DIY take-apart pullup stand

[SilverElephant]

There have been some discussions on here about DIY gym equipement, so I'm hoping somebody might have some insights concerning my need. I'm looking to supplement my current pushup-burpee workout with a pullup to make it a more complete workout and solve the "pull yourself onto a rooftop" issue that was discussed here some time ago.

Since my place is basically a room with one main door and a narrow door to the bathroom, I can't use a simple pullup bar.

Due to space and lease constraints, I can't install a permanent wall-mounted bar. Also out of space constraints, I can't buy a standalone pullup stand like this one because it would crowd my room. That's on top of the fact that it's 200€.

I can buy 1" steel pipes with L-corners and connect them to form a U for < 40€, but making the base out of the same pipes is out of the question because screwing/unscrewing them for each session would take up way too much time compared to the workout itself. Using two parasol bases would allow me to dismount the whole thing into the two bases and the U in 30 s and store them under my bed, but the pipes on parasol bases like this one look somewhat flimsy, if I ignore the price for a moment. With 50 kg in the base, there's also the question of stability w/r/t/ my 75 kg.

The GF suggested pouring the bases out of "real" piping and concrete. This is currently looking to be the best idea, but I figured somebody else on here might have had a similar problem and a more elegant solution.

[jacob]

Before getting the saw out ... how solid is your [main] door? I understand how a door mounted bar would be a hassle but what about this?
https://www.lifelinefitness.com/store/p ... ductID=697 Alternatively, you can be hardcore and do finger fullups on the frame.

What's your tool situation? I'd probably build it out of 2x4s, glue, and pocket hole joints. Without tools, black iron pipes with T and elbow joints and flanges seem simpler if less stable (no kipping pullups for you) but somewhat more expensive. Upside is that you could take it apart later and reuse the water pipes for some DIY hipster furniture if so desired.

[jacob]

Also, what's your ceiling clearance? One of the reasons I haven't built/keep pushing off an indoor station is that we have 8' ceilings. Since this means I can reach the ceiling from a standing position it means that I have to start from a legs bent hang-position and I hate that. You'd have to do that from a door anyway.

[jacob]

Here's a ghetto-solution. Get two tall bookstands (like 7' or so) and stand them next to each other with enough space for you to fit between. Now glue/lag-screw a 2x6 to each side (vertically) for strength. Drill a 13/16 hole in each 3 inches from the top and slide a 3/4" cast iron pipe in. Simple, ugly, and probably not all that fragile. Of course it would be total mayhem if you ever tilt the system

[BRUTE]

is there any way to hang gymnastics rings from the ceiling? only requires 2 holes and sturdy ceilings that can hold the weight. alternatively, maybe hang the rings from a branch or balcony outside. rings are very mobile and very easy to put up/take down.

until then, inverted rows could be an option: hanging underneath a table and pulling the body up. it's not quite a pull-up, but it's better than not doing anything for the back.

[OTCW]

Find a tree limb about 7 ft high?

[SilverElephant]

Before getting the saw out ... how solid is your [main] door? I understand how a door mounted bar would be a hassle but what about this?
https://www.lifelinefitness.com/store/p ... ductID=697 Alternatively, you can be hardcore and do finger fullups on the frame.

What's your tool situation? I'd probably build it out of 2x4s, glue, and pocket hole joints. Without tools, black iron pipes with T and elbow joints and flanges seem simpler if less stable (no kipping pullups for you) but somewhat more expensive. Upside is that you could take it apart later and reuse the water pipes for some DIY hipster furniture if so desired.

The iron pipes and joints thing is what I was on about in my post - but without a pipe base, instead, something that can be dismantled and stowed away in under a minute. The Power Up Chin Up is a good idea, but somewhat difficult to integrate into a burpee routine (I'd be worried about banging into things all the time)? I'll check if those are sold in Germany.

Also, what's your ceiling clearance? One of the reasons I haven't built/keep pushing off an indoor station is that we have 8' ceilings. Since this means I can reach the ceiling from a standing position it means that I have to start from a legs bent hang-position and I hate that. You'd have to do that from a door anyway.

Ceiling clearance is 260 cm, which would have made a ceiling-mounted bar/rings ideal were it not for the fact that it's suspended plaster (see below). I'm average height (5"10') which would have made this perfect.

Here's a ghetto-solution. Get two tall bookstands (like 7' or so) and stand them next to each other with enough space for you to fit between. Now glue/lag-screw a 2x6 to each side (vertically) for strength. Drill a 13/16 hole in each 3 inches from the top and slide a 3/4" cast iron pipe in. Simple, ugly, and probably not all that fragile. Of course it would be total mayhem if you ever tilt the system

Funnily enough, one of my earlier ideas was to get two IKEA IVAR side elements and augment them with whatever is the equivalent of 2x4s in Germany. I wasn't certain about the general stability of the pine, and the steel pipes are cheaper and most certainly sturdier.

is there any way to hang gymnastics rings from the ceiling? only requires 2 holes and sturdy ceilings that can hold the weight. alternatively, maybe hang the rings from a branch or balcony outside. rings are very mobile and very easy to put up/take down.

until then, inverted rows could be an option: hanging underneath a table and pulling the body up. it's not quite a pull-up, but it's better than not doing anything for the back.

I'm underneath a suspended plaster ceiling that has trouble keeping up the cheap paper IKEA lamps (Ok, somewhat of an exaggeration, but still...). That was one of my earlier solutions, but I'm afraid to hang anything heavier than a couple of Ks from that ceiling lest it becomes my floor.

Find a tree limb about 7 ft high?

Live in the city, so somewhat impractical, plus difficult to keep up when it's really raining down. Although that would supply massive cooling performance.

[Ego]

While we were traveling I had considered making something like this on several occassions. I had access to free bamboo and nylon webbing was cheap in the market. The door anchor is a no brainer. The support posts are wedged into the corner. I never figured out a lower anchor. It would need to be some sort of fixture in the apartment.



Side View

[Chris]

This sounds familiar.... I'm also 5' 10" and live in a rental with one usable doorway. I've got one of these. It takes a couple seconds to hang it up or take it down.

[JamesR]

Large storage hooks *might* be a possibility, if you can figure out a way to distribute the load.

I once used one when I was a uni student renting a room, for hanging a regular mountain bike (25-30lbs?) behind my door.


http://www.ruralking.com/hook-square-sc-m-p-sp2155.html

It says the limit is 50 lbs, but perhaps if you had 4-6 of them, and put 2-3 each into separate joists, then it could handle the weight?

When you move out you can just take them out and fill in the holes? Landlord really might not like this though if they noticed.

I'm underneath a suspended plaster ceiling that has trouble keeping up the cheap paper IKEA lamps (Ok, somewhat of an exaggeration, but still...). That was one of my earlier solutions, but I'm afraid to hang anything heavier than a couple of Ks from that ceiling lest it becomes my floor.

If you can directly access the joists on the other side of that plaster then you can properly hang stuff off it. If you can't see the joists at least you can knock around to hear for it, or use a studfinder tool.

[JamesR]

While we were traveling I had considered making something like this on several occassions. I had access to free bamboo and nylon webbing was cheap in the market. The door anchor is a no brainer. The support posts are wedged into the corner. I never figured out a lower anchor. It would need to be some sort of fixture in the apartment.

Cool idea, maybe the lower anchor could just be weights. If you tilt the whole frame forward enough and then hang a couple of ballasts off it, that might be stable enough to keep it in place for pullups etc.

[JamesR]

This sounds familiar.... I'm also 5' 10" and live in a rental with one usable doorway. I've got one of these. It takes a couple seconds to hang it up or take it down.

It doesn't sound like his doors are compatible with something like that unfortunately.

[jennypenny]

This sounds familiar.... I'm also 5' 10" and live in a rental with one usable doorway. I've got one of these. It takes a couple seconds to hang it up or take it down.

It doesn't sound like his doors are compatible with something like that unfortunately.

If you're in an apartment building, is there another doorway that would work with that bar, like in a laundry room?

[SilverElephant]

This sounds familiar.... I'm also 5' 10" and live in a rental with one usable doorway. I've got one of these. It takes a couple seconds to hang it up or take it down.

That would be perfect, but there's just no door that I can use with that.

Thanks all for the ideas. I'm going to take a look through the lighting cable holes in the ceiling to check out what's underneath.

I had another idea: if I make the U out of 3/4" iron pipes, and two stands out of a 1" T-joint with just the two pipes parallel to the floor, that would allow me to plug in the U into the two stands in a few seconds. I could even make the top bar and the two elbow joints out of 1" pipes to allow that to be removed quickly, too. That would allow the stand to be disassembled into a couple of just slightly awkward shapes in a couple seconds.

[sky]

While we were traveling I had considered making something like this on several occassions. I had access to free bamboo and nylon webbing was cheap in the market. The door anchor is a no brainer. The support posts are wedged into the corner. I never figured out a lower anchor. It would need to be some sort of fixture in the apartment.



Side View

The lower anchors are unnecessary. It will work with the two straps to the top door corners.

[jacob]

As long as the door frame/studs hold ... I don't think walls are really designed for a 150-250lbs person putting that much shear/raking force on it, but I don't really know.

[Ego]

Jacob may be right. I was going to build it in Asia. The place were block construction and metal door frames. Regular 2X4 construction and a cheap pre-fab door frame may not hold. It would be supporting more weight than a TRX.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Boring warnings:
1. People have broken their kneecaps by landing on them on hard surfaces when they lost their grip or pull up bars broke.
2. Rock climbers train by hanging from their fingertips on the trim around the door but I haven't heard of anyone doing pull ups that way, though it certainly would work. The loads on the fingers would be much higher. Be aware that it takes a lot longer for finger ligaments to get strong than for muscles to get strong. You can pop a finger pulley if you go too hard too fast.
3. Doing lots of pullups or increasing the number of pullups too quickly can mess up your shoulders. Look up shoulder impingement.

Is there a park nearby? Lots of parks have pull up bars or swing sets you can use.

[SilverElephant]

Well, I bought the steel pipes for the U and spent another 20€ for the stands. Let's see how those fare.

I like Ego's design. But what to do if you can't screw hooks into the other side of the door? The only door strong enough to hold this is my appartment door. Any kind of fixation mechanism for the rope will ensure I have to replace the whole frame when I move out.

[BRUTE]

@Gilberto:

brute has done finger tip pull-ups off door frames, but more as a stunt than for training. it would likely have a very different training effect when used regularly, because the limiting factor is always going to be finger strength, never shoulder strength.

brute hasn't ever heard of anyone getting into shoulder trouble doing pull-ups, even kipping ones (except hitting the face on the bar doing butterfly pull-ups^^). just probably a good idea to get into it slowly, like with every exercise.