Chin ups and pull ups are great exercises for the biceps and back. Most people over the age of 20 would be lucky to do one. Pull ups are difficult to practice because many people don’t have a way to do them in their own home and are usually to lazy to go to a park just to do chin ups. It is a lot easier to get back in shape or beat your max if you have a chin up bar in your own home that you can use at your leisure. Unfortunately, many chin up bars on the market either require you to put screws in your door frame or rely on tension, and those almost always put you on your butt. Here’s how to make a chin up bar you can use at home that doesn’t require any screws in your door frame and is more secure than a tension rod.
First you will need to head out to your local home improvement store for some materials. These materials are for a standard 2×4 framed house. If you have 2×6 studs or masonry walls, you will have to make adjustments. The 2′ piece is for a 30″ door. If your door is wider simply adjust the 2′ piece to fit.
1 – 2’x1″ steel pipe
2 – 4″x1″ steel pipe
2 – 2″x1″ steel pipe
2 – 3″x1″ steel pipe
2 – 5″x1″ steel pipe
4 – 6″x1″ steel pipe
4 – 1″ steel ‘L’ connectors
4 – 1″ steel ‘T’ connectors
2 – 1″ steel 45 degree connectors
Tennis wrap
Electrical tape
The first thing you need to do for your chip up bar is assemble the part that hooks onto the door trim. To do this, place an ‘L’ connector on each end of a 4″ piece. Wrap electrical tape around the open end of one of the ‘L’ connectors. This will rest on the door trim. Next attach a 5″ piece to the open end of the other ‘L’ connector and attach a ‘T’ connector to the open end of the 5″ piece. This is what will pass under your door frame. After that connect a 6″ piece to the open part of the ‘T’ connector. This 6 inch piece should be wrapped well in electrical tape and should rest against the door frame on the side opposite from the ‘L’ connector sitting on the door trim. If this doesn’t fit stop here and make adjustments.
If everything is going smoothly so far attach a 3″ piece to the last open end on the ‘T’ connector and attach a ‘T’ connector to the open end of the 3″ piece. So that the other openings on the ‘T’ connector run perpendicular to the 3″ piece and parallel with the floor. You will need to repeat all of the above steps for the other side of the assembly.
Next, attach both assemblies to the 2′ piece so that the chin up bar can rest on the sill, pass through the door frame and both 6″ pieces rest against the opposite side of the door trim. The 2′ piece should connect in the inside opening of each ‘T’ connector. Connect the 2″ piece to the final opening on the ‘T’ connectors and attach the 45 degree connector to the open end of each 2″ piece. Finally, attach the last two 6″ pieces to the open end of the 45 degree connector. Wrap the 6 inch grips in tennis wrap if you would like a softer hold. You can also wrap the 2′ piece. Now you have a chin up bar that works on gravity, and you have no excuses for not being able to do pull ups.
