The Pull Up Bar
Why The Pull Up Bar?
The pull up bar is without a doubt the most versatile, functional piece of training equipment out there.
A squat rack is great, but it takes up a large amount of space, requires a barbell, olympic weight plates, can’t be placed in an apartment or anywhere with an insufficient weight limiting.
The pull up bar comes in a number of variations, whether you’re in a small apartment, a large house or a garage there’s a style of pull up bar to suit you.
With a pull up bar, some free space and mental intensity you can without a doubt get in an intense full body workout to build both muscle and strength.
After recommending a pull-up bar in my free book, the ‘Bodyweight Barrage’ I’ve had a number of questions which is the best pull up bar for home workouts, and this depends on how much space you have, and whether you’re able to mount the bar, want to place it in a doorway or have an entire freestanding tower… let’s take a look at the options and the bars I’ve tested and recommend.
Choosing The Best Pull Up Bar For Training At Home
As I mentioned earlier, there’s a number of different pull up bars available, and if you’re living in a rental I wouldn’t recommend you drill in a Rogue wall mounted bar… at the same time if you’re living in a 100sq foot apartment you’re probably not going to want a power tower that takes up a reasonable amount of floor space.
Here’re the factors you need to consider before choosing your pull up bar…
Space
How much free space do you have? Take into account floor space, wall space and any available doorways.
Mounting
Do you want to mount your pull up bar in a doorway, in your garage or on a solid wall in your house?
Function
A power tower, which requires more floorspace can also be used for dips and a number of other exercises – do you need this functionality?
Rating
Different styles of pull up bars (and different brands/materials) are rated for different weight limits, do you want a bar with a 200lb weight limit or a 300lb + weight limit?
You may weigh 180lbs, but remember as your strength increases and you begin to perform weighted pull-ups we need to take that into account in the weight rating.
The Options (Recommendations Based On Style)
The Best Doorway Pull Up Bar
A doorway pull up bar is the most cost effective, space saving style of pull up bar that can be installed without damaging any doors or walls in your house.
The iron gym is without a doubt the most popular and highly recommended door way pull up bar on the market.
There’s many door way pull up bars out there that look very similiar, however with lower quality manufacturing, a shorter warranty and a lower weight rating I would not recommend any other model of door way pull up bar.
Iron Gym Upper Body Workout
Ideal for pull-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, dips, crunches, and more
Three grip positions, narrow, wide, and neutral
Uses leverage to hold against the doorway so there are no screws and no damage to door. Installs in seconds.
The Best Freestanding Pull Up Bar
Got floor space and don’t want to attach anything to your walls and doors? In that case you’re going to want a power tower.
Unlike a wall mounted pull up bar, a power tower can relatively easily be moved between rooms.
Most power towers (including the one I’m going to recommend) include handles to perform dips as well as push ups – offering a complete upper body workout.
>>You can check out the Iron Gym Upper Body Workout Bar here<<
Stamina 1690 Power Tower
Home workout device with multiple exercise stations
Supports push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, tricep dips, and more
Tough steel frame for solid support; no-slip end caps
Freestanding design fits easily in home workout area
Measures 50 x 81.5 x 41.5 inches (W x H x D); weighs 54 pounds
The Stamina 1690 power tower, unlike many other power towers does not have a back support and dip handles on the same side as the pull up bar, I personally find this to be an advantage as dip handles and a back support restricts our pulling exercises. Loading up a belt with additional weight plates and performing advanced movements such as the muscle up are damn near impossible when you’ve got an extra couple of handles and a back support in your way.
>>You can check out the Stamina 1690 power tower here<<
The Best Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar
The wall mounted pull up bar inspires confidence.
With a relatively large clearance from the wall we’re able to perform exercises that require more room such as the skin the cat, muscle up, weighted pull-ups and hell, even ring based exercises if you wish!
If you’re into calisthenics, advanced bodyweight movements or CrossFit then this is the style of bar for you.
It’s worth noting the wall mounted bar I recommend (along with the majority of other wall mounted bars) can also be mounted from a ceiling.
Titan Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar
Capacity: 500 lbs – Can be setup vertically or horizontally – Mounting hardware is not included
Can be mounted on wood 16″ wood studs for custom widths at 16″, 32″ or 52″ apart – Mount on concrete wall at any width up to 48″ with supplied bar
Height: Can be adjusted based on ceiling height or athlete height – Purchase standard 1″ steel tube(1.3″ OD) at any hardware store and extra L brackets from us to make a multiple person pull up station as long as desired.
Weight: 35 lbs – Bracket Height: 31″ – Bracket Depth: 32″
Bar length: 53″ – Bar diameter: 1.3″
>>You can check out the Titan Wall Mounted Pull Up Bar here<<
What’s Your Take On The Best Pull Up Bar? Let Me Know In The Comments Below!
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