While it may be hard to find time to get to the gym, it’s possible to work out at home. One of the most helpful resources you can purchase is one or two chin up bars or pull up bars that you mount somewhere in the house. Before you buy and attempt to install anything, there are a few things you should know. Follow these steps and you will be ready to make use of the bars any time you like.
1. Determine the Best Spot to Install the Bar
Different types of chin up bars can be installed in a number of places around the house. A good rule of thumb is to consider where you will be doing osst of your working out. Perhaps using the basement or the attic would work out well. Maybe you live in an apartment and want to work out in your bedroom. There’s also the possibility of using a corner of the garage as the ideal spot for your workouts.
While you are settling on a location, spend a little time comparing different kinds of chin up bars online. That will help prepare you for the next step in this process.
2. Select a Bar With the Right Type of Mounting Design
Location does matter when it comes to choosing chin up bars for your home. In some cases, you’ll find that a wall mounted chin up bar will work well in the space. Others settle on doorway mounted chin up bars, especially if their workout spots also serve other functions. For example, if the plan is to work out in your bedroom, a doorway model would be your best bet among all the types of chin up bars on the market.
3. Make Sure There’s Something Solid to Hold the Bar
Before you make your final selection for chin up bars online, you do want to make sure the area where you plan on installing the bar will support the weight of you and the fitness equipment. It’s a good idea to make sure there’s a ceiling joist that you can use if the plan is to invest in a bar that dangles from the ceiling. In like manner, a wall mounted chin up bar needs studs that will ensure the bar will remain firmly in place. Even with doorway mounted chin up bars, you want to make sure the framing and the studs surrounding the frame will support you and the bar properly.
4. Measure the Distance Between the Brackets
All types of chin up bars require some kind of bracket set as part of the installation. Your goal is to measure the distance that will exist between the brackets that support the bar. The goal is to make sure the bar itself is the right length to settle into the brackets without any slipping back and forth. The last thing you need is for the bar to slip out of position while you are in the middle of performing a chin up.
As you browse for chin up bars online, you can identify the dimensions for the bars proper as well as the amount of space needed to mount the brackets and slide the bar into place. You will also see what sort of mechanism is used to secure the bar once it’s in the brackets.
5. Drill the Pilot Holes
Now that you know where the bar will go and what type of bar and brackets you need, it’s easy to make your purchase. Once you have the bar in hand, gather your tools. You’ll need a pencil, drill, level, screws, and anything else that the instructions require.
You want to focus on mounting the brackets first. That will require the pencil and the drill. That’s because you need to create what’s known as pilot holes first.
For example, you decided that one of the doorway mounted chin up bars you found online was perfect. That means drilling pilot holes on the left and right sides of the doorway. Hold a bracket to the right position on one side of the doorway. Use the pencil to mark the holes that will eventually be filled by the screws. Drill the holes using a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the body of the screw.
Use the level to position a bracket on the opposing side of the door frame. Once again, use the pencil to mark the spots for the holes. Set the bracket aside and drill the holes. After that’s done you can mount each bracket using the screws and a screwdriver.
Even if you are using a wall mounted chin up bar, this same basic process will work. Just make sure you are drilling into a wall stud and that the screws are long enough to ensure the bar will be secure.
6. Fit the Bar Into the Brackets
With the brackets firmly in place, you can slide the chin up bars into them with ease. The instructions that came with the bars will provide instructions on how to move the bar into position and what it will take to secure it. When you order chin up bars online, they usually show images of the brackets, so you will know in advance if the installation requires turning the bar to a specific position and using screws to attach it to the bar, or if there is some other mechanism.
Whatever the process, make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. That will prevent the bar from slipping out of a bracket or possibly turning while you are in the middle of a round of chin ups.
7. Conduct a Quick Safety Test
Once you’ve finished mounting the bar, the moment of truth has arrived. It’s necessary to put that wall mounted chin up bar through a couple of tests. The first one has to do with checking the weight-bearing quality.
Grab the bar with both hands and lift your legs. The goal is to make sure the bar supports your total body weight and that the brackets don’t slip out of position. If you do this and nothing happens, the installation passes the first test.
The next test is to perform a few chin ups. This will make it easier to determine if the bar proper is turning or slipping within the brackets. Ideally, it will remain firmly in position. At this point, you know it’s safe to use the bar.
Whether you opt for doorway mounted chin up bars, bars mounted from the ceiling, or the wall-mounted models, make it a point to use them regularly. There are few exercises that provide as many benefits to the upper body as chin ups. If you can’t do very many at first, don’t get discouraged. With daily practice, it won’t be long before you build more strength and find that it’s possible to do a few more repetitions each week.
