DIY Pull-Up Bar Under $100

Most at home pull-up bars suck, or will cost you an arm and a leg. Here's an easy way to build your own pull-up bar setup at home, with options to customize to your needs. If you use rings, want to swing or do muscle-ups, or just basic pull-ups, there are specs for you. And best of all, it's cheap! You can make this pull-up bar for under $100 and just a few hours of work.

[ReeferCheifer]

I always dig down 48 inches for my decks to make sure the concrete gets set below the permafrost layer. If frost forms underneath your footing it will loosen and settle each time it thaws.

[jebonicus]

Nice! I’m looking to do pretty much exactly this, perhaps with some parallel dip bars. Make sure you seal the cut top ends of the 4x4s with some outdoor woodstain or bitumen paint, otherwise they won’t last long outside (even though they’re treated). And round the edges so they don’t flake off or cut you if you scrape them.

[michaelonlyson]

Thanks. It's nice to see like-minded people out there. Makes me feel not so alone.

[tomsawyer]

One suggestion I would consider is that instead of screwing the bolts into the bar I would get the ends of the bar threaded and leave a stick out for end caps which allows you to unscrew the caps for easy removal. There is a nominal charge for the threading and locally our HD does it. This way you can add holes to the uprights to adjust the bar to the height you want if you want to modify the excercise.

[loveNsupport]

No crazy editing just straight to it and very informative

[delt]

That thing was rocking like crazy on day one.

[CaptainBerz]

I would recommend screwing in 4" screws or lag bolts about 1.5" into the bottom, a few inches up and down, of the post that goes into the concrete. This gives something for the concrete to connect to, versus the flat post. For instance, if you are going 36" into the ground, put a screw on each side at 5" and another at 25" from the bottom of the post on each side. Screw them in 1.5", and let the remaining 2.5" sticking out.

[jefffisher-ufbc]

Going to use 6x6s that are heavy af, so I think I’ll definitely need more quickrete!

[Holycow]

Nice disc golf basket! I have 2 in my backyard!

[bigviking]

Great build!!! Very helpful. The only thing I would add is to change the hex nuts to acorn nuts. These are readily available at Amazon and some hardware stores. The acorn nuts look like acorns and the head or round part, covers any bolt stub sticking out so you don't get cut by it. Thanks again. I am going to try to build what you built at the college where I coach.

[matttcameron_]

Dude, that's sick! Will definitely do this when i live at a place with a backyard.

[DogHairDontCare]

1) Look up the frost line of your region. You want to dig your hole deeper than the frost line to prevent frost wedging, which will eventually push your posts up and out over time. The frost line does not mean permafrost despite what some of those comments below say... some states simply freeze during the winter and some others don't; it's the freeze-thaw cycle that causes the most damage.

2) Add another 4-6" of depth to add pea gravel at the very bottom of the hole BEFORE putting the post in. This allows for water drainage to minimize the amount of pooling water at the very bottom, which would otherwise accelerate rotting. Pressure treated wood is not impervious to rot.

[jeremyharris]

If you had a length of straight scrap wood, long enough, you could screw it to the front of each post where your bar will be to orient both posts exactly parallel and square to each other.

[rightyouareken]

I built an above ground one similar shape but I put dip bars and racks for bench and squat. L shape, turned out awesome and has been solid for 7 years now

[crookedriverranchman]

Excellent video. Looking forward to building mine as soon as we are a bit warmer in Central Oregon

[SeanCarter]

For someone who doesn't have a hole saw, a floor flange is a good workaround.

[jefffisher-ufbc]

Im making one with what i have. Untreated 4x4s. And two solid heavy duty shelf brackets. So I should be able to switch out bars sizes by just sliding them through the brackets.

[AllforOne_OneforAll]

Great job! I would recommend putting deck post caps on the end of the boards to help ward off premature weathering.

[punhr.]

great one, nice!
why buy when diy is so easy and much cheaper!!
awesome!

[wirrexx]

That's a life long dream that I have, that i am working for.
Hopefully I'll land a software engineer job within a year, and work as a monster for my family. Then buy and build this for myself!