlifts are 1 of the most bang-for-your-buck lifts to do in workouts. For parkour specifically, deadlifts will help increase your horizontal jumps and strengthen your hip-dominant landings.

Back squat

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Split squat

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Weighted chin-up & weighted pull-up

Weighted pull ups are the one of the most useful pulling exercises for developing the strength needed for climb ups, laches, cat leaps, and other climbing movements in Parkour. Combined with weighted dips, this is one of the fastest ways to develop good climb ups and explosive pulling poweIf you are looking for more great weightlifting exercises, check out this playlist for ideas:

Weighted dip

Weighted dips are the one of the most useful pushing exercises for developing the strength needed for climb ups, vaults, and other pushing movements in Parkour. Combined with weighted pull ups, this is one of the fastest ways to develop good climb ups and explosive pushing power.

Bench press

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Looking for even more on the subject? Check out my book, Parkour Strength Training.


Ryan Ford is the author of Parkour Strength Training and founder of ParkourEDU & APEX School of Movement.

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