Pull Up Bar Types
Nowadays, people have become health conscious and they purchase several pieces of exercise equipment or join a gym. One such equipment is a pull up bar. It is meant for upper body exercises to build your biceps, triceps, chest and back. It is the most common equipment in most gyms, and also for home workouts. In the pull up exercise, the body is suspended by the arms along the horizontal bar with the palms facing away, whereas, in chin-ups the palms are facing you. The elbows bend pulling the body in the upward direction. There are basically two types of pull up bars, one needs a permanent installation indoors inside your door frames and the other that needs your weight to pressurize it and lock in the door frame. The latter type of pull up bar can be removed and kept aside when not in use. You can even make a pull up bar at home with a few pieces of equipment.
Following is a detailed information about some pull up bars to select from according to your need and convenience.
Wall Mounted
This type is best for home gyms where space is not a problem. As they are permanently installed, they are heavier than the other types of machines. Why are wall mounted models better than the ones attached to the ceiling or hung in doorways? It is because a ceiling model has a few limitations. The ceiling should be high enough to accommodate the equipment. Similarly, the doorway pull up bar may obstruct a person, who needs to pass by the equipment. Coincidentally you might be in the middle of doing a pull up and a family member wants to pass, you might pull up a muscle or any other major problem may occur in the process of letting the person pass by. On the contrary, wall mounted bars have the required height and while using the pull up bar, you are physically and mentally ready.
Free Standing or Power Rack
These bars are generally used in commercial gyms as they cost around $300 and also require more space. However, if you can afford a free-standing pull up bar, there's nothing like it. It provides enough space for the whole body to exercise freely. A few expensive models come with weight stacks, hence, they are also called power racks. You can set the weight stack such that the machine counter balances it and you get that much exercise for your body. These are made of lightweight metal and easy to construct. If you don't want to buy an expensive free-standing model, you can always make one at home. One of the best things about the free-standing pull up bar is that it does not occupy a permanent place in the house as it can be disassembled and stored when not in use. As these pull up bars are free-standing, they can be installed outdoors for a workout.
Permanently Attached
As the name suggests, it needs permanent installation either from the ceiling, or in the door frame. These pull up bars are available in two sets of attaching bolts and mounts and include padded grips. Therefore, you can get two variations in your pull up bar, one with the wide hand grip and the other one with the close hand grip. Both can be installed separately in two different door frames. Another great feature is its cost; it is the cheapest of all the types. Yet it performs the same function with great effect. To reduce the cost of this equipment even more, you can make it at home with a few bolts, a simple metal bar and some fitted pipes.
Removable (Doorway Frame)
There is a pull up bar that needs a person's weight to pressurize and lock it in the door frame and can be easily removed after use. Once it is locked with pressure, it stays in place until removed manually. These are best for those who do not wish to change the look of their house permanently or those who keep shifting their workout place. It also prevents the unsightly view of the brackets in the doorway. The removable pull up bars claim to cause no damage to the doorways, but still you must be careful about it and make sure that the machine has a padded bar that supports the door frames and distributes your weight evenly on the wider area.
These are the basic pull up bar types, each suitable for different locations. Considering the requirement and the availability of proper location, you can decide on a particular type of pull up bar.
