Inside: A ceiling mounted pull up bar is a perfect addition to a home gym. Here is a detailed tutorial to make your own.
Our latest addition to the Home Gym Makeover is this DIY Pull Up Bar. Even if you’re not a pull-up ninja I found that a ceiling mounted pull bar offers additional features/uses/equipment that doesn’t even require doing one pull-up making it a great all-around addition to a home gym. Some other great additions to a home gym is this DIY Ballet Barre and the $3 DIY Workout Ball Holder.
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Pull up Bar Options
Choosing the right pull up bar will depend on your budget, time, preferences, and space. Here are several types of pull up bars to consider:
- Doorway pull up bar – cheapest, quickest and easiest option. No installation or tools needed. Great for rentals/apartments.
- Wall mount pull up bar – a good mountable choice if a ceiling or doorway isn’t an option.
- Ceiling mounted pull up bar – another mountable option for appropriate height ceilings.
- Pull up bar stand/station – this is a free-standing option, no mounting required.
Pull up Bar Accessories
Although I ashamedly admitted I can’t even do one pull up if I wanted to progress in my pull up skills I could consider this Pull Up Assist Band. When considering different grip options to work different muscles this Pull Up Handles Hook is a great add-on. If I was a pull-up ninja I could use a Weight Lifting Dip Belt or Weighted Vest.
Several other accessories available that make a pull-up bar even more valuable to a home gym are Ab Straps, Gymnastic Rings, and Resistance Training Kits, which can all be attached or anchored to a pull-up bar.
Ceiling Mounted Pull Up Bar
Prior to this, my husband had been using a doorway pull-up bar for several years. While this is a great option I was ready to graduate on to something more aesthetically pleasing. So needless to say I was happy to add the pull-up bar to our home gym and it added to the industrial feel I was going for in the space.
The cost of the project including the pipe, wood and hardware was app. $40. The pipe is located in the plumbing aisle. We found that purchasing a long 10 ft black pipe was cheaper than buying shorter individual sizes. We did have pipe leftover we can use for future projects. This is the exact piping we purchased.
*Before you get started make sure you are using Safety Gear. I recommend safety goggles and ear protection for the power tools and the ever so sexy P100 respirator mask for applying stain and spray paint.
TOOLS FOR DIY PULL UP BAR
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Saw
- Sander
- Stud finder
- Drill – I use this drill
- Impact driver – I use this driver
- Hex bit sockets
SUPPLIES FOR DIY PULL UP BAR
- 1 – 2 x 6 x 8
- 3/4 inch x 10 ft black pipe (I found this in the plumbing aisle of The Home Depot)
- 2 – 3/4 inch elbows
- 2 – 3/4 inch flanges
- Rust-oleum Black Hammered spray paint
- Stain – I used Rust-oleum Sunbleached and Minwax Dark Walnut
- 8 – 1/4 x 4 inch hex drive washer head lag screws for the ceiling
- 8 – 1/4 x 1 1/4 inch hex head lag screws for the flanges
CUTS FOR DIY PULL UP BAR
*Keep in mind the length of the board in relation to how many studs you will want to drill the 2 x 6 to. We attached the 2×6 perpendicular to the studs and attached it to four studs. Make sure to check your ceiling studs and decide on the length prior to making all of your cuts. Your cuts may vary from ours depending on stud placement, direction of studs and preference.
*We had the pipes threaded and cut at The Home Depot. Customize these cuts to your preference. If you want the bar to hang down lower have your sidebars cut longer.
- 1 – 2 x 6 at 50 inches
- 1 – 3/4 inch black pipe at 40 inches (horizontal crossbar)
- 2 – 3/4 inch black pipe at 9 inches (vertical sidebars)
STEPS TO MAKE DIY PULL UP BAR
Step 1) After we had all the cuts we spray painted the pipes, elbows, flanges and lag screws with Rust-oleum Black Hammered spray paint. I didn’t spray paint the lag screws that went into 2×6 into the ceiling.
While this was drying I cut the 2 x 6, sanded and stained it. I like to layer stains. I started with the Rust-oleum Sunbleached and then layered the Minwax Dark Walnut over. This gave the wood a mix of gray and brown tones.
Step 2) Using a stud finder mark the studs on the ceiling where you plan to attach the 2 x 6. We were able to attach two lag screws into four studs. Using the ceiling stud measurements mark your bolt placement on the 2 x 6. Next, I assembled the bars. I did this by first attaching each sidebar to the flanges, attaching both elbows to the crossbar and then one sidebar at a time to the crossbar.
Then I placed the assembled pull-up bar on the 2 x 6, centered it and traced my pilot holes for the lag screws for the flanges. At this point, the ceiling lag screws are already marked so I would know where all of the screws would be placed. I made sure to leave enough wood on each end to be able to insert the screws that would mount to the ceiling.
Then I drilled all the pilot holes for the flanges and the ceiling screws.
Step 3) For this part it’s helpful to have two people. We attached the 2 x 6 to the ceiling studs using hex screws. To attach the board we measured the distance from the closest wall to the edge of the board and inserted one screw. Then I pivoted the board to get equal distance along the length of the board to the wall. Our board was about 17 inches from the wall.
Keep in mind that walls aren’t always straight so do the best with what you have. We continued to check the measurements and inserted the rest of the screws along the board.
Step 4) We attached the bar to the board. Having the pilot holes already drilled made this much easier.
Because I can’t do a pull up I showed off my pull-up bar interpretive dancing skilz instead.
Here are the final pictures after the home gym remodel.
We are loving the addition to the workout room. What is your favorite item in your home gym? Would love to hear in the comments below.
Dream BIG and DO IT!
Approximately how much weight could this pull up bar hold?
Hi Tony,
I don’t know the exact weight it would hold but my husband weighs 180 lbs. If you are concerned about how much weight it would support I recommend consulting with an engineer or contractor just to be safe.
Attaching the bar to the 2×6, you said “bolts,” but it looks like you just screwed the flange to the 2×6. I was thinking a bolt with a nut, with the nut on the ceiling side of the 2×6. Would you clarify, please?
Thanks 👍
Hi Mark,
Sorry for the confusion. All the hardware is lag screws. The lag screws connect the flanges to the 2×6. The 2×6 is attached to the ceiling with hex drive washer head lag screws. I will update the tutorial to be more clear. Thank you.
i want to make the same thing but on a wall , can i mount the flanges on the wall without using any wood ?
thank you it looks pretty solid.
Hi,
Thanks for your question. The main reason for the board is to have multiple places to attach the pull-up bar to the ceiling studs/joists. If only attaching the flanges to the wall, you will only be able to get a couple of the screws into a wall stud. That being the case, a wall-mounted one may not be able to hold as much weight. Here are some ideas I found for wall mounting options that may work for you; Titan and Rogue. I haven’t personally used these myself. Good luck with your build.
Made this yesterday, quick trip to Home Depot and 1 hr later I was doing pull ups. Very easy to make.
That’s awesome Dan! Thanks for sharing.
my son is making this while in quarantine, thank you!
Your welcome Cynthia! Glad to hear that he is making this. Enjoy.
Looks awesome! Headed to the hardware store tomorrow to build this. I really like the stain pattern you have. Your description states you used both Minwax Walnut and Rustoleum Weathered as stains. Can you describe why you used two stains and maybe how you applied them?
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for your comments. As far as the use of two stains it’s just personal preference. I like to see different tones of browns and grays rather than a look that is too brown or too gray. Generally, I can’t achieve this look by just using one stain. If I remember correctly I applied Sun Bleached first and that is a light gray stain. Adding Dark Walnut added some brown tones and “warmed” it up. I hope that makes sense. Good luck with the build 😀 💪.
Hi, once you cut the tube, how did you make the thread to screw on the flange?
Hi Antonio,
At The Home Depot when you have them cut the black pipe they can cut the threads as well. It’s easiest to have your measurements ready so they can cut and thread all at once.
Thanks for sharing. I’m totally going to make this! What floor mats are you using on your gym floor?
Hi Alex,
So happy to hear you are going to make the pull-up bar. The black mats are actually horse mats. Which come to find out a lot of gyms use. They are cheaper than gym mats and very durable…obviously to handle a horse 🤣. Let me know if I can answer any more questions. Good luck with the build.
Is the 2X6 secured to one stud? (Running parallel with the stud) or screwed to a few every 16” or so?
Hi Tony,
I attached the 2×6 to four studs in the ceiling running perpendicular to the studs. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks for the information. Worked out great! Super sturdy and now have a place for pull-ups, legs raises, and band work.
That’s great Tony! Enjoy your new workout addition.
Very nice tutorial!
Is the distance between the outermost lag screws 48″? I think my ceiling joists may be spaced differently than yours, and I want to make sure that the measurements listed here for the pipes will fit between my outermost lag screws. Also, what is the total length of your 2×6 mounted to the ceiling?
Hi Anthony,
The length of the 2 x 6 is 50 inches. Yes the distance between the outermost lag screws is about 48 inches. I put the outermost lag screws about 1 inch from each end. Let me know if I can help any further. Thanks 😊
Thanks Tiffany. That helps a lot. I’m planning on building this next week. One thing I thought I’d mention here is that the Lowes in my area won’t thread a section of pipe that is shorter than 19″, whereas The Home Depot can thread anything 7″ or greater in length. So, it looks like Home Depot it is for getting these pipe sections cut and threaded.
Great Anthony! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the build and the pull-up bar.
Noticed that you used 9” verticals. So I am guessing approx 10 1/2 inches from ceiling. How is it with head clearance?? Are you hitting head on 2×6 / ceiling or changing up the pull up to avoid? Looks great.
Hi Sean,
My husband says he gets his chin above the bar and does not hit his head. If you want to get your head any higher…like a pull up that the bar hits at your chest or low neck height, with 9″ verticals you may hit your head. If we had higher ceilings we would have made the vertical length longer. Hope that makes sense. Good luck with the build.
Thanks for sharing! So cool 🙂
I built this today. Rather than connecting the flange to the board (I used a 2×8) with lag bolts, I used bolts locknuts and washers. On the ceiling side I countersunk the holes to allow the nuts to sit below the surface for a smooth mount to the ceiling. As a temporary mount, I used 8 – 3 inch deck screws. I didn’t have lag bolts. When removed, the screws leave great pilot holes for the lag bolts, which I’ll purchase tomorrow. I weigh 240 lbs, believe it or not, the 3 inch deck screws feel very secure to hold my weight. I’m sure they would be fine, but going with lags to be safe. Great project!
That’s awesome Dave! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your new pull-up bar.
This is a neat DIY. It looks like a great and cheaper alternative to the kits you can buy at retailers. So when your hand grips the cross bar does it feel like you get a good secure grip on the bar? Just curious because I’m used to there being a textured feel to the cross bar instead of the smoothness like a pipe.
Hi! My husband says yes it feels like he does get a good grip. I suppose if the smoothness is a problem you could add some wrap, grip or anti-slip tape. Thanks for your question.
Looks great. For added workouts, I was wondering if neutral grips (palms facing each other) to this? if so how would you do it?
Great question! And adding the neutral grip definitely gives you more options for working out. I thought through this and in order to not have to modify the plan much you will have several pipes instead of the three pipes currently. You will need 5 pieces of galvanized pipes; two sides that will hang vertical, two horizontal sides then a center piece. To connect the vertical and sides use the elbows. Then where the side pieces end, attach a galvanized tee on each side. Attach the center piece. Then for the neutral grips attach two pipes that will attach to the tees and be perpendicular to the other pieces. I hope this make sense. It is difficult to get my thoughts into words. If you want to troubleshoot it further we could get on a Facebook video call or I could sketch something out and email it to.
Looks amazing! but is this way risk free?
malcolm shabazz recently posted…7 Best Pull Up Bar for Apartment Workout : Cheap, Affordable and Durable
Hi Malcolm,
When you say risk-free are you referring to the bar falling from the ceiling and their being injury?
Great and simple design. I’m about 230 pounds. I used three lag screws on the far left and right studs, and connected with five studs total. No issues holding my weight. Also very good for working with gymnastics rings.
Awesome Brian! Thanks so much for sharing. Happy to hear it is working well for you.
Hi, if I’m planning on mounting this pull up bar to an outside patio beam, which is about 7.5 in thick by 5.25 in width. What screws do you recommend to mount the Falanges with the pull up bar to the beam?
Hi David,
If I understand your question correctly instead of mounting the flanges to the 2 x 6 as I did, you are mounting the flanges straight to your outside beam mentioned. I would recommend the same screws that I used for attaching my flanges, which are the 1/4 inch hex head lag screws. However, whereas I used 1 1/4 inch length I would recommend a longer length. At least 2 – 2 1/2 inches long. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi Tiffany,
My garage ceiling is covered with drywall so how would you reccomend finding the center of the joists in order to screw the 2×6 in. I want to ensure the lag screws go directly into the center of the ceiling joists for maximum stability and strength. Also, would you reccomend using longer lag screws to drill the flanges through the 2×6 and into the ceiling joist for more strength?
Thanks for the article!
Hi Rahul,
To find the center of your joists you will need to use a stud finder. Mark where the stud finder firsts blinks/beeps and mark again when it stops blinking/beeping. This will help you find center. The joist will be about 1 1/2 inches wide. As long as you anchor at least 3 – 4 joists with two lag screws each, I don’t feel that anchoring through the flanges is necessary and there is less margin for error. However, if you decide that you want to add additional support go for it! Just double and triple check all of your measurements and screw placements.
I’m seriously considering this design. My concern is that the ceiling height in my garage may not be high enough to be able to perform pull-ups without having to bend my knees (which is currently required with my doorway bar). Would you please share the distance from the ceiling to the top of the bar, as well as your ceiling height for reference, and comment whether you foresee someone between 5’9” and 5’10” being able to keep their knees extended during use. Thank you for sharing.
Hi JK,
From the ceiling to the wood supports is app 8 3/4″. So to the ceiling will be app 10 1/2″. Our ceiling height is app 90″. My husband is 5’10” and says he has to slightly bend his knees to do a pull-up. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Tiffany!
What type of wood did you use? When I search for 2″x6″ on home depot I can see a lot of different types of wood and I’m not sure which one to get. There are lumber for framing, pressure treated, dimensional etc
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but this will be my first D.I.Y. project.
Thanks
Hi AJ,
The 2 x 6 I use is the cheapest one you can get at Home Depot. At my local Home Depot, it’s Douglas fir, untreated and unfinished. I have heard that the cheapest wood to buy at a place like Home Depot can vary based on location. So in other parts of the country, the cheapest wood might be different than the douglas fir at my Home Depot. I hope that makes sense. Good luck with your first DIY project! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi! Thanks for the great tutorial. I have just one question:
“I did this by first attaching each sidebar to the flanges, attaching both elbows to the crossbar and then one sidebar at a time to the crossbar.”
How did you do this? After you screwed the first sidebar in, how did you get the second one attached? If you twist the crossbar wouldn’t it tighten one side and loosen the other, so you could never be able to tighten both at the same time.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your question and hopefully I can explain it well. When you attach the second sidebar you are only twisting the second sidebar and nothing else. The elbow that is already attached to the crossbar doesn’t move at this point. Therefore you wouldn’t need to twist the crossbar at all. I hope all that makes sense. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for your speedy reply! Looking back, I now realise that the sidebars aren’t attached to the wood at this point so they’re free to move. I was thinking they were fixed *facepalm*
Ha ha no problem. You had me rethinking my tutorial for a minute though 😄.
Thank you for sharing this! Do you think I could make it longer? Like 6’? I want to use the ninja obstacle holds (hangers?) to slide along this. Or like hanging a rope ladder etc. do you think the tube is strong enough to hold this at such length? Thank you!
Hi Aiman,
Thanks for your question and I am afraid I can’t give you an exact answer. I think as long as you are in several studs the board will hold your weight. I would aim for 6 studs/joists. Where I am not so sure is the actual bar itself. Black pipe is made of steel, therefore, being strong, but if it’s longer will it bend over time due to the weight? That would be my question/concern, and it’s not my expertise. If there is doubt that the 6ft will bend over time you could consider two 36″ pipes then adding an additional vertical bar in the middle with a black tee to attach all the bars together. I am not sure if that is an option or not. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi Tiffany,
Is the galvanized pipe and its fittings safe to use? It had the lead warning on the label and packaging. It may have had the proposition 65 warning as well. Just thought I’d ask. Thanks!
Hi Jordan,
This is black steel pipe, not galvanized. With the research I did it’s galvanized pipe that if it corrodes contains lead but I couldn’t find anything about black pipe containing lead. Here are a couple links I read this post and this post. . I would also suggest doing some additional research if you are uncomfortable.
Thank you so much. Such a HUGE help!
It seems the black steel pipe from my local home depot is greasy. Was yours greasy and did you have to de-grease it?
Hi Kirk,
There may have been a little bit of grease on the ends where it was threaded, but otherwise, I didn’t notice it anywhere else.