Best Pull Up Bars of 2017 – Top Bars Compared
Overview:
One of the huge benefits of pull up bars is they’re extremely compact while at the same time, able to handle a lot of weight. They usually weigh under 10 lbs but most can accommodate a user around 300 lbs.
Portable Pull Up Bar Options
A lot of pull up bars like the Iron Gym Total Upper Body Pull Up Bar don’t require any permanent supports, meaning no damage to your walls or door frames. Some of the doorway pull up bars like the Sunny Health & Fitness Pull Up Bar technically don’t necessarily require brackets, but it’s advisable since this type doesn’t use secure leverage like some other styles. The golden rule of getting healthier is to not injure yourself while doing it, so always err on the side of caution.Versatility
Some of the best pull up bars have multiple grip options for getting even more variety in the workout. The Iron Gym Extreme Edition has 5 grip positions. Again, pull up bars differ in style, features, and price. It’s hard to say there’s a best pull up bar as overall the verdict is that the action and result is the same. You’re fighting against gravity, and working out a ton of muscles doing it.Different Types of Pull Up Bars
Not all bars are made equally. There are the portable doorway type, the telescoping type, the type that you attach permanently to a wall or ceiling joist, and the stand alone pull up tower type. Click a link to jump to the section:Doorway Pull Up Bars (use leverage around door frame)
Door Frame Pull Up Bar (extends to fit inside doorframe)
Wall Mounted Pull Up Bars & Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bars
Free Standing Pull Up Stations & Pull Up Towers
Click here for our full review of the Sunny Health & Fitness Doorway Pull Up Bar:
A Word of Caution:
Note that with pull up bars that attach to walls or door frames, you
always want to make sure the wall or frame is constructed of a solid
material like wood studs, brick, or concrete. Plain drywall or a thin
metal doorframe won’t be able handle the tightening of the bar as it
telescopes out. Plus this will help ensure the round brackets are
installed securely and won’t pull out or damage the frame.Also note that you can usually use a doorway that has a door that closes. As long as the doorframe is thick enough, which most are, you can set up the brackets for the Sunny Chin Up Bar on the open side of the frame.
Benefits of Using Pull Up Bars
Pull ups are one of the best exercises you can perform to build up your arms, chest, shoulders, and back muscles. Some of the benefits include gaining muscle mass, improving your posture thus protecting your spine, and generally looking great.The US Marine Corps actually uses pull ups as a measure of upper body strength. If you can do 20-25, you’re in excellent condition. If you can’t do at least 3 pull ups, you’ve got some work to do. The good news is that with a home pull up bar, you can easily work on it and increase your repetitions every day.
As you’re using only bodyweight, using a pull up bar is a cross between cardio and strength training. You’re using big muscle groups and will definitely going to raise your heart rate, but over a short time. Two pull ups might get your heart racing. And because the max weight you’ll be pulling up is generally the weight of your own body, you’re much less likely to overdo it and injure yourself. This is a great place to be.
Building Muscle Mass
Everyone’s ability on the chin up bar is relative to their body size and weight. If you are pulling up 100-150 lbs of body weight, that’s not going to be easy. It’s going to build muscle.Improving Posture
Bad posture and rounded shoulders are at epidemic levels right now. Most of us work at desks at least part of the day and our backs are slowly crumpling over toward the computer and on to the floor. Pull ups can help correct that bad posture by activating your shoulders and back muscles and enabling them to get your torso closer to that correct structural position.
Other Considerations
Getting Started with Pull Ups
If you’ve worked out at all in your life, you’ve probably tried doing a pull up on a bar. And if you have, you know that it’s a surprisingly challenging move. Just one chin up or pull up can seem impossible for a lot of people. And its kind of shocking that humans can’t lift our own weight more easily. After all, our legs allow us to walk, run, and jump, propelling our full body weight with little difficulty.Well, the truth is, humans are definitely designed to be able to do lots of pull ups, but we simply aren’t forced to do it very often in modern civilization. But what we’re giving up is an ultra-natural, healthy, and safe way of building an amazingly sculpted upper body.
Modified Pull Ups
Pull ups aren’t easy at the beginning, but you don’t have to start out with full bodyweight. A helpful option is to start by doing a modified pull up with a box or chair beneath you to take a few pounds off your full weight (make sure it’s secure and/or held by a friend). Over time you can reduce the weight you’re putting on your feet and increase the load on your upper body.Kipping Pull Ups
Kipping is doing a sort of upward bucking thrust with your body to give a boost to be able to complete pull ups easier. Kipping pullups (or hip snap pullups) are popular with CrossFit practitioners to enable higher repetitions. The opposite of the kip up is the deadhang pull up that most people are familiar with. This is where you start from full or near full hanging extension of your arms and pull up using just your upper body in a slower, more controlled fashion. As CrossFit enthusiasts will tell you, kipping is not cheating and neither style of pull up is better or worse. They’re just different.
Some More Words of Caution
As with any new fitness regimen you should always check in with your
doctor if you have any health concerns. The goal is to get better and
healthier, not to hurt yourself or make yourself worse. Know your limits
and, though it is good to push them, don’t overdo it.And again, pull up bars need to be securely set up before you use them. That goes double if you’re doing kipping pull ups. You absolutely don’t want a bar to fall with you on it, right? Right. Safety comes first. Amazingly toned and sculpted body comes second.
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