Bodyweight

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PVC Dipping Bar

3/4" PVC and connectors, and pipe insulation for the handles all cost under ten dollars, and this pushup exerciser can
be built in a half an hour. You don't even need glue - just tap the parts together with a hammer. The handles can be
rotated for preferred positions and are set at a desired distance apart. The PVC is cut to the following lengths;
(6)extensions: 3", (4)posts: 2", (2)handles: 6"- 7" as preferred, (1)connector: 18"- 24" as preferred.

After cutting the PVC lengths, don't smooth the edges. Just brush away the excess and then jam the cut lengths into the
connectors. The reason the handles are connected is so that the handles will remain at a pre- set distance from each
other. You could, if you wanted to, make individual dipping bars by eliminating the connector and adding a fourth
extension to each of the handles.

- Shenandoah

Power Pushups

Slip a 26" bicycle inner tube around your upper back, stretch it out in front of you with your hands, get down and start
pounding out some pushups! The increased tension provided by the inner tube will make the pushups more difficult, and
the intension will increase as you push yourself up and straighten out your arms, adding to the effectiveness of that
movement.

- gtmcfarland

High Pushup Bar

This set of pushup bars is made of 3/4"
piping with piping insulation for the
handles. Dips with feet elevated can also
be performed on this. The handles can be
rotated for any desired angle.

An 18" pipe was used for the width, but

any desired width can be obtained by
combining any two lengths of pipes with a
connector.

- Shenandoah

Webbing Blast

The Hit ch A close up view

The Strap. The handles for this strap gym were made with 3/4" PVC pipes and old dog collars.
 Dips Pushups

Doing pushups on suspended straps is more difficult due to having to stabiliz e the movement. Make sure to suspend
the handles just above the floor and to hang them wider than in these pictures so that they do not touch the arms;
otherwise they become too stable and defeat the purpose. They are narrow here because of where I had to take the
pictures.

You can also do dips on them if you adjust the height, and also chest flyes if you can set them widely enough. Also pike
pushups, raised- feet pushups, etc.

The straps are a heck of a lot easier to make if you have one definite place to use them. You can make them a fixed
length and call it a day.

An alternative to nylon straps is using chains and 'biners to hang handles, like they do at Wake Forest University's
weight room.

- contributed by Jeff from NC

The Ultimate Strap Hanging Exercise System (TUSHES)

Jeff from NC Has vastly improved his Webbing Blast system as seen above. Instead of meticulously fiddling with sliders
to adjust the heights of the handles, Jeff has incorporated evenly spaced loops in both of the two straps, and all he has
to do now to adjust the lengths is to secure matching loops from each of the straps to carabingers as shown in the
pictures below.

- Shenandoah
I just rebuilt the same one I had, adding a series of spaced loops which you can clip to a steel snaplink at the top.
Presto: an immediate, easy, reproducible change in length!

Here's a pic of how it works, just the top part, so you can see that the
unneeded length just doubles up and hangs loose.

Now, if I had rebuilt the whole thing from scratch I wouldn't need that metal
slider anymore (it's actually sewn in place now). Also there's no point in
having the dog collar addition to hold the PVC handle; I just scavenged that
from an old expander I made. And finally, the loops shouldn't be quite like the
one I built. They should be in a "up and back" teardrop shape so that the pull
comes straight across the bar tacks instead of trying to pull them apart. So the
final one would look like this (pardon the quickie diagram):
I took my TUSHES for a ride today. Quick and easy height changes let me go from pushups/flyes to leaning back rear
flyes, to L- sit dips.

- contributed by Jeff from NC

Doorway Chinup/Dip/Pushup Bar
This chinup bar is assembled from 3/4" steel pipes for a cost of just over $20. It slips into a doorway and is held in
place by gravity. The pipe lengths shown are for a 30" door and a standard 2 x 4/sheetrock wall. Make adjustments in
those lengths for different conditions. Wrap a few layers of duct tape aroud those ends of the top elbows that rest on the
sill to protect the door sill. Tuck the excess duct tape into the elbow threaded holes. Place pipe insulation over the 6"
lengths that brace the door frame. The 24" pipe generally comes with protective plastic covers on the ends. You can
remove these and use them on the ends of the 45 degree handles. Otherwise, cover the ends of the handles with plastic
or rubber tips.

Assemble the pipes and connectors together as shown and then tighten them up and square them off. Tighten the pipes
as securely as possible. Use the adjacent pipes as leverage to tighten the others. Use leverage - your bodyweight, the
floor, stand on one pipe while pushing down or pulling up on another. Use the 24" pipe temporarily in the top elbows to
tighten up the side configurations. I would even go so far as to suggest picking up an additional 12" or 18" pipe just to
be used for leverage. You can always return it, or hold onto it for future uses. Now square off the assembled pieces.
Because all parts oppose each other for strength, don't worry if you have to turn a pipe back a half a turn, or so, in order
to square the structure.

Caution: When you mount this chinup bar, make sure that it is the duct taped ends of the elbows that are resting on the
door sill, and not the bottoms of the elbows.

See the Miscellaneous page for handle grip ideas.

For the grips, I wrapped the handles with tennis racket wrap and secured the ends with electrician's tape

I wrapped a few layers of electrician's tape around the ends of the elbows for further cusioning and to secure the duct
tape

Taking a cue from Jeff from NC just above me on this page, I've turned my door chinup bar into a
Chinup/Dip/Pushup St at ion!

- Shenandoah

Wide Doorway Chinup/Web Blast Bar

This out st anding piece of equipment was designed t o span a 5' doorway
1) I did not use outer 45 degree angle handles, because they would have been just too far apart.

2) I used 6 inch lengths of pipe for the "stop" pipes wrapped with different siz ed tubing, so that they formed a 'step' in
order to follow the slant of the trim.

3) I put two latching hooks on the bar to attach the strapping to.

4) To keep the latching hooks from sliding, I bought a little rack that holds shovels, brooms, and other long handled
tools. The rack had four spring loaded clips. I slid the clips off the backing and I put one on either side of the latching
hook to keep it from sliding. It works like a charm.
5) I bought 3/4 inch 'plugs' for the pipe elbows that go up against the wall over the doorway. I had a machine shop weld
5 inch by 1 3/8 inch pieces of metal to the plugs and cut off about 4 threads to make it a more snug fit. I then took felt with
adhesive backing (for furniture legs so that they don't mar floors when moving the furniture) and placed it on the 5 inch
metal. These plates evenly spread the pressure of the bar, and prevent any mars on the wall above the doorway.

This set- up was a little more expensive than the other one pictured on this site, but still cheaper than the models sold
over the internet. And, they don't make one that will fit my door opening.

- Matt Crider

Rope/Pulley Exerciser

gruntbrains personal gym

Here are is a twist on the rope exerciser theme utiliz ing a

pulley. Opposing limbs can be used for resistance.

The same setup utiliz ing a carabinger and webbing which

can increase resistance through friction. See the Miscelaneous page for info on webbing and hardware.

- gruntbrain

Further Developments on The Strap Theme

Here's some heavy- duty mountaineering

rope combined with webbing for a
versatile workout setup. As well as using
the handles, you could also grab hold of
the rope for rows and chins, developing
grip strength. Note the clear vinyl tubing
used for handles on the rope, and the
threaded PVC handles on the webbing.
Threaded PVC comes in a variety of
lengths eliminating the need to cut
lengths.
 Leg raises and dips

Here's a couple of straps

secured to an overhead
beam with heavy eye
screws. Exposed basement
ceiling joists are just sitting
there waiting to be used.
The sliders on the webbing
allow for even adjustment of
the two straps.

Here's another rope/pulley

setup as demonstrated
above. In this case a
bonafide heavy- duty
mountaineering pulley and
rope are used.

- gruntbrain

Sand Dragging
Filled with sand, this keg weighs 80 lbs. Weight plates can also be added.
- gruntbrain

Bodyweight Wristrolling
Use your own bodyweight for resistance on your wrist roller. Just attach the end of your wrist roller to something - a
chinup bar, a hook in the wall, or simply slip the end between the hinged side of a door and jamb, and then close the
door on it. Make sure that there is something on the end of the rope or webbing to ensure that it won't slip through the
door. Tying a knot would work. Take hold of your wrist roller, lean back, and then roll yourself up, hand over hand, to an
upright position. You can do overhand and underhand wrist rolls.

- gruntbrain

Exercise Poles
Here are a couple of easy to make, quality pieces of exercise equipment that will allow you to perform a myriad of
exercises ranging from the very difficult to the next to impossible. The exercise poles pictured here are made from 1"
dia, 3 foot wooden dowels with 3/4" PVC tees for the handles, and rubber stops on the bottoms. Wrap some electrician's
tape around the ends of the dowels for a snug fit in the PVC tees.

Exercise Poles can be made in all lengths and

widths. Here's a couple of twelve- inchers being
used for triceps push- downs. The ends of the
exercise poles can also be braced against
someting, like the bottom of a wall.

- gruntbrain
Free Standing Chinup Bar

I once built this Free Standing Chinup Bar out of 2 x 4's at a cost of about
twenty five dollars. I used a lat bar I have for the bar. You could just as
easily use a 1" pipe and attach 45 degree connectors to the ends of the
pipe and then connect 1" x 6" pipes to those if you wanted handles that dip
down. The stand is 24" wide x 80" high, the top supports extend out 18", the
bottom supports extend out 24" in front and 12" in back. Each corner is
braced with 45 degree cut 2 x 4s. All four corners are jointed, all parts are
glued and screwed, and clips hold the bar in place.

Click Here f or Plans in PDF Format

- Shenandoah
Free Standing Chinup Bar II

The base for this chinup bar is made of 2 x 6's, screwed and
glued; 4' on the side, centered under the flanges which connect
to the upright posts, and approximately 5' across the middle, on
top, with a 2 x 6 support underneath. The upright posts are 1"
(1.333" O.D.) x 6' steel pipes screwed into flanges which are
bolted to the base. The chinup bar is a 3/4" (1" O.D.) x 4' steel
pipe connected to the 1" pipes with 1"- 3/4" reducing elbows. 6'
is a standard threaded pipe length. If a different height is
desired, custom pipes cut and threaded to specifications can
always be used.

A plywood platform could also be used for this chinup bar, which
could accomodate other uses; hooks and eyebolts attached for
strand or isometric exercises, pushup handles, etc.

- gruntbrain

Wall Mounted Multi-Purpose Rack

This unique design employs f langes

t hat are bolt ed t oget her t o allow f or
versat ile conf igurat ion.
I've used black and galvaniz ed pipe for years for
projects around the house - not just plumbing.
Combine this with inspiration partially from what
Shen and grunt have built (and taking some ideas
from the SoloStrength rig) led me to my current
adjustable pullup/chinup/body row contraption that
works really well and cost less than $200.

1. It's all 3/4" black pipe except for the Main Bar
which is 1" (I wanted no flexion on this bar). (I get a
little flexion on the Chin- up/Pull- up Bar - I'm about
180- 185 lbs.)

2. The Main Bar (about 2" from the ceiling) is for

hanging without my feet touching the floor. It's also
used for attaching chains via large spring hooks
installed on the 1" pipe prior to assembly. I also
wrap a towel around this bar for an additional hand
position for pull- ups.

3. Attached to the chains are more spring hooks at

about 6" intervals. Gym Rings are attached to the
spring hooks for body rows.

4. The Chin- up/Pull- up Bar is about 10- 12" below

the Main Bar and allows me to grab the bar with
arms out stretched while standing flat- footed. From
there I don't need to bend my knees much when
performing chin- up or pull- ups. I use padded
bicycle hand grips for padding on this bar.

5. Flanges attach the rig securely to the wall. I also

used flanges on the bars to be able to easily
reconfigure them without having to take the whole
rig off the wall.

I don't have the SoloStrength rig, but got some ideas from viewing the product on their website.

To build mine - All of the piece parts were purchased at Home Depot except for the Gym Rings which I found on
amaz on.com.

- Clark_Kent

Shenandoah's Note:

Clark_Kent's use of flanges is an innovative idea which will allow for a multiple of creative designs not possible by
simply screwing pipes into elbows and tees.

Ceiling Joist Mtd. Chinning Bar

Here's another chinup bar I once made. I drilled a 1"

hole towards the bottom of a couple of 18" long 2 X
6's. Then I set a 3/4" steel pipe into the holes,
clamped the 2 X 6's to the faces of two exposed
ceiling joists, and drilled for carriage bolts. It took no
time at all to make and cost virtually nothing.
- Shenandoah

And, of course, here are a couple of the most simple and cost effective homemade chinup setups of them all:

Leg Raise Assists

Ever see commercial assists like these going for

a hundred dollars a pop? Oh, c'mon! Slip a
couple of lengths of webbing through a couple
rolls of paper towels, and you can do leg raises
'til you're blue in the face. You can tie the ends of
the webbing directly to the bar with slip knots or to
large S- hooks to hook around your chinup bar for
quick removal.

- gruntbrain

Grip Assists

These grip assists were made by sewing some webbing together as shown. These can be used for any heavy pull,
including ISO's - you'll pull harder & longer with assistance.

- gruntbrain

Rowing Station
This formidable looking piece of exercise
equipment is for back rows. You could
either stretch out and grab hold of the bar
or the handles. The handles allow for
various heights to be used and for
different grip positions. This is a great
example of how a quality exerciser can
be easily made by simply screwing a few
pipes together.

Actually, this design has potential for a

chinup bar. Extend the lengths of the
vertical pipes, and add a support bar at
the bottom to prevent the bottoms from
spreading out. See the Useful Info page
for right angle couplers with which you
would attach a horiz ontal bar at the
bottom. In fact, some 1 1/2" webbing
drawn tightly with sliders between the
upright pipes would work just as well.
Using 1" pipes as opposed to 3/4" pipes
would also be adviseable. The chinning bar, itself, could be a 3/4" pipe attached to the 1" uprights with 1"- 3/4" reducing
elbows.

- contributed by austini

Dipping Bars

Use 1" pipes and connectors. Lengths of pipes are according to preference. The graphics shown above displays
dimensions of 2' wide, 3' high, and 3' long. If width is of great importance, you can always combine two pipes of varying
lengths.

Shenandoah

The 15 Min. Door Gym

I'm calling this the 15 Min. Door Gym because that's about how long it takes to make it.

The 1. Cut an 18" length of webbing, singe the edges to seal them and to
Door prevent them from unraveling, and then tie a tight square knot leaving a 3
Gym or 4" loop.

2. Cut a 14 foot length of rope, and tie a loose, simple knot about 2 feet
or so up the length of one end of the rope.

3. Slip the end of the rope through a 5" length of 3/4" PVC whose ends
have been sanded smooth and round, and then slip that end through the
 have been sanded smooth and round, and then slip that end through the
knot as shown.

5. Tighten both knots and push the slip knot up to

the simple knot. Voila! You now have a nice
secure handle. Do the same for the other end of
the rope. When you begin exercising, your own
bodyweight will further tighten the knots.

4. Taking the end of the rope, tie

a slip knot around the length of
rope extending out of the PVC.

Slip the rope assembly through the webbing loop, hold the loop, flattened out, on the top of a door, and shut the door
tightly. Make sure that it latches.

Now you're ready to do a whole myriad of exercises! Grab hold of the handles and slde down bracing your feet against
the bottoms of the door frames, and do some back rows. I personally include this exercise in my workouts.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity and inexpensiveness of this exerciser. It is actually a very powerful exerciser. You can
do back rows, curls, pushups, flyes, triceps pushdowns, wrist curls, chest expansions. Look around this site and find
gruntbrain demonstrating some of these exercises. You don't have to worry about whether or not handles are evenly
spaced. You do the quick adjusting for eveness when you grab hold of the handles.

The Deluxe Variable Resist ance Model

Here's how you can quickly modify your Door Gym for various resistance levels:

1. Attach one of the handles to one end of a rope as described above.

2. For the other handle, slip about a 20" length of rope through the PVC, tie the ends into a square not, and slip the
square knot into the PVC:

Notice that I've added some rubber pipe insulation for grips.

3. Double up the end of the rope without the handle and tie a simple knot creating a loop as shown below.

4. Tighten the knot and then tie more of the same kind of knot at intervals up the rope. These loops you create will be
your resistance levels.

5. Slip the rope of your handle through a loop, then slip the handle through that, and then tighten it as shown:
You're all set! Just unloop and detatch the handle and move it to any of the resistance levels.

You could also just hang the handle from the loops with an S- hook.
For a world- class Door Gym, see the Iso Strap on the Isometrics page.

- Shenandoah

Ab Wheel Alternatives

The large disks that move furniture function much like a Power Wheel. Place either your hands or feet on the disks &
"slip slide away"; with 4 disks use all limbs at the same time.

Experiment with slide objects appropriate to the surface you're using - i.e., towels or T- shirts on hardwood or vinyl floors.

- gruntbrain
Weight Harness

I cut a six and a half foot length of 1"

webbing, singed the edges with a flame
to seal them, and sewed the ends
together, overlapping 1 inch. I always put
a dab of Super glue on webbing to hold it
in place while I sew. If you're going to get
into webbing heavy duty, the only way to
go is to sew with a $12 awl.

For shoulder padding, I cut two 10"

lengths of rubber pipe insulation, slipped
them over the webbing, and taped the
edges with electrician's tape.

Then you simply loop the webbing through a couple of plates as shown, and your ready to do dips, chinups, or hindu
squats. I don't think this would work too well with jogging.

The easiest way to get this bad boy on is to hoist it up to one shoulder with both hands and then lift it overhead while
spreading the webbing apart, and then lower it onto your shoulders.

- Shenandoah

Squat/Chin Assist
Based upon suggestions from TD and gruntbrain, I threw together a webbing strap contraption with handles on either
end and draped it over my chinning bar, the handles being placed at such a height that I have to reach way up to grab
them while in a squat position. From there I can do squats and chins at the same time, equally distributing the effort
between my arms and legs. As well as working both the standing and pulling muscles, this is also a great aerobics
exercise. While going up and down, I can also transfer the effort back and forth between my legs and my arms, placing
the greater stress on either. If it is difficult for you to do either squats or pullups, this a great way to build the strength
needed to do them.

- Shenandoah

Questions? Comments? Discussion? Contributions?