The Best Exercises for Every Size Of Parallettes

You've probably heard this question a hundred times, or maybe you've asked it yourself: "Which parallettes should I get?"

Honestly? It depends on what you want to do with them. And once you know that, the exercises basically choose themselves.

We've broken it down by size below - Travellettes (Small), Medium Pro, and Long - so you can see exactly what each one unlocks for your calisthenics training. Whether you're just getting started or you're deep into skill work, there's a setup that fits where you are right now.

Why Parallettes Are Worth Every Penny

Before we get into sizes, let's take a second to appreciate what parallettes actually do for your calisthenics practice.

Training on parallettes shifts your hands into a neutral grip, which immediately takes pressure off the wrists compared to pressing flat on the floor. Research consistently backs this up, the neutral wrist position reduces the degree of wrist extension required, which is great news for anyone who's ever felt that grinding discomfort during push-up or handstand work.

Beyond wrist health, parallettes give you something the floor never can: depth. A deeper range of motion on push-ups, more room to compress into hollow body shapes, and the ability to actually load the shoulder girdle the way calisthenics demands. The rotator cuff muscles, often neglected in mainstream training, get proper strengthening through the full range you can achieve on parallettes, and that pays dividends in long-term shoulder health.

There's a reason gymnasts and calisthenics athletes have trained on parallel bars for over a century. These things work.

Travellettes (Small Parallettes) — Your Go-Anywhere Training Partner

Dimensions: 24cm x 22cm x 12.5cm | Weight: 2.9kg | Height: 12.5cm

The Travellettes are low, compact, and built for athletes who want a quality session wherever they are. They fit in your gym bag, they go to the park, they go on holiday. That 12.5cm height is inspired by gymnastics parallettes, low to the ground and built for technical skill work.

Don't let the size fool you. Low doesn't mean limited.

Best exercises for the Travellettes:

Planche progressions — This is where the Travellettes shine. The low height and long handle give you the lean angle you need for tuck planche, advanced tuck, straddle, and full planche work. Your hands need to be low and stable to generate the forward lean, and these deliver exactly that.

Handstand practice — The 24cm length and welded steel construction mean zero wobble when you're inverted. For freestanding handstand work or wall-supported practice, the compact footprint is actually an advantage — you can space them precisely.

L-sit progressions — Tuck L-sit, L-sit, V-sit. The 12.5cm clearance gives you enough space off the floor for tucked hip flexor work as you build toward full L-sit compression.

Push-up variations — Even at this height, the neutral wrist grip makes a meaningful difference to comfort and range of motion. Deficit push-ups, archer push-ups, and slow eccentric work all translate well here.

Core activation work — Planche leans, hollow body holds, and support holds are all made more demanding when your hands are on parallettes. The instability cue trains your scapular stabilisers without you even realising it.

Best for: Athletes who travel, train outdoors, or have limited space. Also ideal for gymnastic skill work, planche, and anyone serious about handstands.

Medium Pro Hybrid Parallettes — The One That Does Everything

Dimensions: 50cm x 40cm x 30cm | Weight: 5.7kg | Height: 30cm

If you're only going to own one pair of parallettes, make it these. The Medium Pro Hybrid Parallettes are the most versatile parallette we make.

At 30cm high, you've got the clearance for full-range dips, deep push-up variations, and comfortable L-sit work without the floor limiting your movement. The 50cm length and 40cm width give you a stable platform for almost any calisthenics skill you want to work on.

This is the one sitting in the corner of most serious calisthenics athletes' training spaces — and for good reason.

Best exercises for the Medium Pro:

Dips and dip progressions — The 30cm height gives you real clearance for full-range dips, Russian dips, and Korean dips. You can actually work through a proper end range without your hips kissing the floor. This is the exercise where the height advantage over the Travellettes is most obvious.

Handstand push-ups (HSPU) and progressions — Wall-supported HSPU, pike push-ups, and eventually freestanding HSPU work all benefit from the extra height. The 30cm elevation means more vertical pressing distance and better loading of the overhead pushing pattern.

L-sit to V-sit progressions — At this height you have real clearance to extend your legs and work on the compression required for L-sit and V-sit. There's no floor penalty.

Front lever and back lever progressions — Tuck, advanced tuck, one-leg, half lay, full. The wider base means you can stay in your lever holds for longer without worrying about balance or stability. Let the parallettes do that job while you focus on the tension.

Planche progressions — Everything the Travellettes handle, the Medium Pro handles. At this height you can also transition between planche and other movements more naturally.

Muscle-up transitions and bar flow — If you're practising muscle-up transitions or dynamic movements between support and compression, the Medium Pro's dimensions give you the room to move.

Push-up variations — Plyometric push-ups, wide-to-narrow, archer, typewriter — they all work beautifully here. The wooden handles absorb sweat and stay comfortable even during long sets.

Best for: Any calisthenics athlete who wants one versatile pair of parallettes that covers every base. Great for beginners building foundations and advanced athletes working on skills.

Long Hybrid Parallettes — Purpose-Built for Handstands and Planche

Dimensions: 70cm x 22cm x 12.5cm | Weight: 4kg | Height: 12.5cm

The Long Hybrid parallettes are a bit of a specialist tool — and that's exactly what makes them brilliant if they suit your training style.

At 70cm long and just 12.5cm high, these are inspired directly by gymnastics apparatus. The dimensions are unusual in the consumer parallettes market, and deliberately so. This is a long, low platform designed specifically for handstand variations and advanced skill work where your hands need to move or adjust position during a hold or transition.

Best exercises for the Long Parallettes:

Handstand walking and stepping — This is the exercise that justifies the 70cm length. When you're practising handstand steps, shifting weight between hands, or working on handstand walking sequences, having a continuous 70cm of bar means you never run out of real estate. It changes the exercise entirely.

Advanced handstand shapes — Bent arm handstands, one-arm handstand progressions, and handstand shape drills all benefit from the extended length. You can shift your hands across the bar and experiment with hand placement without losing the support surface.

Planche with dynamic hand position — For athletes working on planche-to-handstand transitions or dynamic planche work, the longer handle gives you more flexibility with where your hands sit. Some athletes find a slightly wider or more open grip more comfortable on longer bars.

Front lever progressions — The low height and length make these excellent for front lever work. You can really get into the movement without the height interfering with your form.

L-sit holds and tuck progressions — Same logic as the Travellettes. Low parallettes force better compression technique in L-sit work.

Press handstand progressions — Tuck press, straddle press, pike press to handstand. The long bar surface is forgiving as you shift your centre of mass during the pressing motion.

Best for: Athletes already working on handstands who want to progress handstand stepping, one-arm work, or transitions. Also excellent for advanced planche and lever athletes who prefer low parallettes.

Choosing the Right Size: A Quick Cheat Sheet

Not sure which one's calling your name? Here's how we'd think about it:

Go Travellettes if: You want something portable for park and travel sessions, you're a gymnastic skill specialist, or you're focused on planche and low handstand work.

Go Medium Pro if: You want one pair to cover everything; dips, push-ups, L-sits, front lever, back lever, handstand push-ups, planche. This is the recommendation for most people.

Go Long if: You're specifically working on handstand walking, advanced handstand shapes, or you want the gymnastics feel of a long low bar for planche and lever work.

Go all three if: You're building a proper home or garage gym and want to cover every possible training scenario. Mixing the Travellettes (for skill work) with the Medium Pro (for strength work) is a combination a lot of serious calisthenics athletes swear by.

A Note on the Hybrid Wood and Steel Design

All three sizes share the same hybrid construction: welded steel feet and uprights with wooden handles. This isn't just an aesthetic choice.

Wooden handles buffer the impact through your hands and wrists during technical holds. They stay at room temperature (important in cold UK gyms), and they absorb sweat so your grip stays solid without chalk. Steel construction for the base means zero wobble under load, the feet are welded at 90 degrees for stability that doesn't shift mid-workout.

It's the combination that matters. Steel where you need rigidity. Wood where you need comfort. After more than 100,000 pairs sold since 2016, we know what athletes actually need from their calisthenics equipment...and it shows.

Whichever size you're working with, parallettes are one of the best investments you can make in your calisthenics training. They unlock exercises you simply can't replicate on the floor, they protect your joints, and they push your skill development in ways that translate to every other aspect of your training.

Now go train.