Pull-ups are a concentrated exercise for strengthening the shoulders, back and arm muscles. Pull-ups differ from chin-ups in that you grip the bar with your palms facing away from you when doing pull-ups and toward you for chin-ups. A homemade pull-up bar can be an inexpensive addition to any home gym, and it only requires a few basic tools and materials that can be purchased from any home improvement store. A ¾-inch pipe pull-up bar works best when mounted to a ceiling high enough so that you will have to reach for the bar once mounted; the bar will hang approximately 10 inches from the ceiling.
Step 1
Use a stud finder to locate the floor joists in the ceiling location you wish to mount the pull-bar. Mark the location of each joist with the pencil. If you have an exposed ceiling, you may skip this step.
Step 2
Hold the 2-by-6 inch board against the ceiling, and use the level to ensure the board is running at a 90-degree angle across the floor joists. Hold the board in place once it is squared.
Step 3
Screw three of the 3-inch wood screws into the 2-by-6-inch board to secure the board to the floor joists. Each set of three screws should be placed equally apart, which will work out to be approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. You may need someone to help you hold the board in place while you secure it to the ceiling joists.
Step 4
Thread together the two shorter lengths of ¾-inch pipe to each of the floor flanges. Next, thread the elbow joints onto the each of the free ends of the shorter pipes; each of the shorter pipes should now have a floor flange attached to one end and an elbow joint attached to the other. Finally, take the 42-inch length of pipe and secure it to each elbow joint to form a wide, u-shaped pipe assembly.
Step 5
Lift the newly constructed pipe assembly up to the ceiling-mounted 2-by-6-inch board with the floor flanges sitting flush with the surface of the board. Adjust the floor flanges until they are as centered as possible on the board. While having somebody hold the pipe assembly in place, use a pencil to mark the location of each of the floor flange pre-drilled screw holes---most floor flanges will have four of these. Place the pipe assembly back on the floor for now.
Step 6
Drill pilot holes into the 2-by-6-inch board---using the pencil marks as a reference---where each of the floor flanges will secure the pipe assembly to the board.
Step 7
Lift the pipe assembly back up to the ceiling, and line up the previously drilled pilot holes with each of the screw holes on the two floor flanges. Use four 2 1/2-inch wood screws to secure each of the flanges to the 2-by-6-inch board.
Step 8
Test out the pull-up bar by first checking each of the screws to ensure they are all securely fastened. Next, check the pipe assembly to make sure each connection is tightly secured. Finally, pull on the bar--- while using caution---to ensure that the pull-up bar does not jiggle when weight is applied.
Tips and Warnings
- Add foam grips to the bar for greater comfort during your workout. If you a heavier-set person, you may want to consider using heavier duty screws or bolts to secure the pull-up bar to the ceiling. Also, one-inch pipe can be substituted for the ¾-inch pipe.
- Never use a newly installed homemade piece of exercise equipment without first thoroughly testing it out to ensure that it's built securely. You must tighten any screws or piping joints immediately if they become loose over time. Do not mount a pull-up bar at too high of a location; your feet should be no more than 12 inches off the ground when hanging from the bar.
Things You'll Need
- Stud finder
- Pencil
- 11 board, 4-by-2-by-6-inch
- Level
- 3-inch wood screws
- Tape measure
- Power drill with various drill and screw bits
- 2
- 2 (¾-inch) threaded floor flanges
- 2 (¾-inch) threaded pipes; each eight-inches in length
- 2 (¾-inch) threaded elbow joints
- 1 (¾-inch) threaded pipe, 42-inches in length
- 2 1/2-inch wood screws
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