With a lot of people indulging in workouts, and even assembling the requisite equipment within the close confines of their home, the fitness equipment industry is booming! I mean, you have a range of things you can get home to work your way towards a great body and fitness. From dumbbells to pull bars to treadmills, you have it all. Talking of pull up bars, a lot of homeowners who have workouts revolving around pull ups and the like have free-standing pull up bars. These are portable, take less space, and are very convenient.
How to Make a Free-standing Pull Up Bar
The Supplies
The requirements for making a pull up bar include:
- two pieces of 2' × 4' × 80" lumber for vertical posts, with the length as per the height you need the bar to have
- two 2' × 4' × 36" lumber blocks for bottom extension and support
- six lengths of 2' × 4' × 20" to make diagonal supports
- two lengths of 2' × 4' × 20" lumber to build the arms of the bar
- two blocks of 2' × 4' × 10" lumber to go as arm supports
- two 2' × 4' × 20" long lumber for horizontal support
- one 1" × 24" steel pipe, which has one end threaded
- two 45-degree 1" steel pipe connectors
- two 1" × 6" steel pipes with one end threaded
- two 1" piping clips with two wood screws for each
- 32 ¾" × 1" lag bolts-washers
Method
Step 1: Bottom Extension and Vertical Posts
Take two large screws and washers, and fix a bottom extension support at each of the vertical posts at their end. A quarter of the length of the board on a side, and three-quarters of the board on the other side is how the posts have to placed and fixed on the extension support.
Step 2: Horizontal Support
Between the two vertical posts, there has to be a horizontal support. For that, connect the horizontal support at the base of the vertical posts with four lag screws and washers. There will be two washers on each end, attached at the base of the 'T' (which is upside down) of the vertical post and bottom extension. Now you will get 2 L-shaped pieces attached to the base. Then you will need to fix a horizontal support at the top of the vertical posts. To do that, you will have to use a couple of lag bolts and washers on each end.
Step 3: Diagonal Supports
Now, the next thing in line is to fix a couple of diagonal supports for each of the vertical posts. Attach an end using two lag bolts to the post. The other end has to be fixed to the bottom extension support by fixing two additional lag bolts.
Step 4: Arming the Pull up Bar
Now, it is time to fix the arms to the top portion of the pull up apparatus, at the vertical supports. There will be one arm on each side. Again use lag bolts (2 for each arm) for securing and fixing the arms to the vertical posts. This has to be followed by fixing smaller arm supports to the basic arms fixed earlier and to the vertical posts too.
Step 5: Final Fix
A 6-inch pipe will have to be attached to a longer piece of the pipe with the help of 45º angle connectors. The bar will have to be constructed like this and then fixed to the stand. Piping clips and wood screws can be used for this purpose.
These bars are extremely portable and easy to use. Some of them can even be folded! If you build it yourself, you can get your workout without paying for it!
