Pullup bars

Inx

So I've been trying to get myself into a workout routine, and for a while it was working out beautifully...until I realized that I need a pullup bar. Problem is, I don't need just ANY pullup bar, I need one that I can set lower in the door frame for the time being, and then set it progressively higher until I'm eventually doing your standard pullup. Part of the workout routine I'm using involves starting with lower-weight beginner versions of each exercise, and the first one on the pullup progression sets the bar at around waist height.

I can't use a pullup bar that needs to be installed in the doorframe, and the only bars I've been able to find that don't install directly either need to be hooked onto the top lip of the doorframe or can't support my weight (I'm around 270 right now).

So I need to either find a bar that's not too expensive and can be set at different heights without having to be installed and uninstalled over and over again while being able to support my fat ass, or build some sort of adjustable pullup rig. I don't love the sound of the latter (I'm no expert at that sort of thing), but it seems like my best option...

Blake T

Your best bet if you want is to probably buy a squat rack but that's a reasonable investment of time and space.

It is however an extremely good investment.

Otherwise I'd suggest buying one that rests on the mingle if the door and adjust your routine to the equipment.

If you can do a chin-up (yet!) work on your negative motions and it will still give you plenty of exercise.

Inx

Well, as of right now I'm avoiding weight training specifically because my joints are kind of in the shitter. I'm opting for strength training using bodyweight exercises. That said, if I can find an affordable squat rack to repurpose, I just might.

I'm not sure what you mean by the mingle of the door - did you mean middle? I'd really prefer to not have to adjust my routine to the equipment if I can find a solution, as my current fitness level is fairly prohibitive due to some long-standing respiratory issues that would be SOLVED by exercise, but make exercise extremely difficult. There are certain positions that I literally cannot breath in, whereas others are just fine, and the same goes for exercises that are too rigorous or straining - my lungs just lock up and I stop breathing and it just becomes a big ol' mess. Hence, the slow progression approach.

I'm nowhere near doing an actual pullup but I'm confident that I could manage it within six months if I had the proper gear to work with. However, I'm not sure what you mean by negative motions. Do you mean like, the opposite exercise? Like pushups? Cuz I am working on those, but I don't see any reason why I should content myself with them if I can solve this problem.

Djeet

By negative motion I think Blake T is referring to eccentric contraction. In the case of a pullup the concentric contraction is when you are pulling your chest up to meet the bar, and the eccentric contraction is when you are lowering yourself down in a controlled manner. Practicing eccentric contraction for pullups would be to reach up, grasp the bar as if you were going to do a pullup, jump up and hold yourself at the peak of the pull up and then lower yourself to the ground in a controlled manner; that was a rep, repeat. The idea being that you are "cheating" the concentric phase because it is too tough, but you still may be able to do the eccentric phase.

Edit: This is a perfectly acceptable way to approach getting to pullups if you don't have an adjustable rack or a lat pulldown mechanism.

Inx

Errr, I think I'd wanna discuss that with my doctor before attempting it. Sounds a little rough on the shoulders. Like I said, joints are in the shitter.

Fireflash

Perhaps an adjustable squat rack with an olympic bar? The downside is it probably wouldn't be able to go high enough to do real pull ups. Also possibly the bar could move a little on it's rack but I'm not sure if that would really be a problem once you're pulling on it from below.

Inx

I've just had a thought, figured I'd post it here. Would it be reasonable to substitute my pullup progression with some cardio - walking/jogging for now - until my weight dropped down to something like 220, 230? I imagine my choice of products would be far broader if I weren't as heavy as I am...

BradicusMaximus

Are you just trying to get slim right now? You'll manage perfectly fine if you substitute the pullup bar for some cardio. I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. Is swimming instead of walking/running within the realm of possibility for you? Its an AMAZING cardio activity and perfect for someone with bad joints.

mts

yea, swimming is an amazing workout. i recently started swimming and seriously like 3 laps destroyed me when i first started

supabeast

It sounds like you probably haven’t tried do many pullups yet.

Unless you’re a very light guy pullups are an advanced exercise you do after building up your back with weights. And even then it takes a lot of work to get good at pullups. Some competitive bodybuilders can’t do more than a couple pullups. If you weigh 270 pounds aren’t aren’t in shape you probably won’t do a decent pullup until you lose 90 or 100 pounds. And if you try it with bad joints you can injure your shoulders and terribly limit your exercise options for weeks or months. Focus on exercises that don’t put your full body weight on important joints and worry about pullups later.

Inx

Sadly swimming isn't an option because of my lungs. If I'm submerged in water up to my chest, I can't breathe. And I don't mean labored breaths, I mean cannot take even a single breath and oh god help me I'm drowning in four-foot deep water with my feet on the ground. Something to do with the change in pressure. My lungs are in a really delicate weakened state from three separate occasions of pneumonia and a few other issues.

@supabeast what I aim to do right now with the pullup thing isnt an actual pullup. It's more like pulling myself from a prone position until my back is a couple feet off the ground, but my heels are still on the floor and my weight is better distributed. It's a progression-based thing that's meant to build up the muscles until I can do an actual pullup. I'm doing the same thing with my pushups - I started with wall pushups, I've moved to incline pushups, and etc etc until I'm doing regular pushups. I don't progress to the next step until I can reliably do a certain number of sets of a certain number of reps with good form.

b0bd0d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18UjVtNjxI
got to about 3:40 in the video.

Ive used those in the door frame pull up bars and they suck. I'm about 100 lbs lighter and the thing still pulled out. They also flex and are not very stable. I would make something similar to the video above or buy it. I found some plans online using pipe. Google that shit.

I'm probably going to make some soon and put them in the garage. I don't know if you could make a small one for inside. I mean, I guess you could and just position furniture around it. I used to have a weight bench in the bedroom. Used it as a desk, towel rack, clothes rack, sex thingie, etc. Just pull the crap off, work out, put it back on. It's also motivation. Hard to not workout if the thing is lurking in the corner...staring at you...judging you...

I am going to make this out of probably cast iron pipe:
http://trapezerigging.com/FreeStandingPortablePullupBar/?gclid=COXWqLed_bICFQQGnQodHWUATw

You could drill holes in to make the bar go up and down and use a bolt or something to hold it up. I might use 4x4 wood for the base instead of more pipe.

also, holy shit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O4C64c84uI

Blake T

Inx wrote: »

Well, as of right now I'm avoiding weight training specifically because my joints are kind of in the shitter. I'm opting for strength training using bodyweight exercises. That said, if I can find an affordable squat rack to repurpose, I just might.

I'm not sure what you mean by the mingle of the door - did you mean middle? I'd really prefer to not have to adjust my routine to the equipment if I can find a solution, as my current fitness level is fairly prohibitive due to some long-standing respiratory issues that would be SOLVED by exercise, but make exercise extremely difficult. There are certain positions that I literally cannot breath in, whereas others are just fine, and the same goes for exercises that are too rigorous or straining - my lungs just lock up and I stop breathing and it just becomes a big ol' mess. Hence, the slow progression approach.

I'm nowhere near doing an actual pullup but I'm confident that I could manage it within six months if I had the proper gear to work with. However, I'm not sure what you mean by negative motions. Do you mean like, the opposite exercise? Like pushups? Cuz I am working on those, but I don't see any reason why I should content myself with them if I can solve this problem.

Sorry, the auto correct kicked in, I meant lintle.

I would be shocked if your doctor said you couldn't do the negative part of the exercise.