A home pull-up bar is an inexpensive and surprisingly versatile piece of home exercise equipment, says Oregon-based fitness coach Ben Cohn. Installing one can be intimidating---after all, you'll have to trust your mount with your entire body weight. However, commercially designed pull-up bars come with sturdy installation hardware. Set aside an afternoon for this project. Although you may be able to finish it more quickly, it's best not to end up in a hurry when installing this kind of gear.
Step 1
Choose the doorway where you'll install your bar. Cohn recommends a doorway with easy access and clearance, but one that doesn't see a lot of daily foot traffic. A guest bedroom, garage or closet door may be a good choice.
Step 2
Insert your chin-up bar into the mounting plates. In most models, these will clip on to the ends of the bar.
Step 3
Set the bar in the door jamb. The outer edge of the plates should be flush with the edge of the jamb farthest from the door. This will give you better head clearance and make sure you can close the door.
Step 4
Lay your level along the top of the bar. Adjust the bar until the bar is level.
Step 5
Outline the edges of your mounting plates with your pencil.
Step 6
Take down the bar. Remove the mounting clips.
Step 7
Set one mounting clip inside a pencil-marked circle. Use the screws that came with the kit to mount it in place. Drive the screws in using your power drill and a screwdriver bit. Mount the clip with its open side facing the ceiling.
Step 8
Repeat step seven to mount the remaining clip in the opposite circle.
Step 9
Slide the pull-up bar back into the mounting clips.
Tips and Warnings
- These instructions are for a simple pull-up bar that mounts with clip hardware. If you have another model, always defer to the instructions that came with your pull-up bar.
Things You'll Need
- Commercial pull-up bar
- Power drill
- Level
- Pencil
References
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
- Mike Byers; General Contractor; Corvallis, Oregon
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