How to make an outdoor horizontal bar with your own hands - step-by-step instructions with drawings, photos and videos

General information about the horizontal bar

A horizontal bar is a sports structure consisting of a horizontal crossbar attached to vertical posts. The crossbar on which you can hang and perform various exercises is usually located higher than a person’s height, otherwise it will not be possible to fully train on this apparatus. The horizontal bar can be installed in an apartment or on the street. This simulator is a mandatory element of sports complexes.

Despite the elementary design, you can perform many useful exercises on the horizontal bar.

Two horizontal bars are connected by a Swedish wall, which allows you to diversify the exercises performed.

Types of horizontal bars

The horizontal bar can have one or several crossbars attached to the racks at the same or different heights, which makes it a real boon for simple training for the whole family. It will be convenient for adults and children to physically develop and improve on a horizontal bar built taking into account their growth.

Multi-level horizontal bar allows all family members to train

A multi-level design is not the only type of horizontal bar. A sports facility can be equipped with additional parallel bars, gymnastic rings, ladders, and a rope. In this case, we are talking about the horizontal bar as an integral part of the whole physical education complex.

Horizontal bars can be installed in apartments. This does not require a lot of free space. The crossbar can be installed in a doorway or on a wall. This simple exercise machine will help adults stay physically fit, pump up the muscles of their arms, chest, back and abs, and children will learn the basics of overcoming sports and learn a healthy lifestyle.

The outdoor horizontal bar does not take up much space. The main thing is that this sports device is installed correctly and safely.

The parallel bars are multifunctional and interesting for men and women of any age

Separately, it is necessary to say about the popular model - the parallel bars. Such a structure with handles can combine several sports equipment at once:

traditional horizontal bar;
bars;
abdominal training equipment;
Swedish wall.

You can buy a horizontal bar in specialized stores, or you can build it yourself, saving a lot of money.

The benefits of the projectile

The horizontal bar can become a real assistant for strengthening muscles, and this applies to both males and females. By placing such a simple exercise machine on the territory of a suburban area or in the courtyard of an apartment building, you too can really feel the benefits that this structure brings.

Here are the problems a horizontal bar installed outdoors can help you solve:

Relaxation and stretching of the spinal column. Normally hanging on a bar in a calm state will help get rid of overstrained back muscles and stretch the vertebrae after a long period of sitting at a desk or home computer.
Posture correction. This is especially true for children and teenagers who are not very good at physical education and are keen on the computer. Exercises on the horizontal bar will help strengthen the muscles that support the spine, and thereby improve your appearance.
Introduction to a healthy lifestyle. At any age, it is useful to perform a simple set of physical exercises, thanks to which you can become strong and beautiful. And also children who are keen on activities on the horizontal bar will be “removed” from dysfunctional companies, weaned from idle wandering and idleness.
Prolonged exposure to fresh air. Having accustomed yourself to training on the horizontal bar, you will leave the house in any weather and, while doing sports exercises, breathe in beneficial ozone (especially for suburban areas).

The horizontal bar may not be used for its intended purpose. It is often used as a strong crossbar for beating out carpets and drying blankets and pillows. A festive banner or balloons mounted on a horizontal bar in honor of the birthday of your household will look original and creative.

For children, a horizontal bar can be a tool to help get rid of excess energy

Types of outdoor sports equipment

combined horizontal bar
Horizontal bars are different: sports, street, home. Each individual option has its own advantages.

As for street structures, they are:

T-shaped (the simplest option). This design is easy to make, stable and allows you to perform various sets of exercises;
wall or ceiling (more suitable for indoor installation). Attached to the ceiling or wall (can be done outdoors by attaching it to the outer wall of the house) or to a special installation;
double, triple . Suitable for users of different heights. An ideal option for manufacturing if both parents and children are involved in the family;
combined . This is already a whole complex of sports equipment, where in addition to the horizontal bar there is a wall bars, a pumping chair, parallel bars, rings, ladders, a rope and other devices for sports.

Attention : when planning to make a horizontal bar at your dacha yourself, it is important to decide not only on the type of its design, but also on the dimensions and materials of manufacture. Typically, metal and wood are used to make them.

Preparing to install a horizontal bar in the yard

Installing an outdoor horizontal bar is a serious undertaking that should be approached thoroughly. To begin with, you need to have a clear idea of the tasks assigned to the future structure, the size and location of its installation.

Selecting a location

Before you make a horizontal bar on the street with your own hands, you need to choose a suitable place to install the projectile. This should be done based on the chosen design (regular horizontal bar, horizontal bar + parallel bars, sports complex).

Of course, you should not take the sports device “to the front entrance”; it is better if the horizontal bar is installed away from prying eyes . This option is especially relevant for those who are not in the best athletic shape. Performing exercises on the horizontal bar away from prying eyes, you will not have complexes about your appearance and inept movements.

It is better to locate a sports complex with a horizontal bar away from prying eyes

If there is such a possibility, then the sports structure should be located away from direct sunlight, preferably in the shade of large spreading trees. Then you can protect yourself from sunstroke or heatstroke when exercising in the hot season.

Under no circumstances choose an uneven surface for installing the horizontal bar, since both the construction itself and subsequent activities will be complicated by such an unfavorable landscape. It is considered optimal for safe and effective training to install the horizontal bar on a lawn surface or a special rubber covering.

Drawing for the construction of a street horizontal bar at the dacha: dimensions

To build a horizontal bar at your dacha with your own hands, determine and prepare the required amount of materials, you need to decide on the dimensions in advance. The parameters may differ depending on whether it is intended for adults or children. Agree that a child who climbs a high horizontal bar will be at great risk to his health; he may fall and get injured. And a simple action - to grab the crossbar with his hands - will become a real problem for him. You can’t do it without the help of an adult, a friend or additional devices. Therefore, the height of the vertical posts should be such that a person of any age can easily reach the crossbar.

The height of the vertical posts of the children's horizontal bar should be such that children can reach the crossbar without the help of adults

To climb onto the projectile, you can make a special step; it is usually placed on a vertical support at a height of 40 cm from the base.

Adults can make the horizontal bar higher, then they will have to jump to stay on the bar. For a person 170–180 cm tall, a projectile with a height of 2 m is suitable.

The width of the horizontal bar should also vary depending on age:

for children - up to 1 m;
for adults - 1.3–1.5 m.

These sizes allow you to perform exercises on the horizontal bar without restrictions. The student will not bump into vertical supports.

The diameter of the crossbar for children's hands is 25 mm; for teenagers and older, a horizontal bar with a horizontal pipe of 35 mm is suitable.

The load that this sports equipment must withstand can reach up to 300 kg.

To build an outdoor horizontal bar with your own hands, drawings are simply necessary.

This is what a drawing of a future sports equipment might look like

Choosing the right model

To choose the right horizontal bar model, you first need to decide on your goals and budget. For training in the yard, it is recommended to create a complex apparatus consisting of at least a crossbar and parallel bars. The outdoor horizontal bar is divided into the following types:

simple crossbars;
cascade horizontal bars (the presence of several crossbars with different heights);
horizontal bars with bars and bars;
sports complexes that include several equipment at once.

If you have a limited budget or lack of large free space, it is recommended to opt for simple crossbars. When creating a projectile with your own hands for a summer residence, you must first of all pay attention to your own needs. A design made from a horizontal bar, wall bars and gymnastic rings is perfect for children. The individual elements of the metal horizontal bar are connected to each other by welding or special fasteners.

You can additionally hang rings and rope on any crossbar. They are purchased separately and can only be used as needed. If you plan to install a horizontal bar at your dacha, and there is enough free space on the site, you can make a full-fledged platform by adding beams, several crossbars with different heights, and a separate wall bars.

Before you move on to creating a horizontal bar in the yard with your own hands, you need to draw up a detailed plan and also prepare everything you need.

Crossbar

Cascade With wall bars and parallel bars

Sports complex

What to make a horizontal bar from: timber or pipe

Before making a horizontal bar in the yard, you need to choose high-quality material for constructing the horizontal bar, because this is what guarantees the durability and reliability of the product.

As a crossbar, it is best to take a steel pipe with a diameter of 0.25–0.35 cm (depending on who this sports equipment will serve - a child or an adult). The number of such pipes depends on how many crossbars there will be in the design of this horizontal bar (one, two, three, etc.). The material should be hard and polished - all this will protect you from injuries and make exercise enjoyable and safe.

Vertical racks can be made of either metal or wood. Using metal will require a welding machine and the ability to work with it. Two steel pipes (diameter 100 mm) are required to make a simple structure. Welding must be performed especially carefully so that during loads the horizontal bar does not cause injury.

If there are no suitable metal stands, then vertical supports can be made from wooden beams with a cross-section of 100–120 mm. In this case, the crossbar is secured either with metal brackets or self-tapping screws.

It is quite possible to build an outdoor horizontal bar using trees growing nearby as supports. The staples or metal plates that hold the horizontal strip are attached to the wood with screws or nails.

The use of metal will increase the service life of the horizontal bar, while a structure made of wood will last less. It is permissible to combine different materials.

A wonderful sports complex, built using wood and metal, requires virtually no financial costs

Design features and methods of fastening different types of horizontal bars

There are many types of simulators for home and garden, which differ from each other not only in design features, but also in methods of attachment. These include the following types.

Horizontal bar in the doorway

A horizontal bar for placement in a doorway does not require much space or expense. There is a spacer horizontal bar between the walls and a sliding type of fastening.

In general, they can support weights of up to 150 kg. There are also disadvantages: for example, it is impossible to perform some complex tricks on this device; the height of the athlete also creates certain restrictions. The most popular model of this design is the “Torneo” horizontal bar in the doorway.

Home horizontal bar on the wall

The wall horizontal bar is attached with anchor bolts to the concrete wall. There are wall bars, folding wall horizontal bar, over-door and corner mounting types. Design features allow you to perform exercises for the abdominal muscles, such as raising your legs to your stomach and turning them in different directions.

Horizontal bars-press "3 in 1"

The wall-mounted “3 in 1” horizontal bar for home is equipped with special handles with a soft lining, which allows you to perform exercises to pump up your abs.

Soft linings protect your hands from calluses and pain during exercises that require emphasis on your elbows. The crossbar is often equipped with a ring for hanging a punching bag.

Above-door horizontal bar

Using fasteners, the home horizontal bar in the doorway is attached to the wall above the door, therefore, it does not take up much space. And besides, there is room for “maneuver”. Another plus is mounting on one wall, which must be made of any material except plasterboard. Which is a relevant topic in modern realities.

Design features suggest the presence of regular and wide grip types. If you carefully study the model range of such horizontal bars, you can choose professional collapsible equipment, with which you can pump up many muscle groups.

Corner wall horizontal bar

The crossbar is attached between two walls without taking up much space. The downside is that this apparatus is simple and allows you to perform standard pull-up exercises, pumping up the same muscles. Most suitable for regular home workouts rather than professional ones.

It can be attached not only to concrete walls, but also to brick surfaces. But even if they can be attached to plasterboard walls, such structures will not last long with constant use.

Hanging horizontal bar

The ceiling type also requires powerful mounting, however, it provides the opportunity to perform complex tricks. Perfect for athletes of any class and level. Working on it can replace a full workout for all muscle groups. If you choose the right modification, you can even make a flag or a corner on the horizontal bar.

The crossbar can have different types of grips. The top can be covered with smooth fabric or a corrugated surface.

Calculation of materials and preparation of tools

Before you start building a horizontal bar with your own hands, calculate the amount of materials and prepare all the necessary tools.

Materials are purchased depending on the chosen design. For the simplest structure in the shape of the letter “P” you will need:

2 metal pipes with a length of at least 2.7 m, a diameter of 100–120 mm;
1 steel pipe 1.5 m long and 35 mm in diameter.

This calculation is suitable for a projectile intended for an adult. The pipes are deepened into the ground 60–70 cm, leaving approximately 2 m for vertical posts.

In addition to the pipes, you will need a small can of anti-corrosion primer and paint for exterior use.

To strengthen the supports, you need to purchase a concrete mixture or prepare it yourself (mix cement and water in a ratio of 1:3). You should not do this in advance, as the solution will harden and you will not be able to use it in your work.

You need to prepare the necessary set of tools:

welding machine (for a metal horizontal bar);
Bulgarian;
electric drill;
hand drill or shovel;
saw (for using wooden posts);
roulette;
container for solution;
nails, screws for fastening;
brushes to paint pipes.

Get straight to the point

Drawings of a homemade horizontal bar with the ability to perform basic exercises for the press, well known in RuNet, are shown in Fig. The secret of its popularity is the availability of materials, well-thought-out design and sizes (see more about them below), corresponding to the average anthropometry of home exercise enthusiasts in the Russian Federation. This projectile is suspended from the wall on hook brackets similar to those on the trail. Fig., but for a square pipe. To preserve the finish of the wall, it is advisable to cover the surfaces in contact with it with rubber 3-5 mm thick. Welding seams are marked in red.

Homemade horizontal bar parallel bars-press

Horizontal bar on the trail. rice. could well be a prototype of the previous one, but made of a round seamless pipe of chromium-nickel steel, something like 79НХС. Food grade stainless steel is not suitable, it is fragile! The special material made it possible to reduce the struts and sections of the parts, which made this horizontal bar more aesthetically pleasing and lighter (14 kg versus 18). But its manufacture requires solid welding experience

Please note that the bending radius of the brackets on the inside is 0.2 mm less than the diameter of the pipe: this, if used carefully, guarantees against play for 3-5 years

Drawings of a horizontal bar press made of a round pipe

Step-by-step instructions for making a horizontal bar outdoors

When everything you need is prepared and purchased, you can begin the process of building a horizontal bar.

Installation of vertical racks

For vertical posts you need to dig holes.

Using a hand drill, we make holes of the required size.

Holes for vertical posts can be dug using a regular shovel or a hand drill. The depth of the holes is 60–70 cm for a metal horizontal bar, 100–120 cm for wooden supports. They are dug at a distance the width of the horizontal bar (1–1.5 m).

At the bottom of each hole you need to pour a sand layer of 10–15 cm and compact it.

Installation of a horizontal crossbar

The horizontal crossbar must be welded to the vertical supports.

Welding the crossbar and metal posts is the most reliable fastening

This step must be done before concreting the pits of the posts, because it is inconvenient and unsafe to weld on the top of the supporting metal pillars.

Welding must be carried out carefully, without skipping, since the reliability of the horizontal bar fastening depends on this, and therefore your safety.

At this stage, you can also treat the lower part of the racks with an anti-corrosion primer or other suitable means.

Installation of vertical supports

Vertical supports need to be placed in holes and filled with concrete. The solution can be bought in a store or prepared yourself from dry cement and water (in a ratio of 1:3).

Pouring concrete will help strengthen and level the vertical supports

When concreting support pillars, you should check their vertical position using a plumb line. To ensure that the racks maintain their position and do not “float,” you can support them with wooden stakes.

Finishing work

At this stage, it is necessary to add a layer of sand or gravel near the support pillars and between them, leveling and strengthening this place. This will help prevent water from accumulating after rain or melting snow.

A flat area is an ideal place for a sports complex with a horizontal bar

If you do not use a welding machine, you can first fill the holes with concrete with the vertical posts placed, and then attach the crossbar. The horizontal pipe should be fixed only after the concrete mixture has completely hardened.

Bolts, screws, and metal plates will help secure the crossbar to the vertical supports. For fastening to wooden posts, hardware is used (on top or on the side).

At the end, the horizontal bar can be painted as desired.

Video: detailed instructions for building an outdoor horizontal bar with your own hands

Requirements

For the safety of physical activities, a set of requirements has been developed for horizontal bars, as well as for all other sports structures. These include the following:

the width of the crossbar should be 1.1 m;
handle diameter – 35 mm (when using pads) and 27 mm (without them);
The maximum permissible load on the simulator is 250 kg.

In most cases, a place for a horizontal bar is chosen according to the residual principle: if we are talking about a street structure, then outbuildings are placed first, an area is allocated for flower beds, a garden and vegetable garden, a gazebo and decorative elements, and only then they think about placing sports equipment. In a house or apartment, they first arrange the furniture, and then select a free area for classes.

It is strictly forbidden to place horizontal bars in areas such as:

lowlands - in this case, snow and water will stagnate on the site, which will complicate training in the autumn and spring;
slopes - for safety reasons and to ensure the strength of the installation, horizontal bars should be mounted exclusively on horizontal surfaces;
near bodies of water - this measure is especially relevant for children who may fall into the water when swinging;
areas with a high level of groundwater - the projectile can simply slant after the spring flood.

If the playground is being set up for children, then it is better to place the horizontal bar as close to the house as possible; it is advisable that parents from the window can keep control of their child’s training

Pay special attention to lighting issues: since the horizontal bars are made of metal, the material becomes hot during hot daytime hours, which makes it impossible to perform exercises. Try to choose a lighted but slightly shaded place

In the house, horizontal bars are placed so that when swinging back and forth the body does not collide with supports - interior items and doors.

How to make a meter-long children's horizontal bar with your own hands

This device for children is best done in combination with other healthy exercise equipment: wall bars, rope, swings. In this case, the child will not perceive exercises on the horizontal bar as something boring and uninteresting; exercises on the horizontal bar will be as organic as riding on a swing, climbing up and down a ladder.

When constructing a horizontal bar, special attention should be paid to the strength of the fastenings, because this is the key to the health and safety of children mastering this sports equipment.

To make it easier to climb onto the bar in the children's version of the horizontal bar, it is necessary to provide a special step - to help kids who cannot jump onto the horizontal bar. For this purpose, you can use a wooden platform that is attached to the horizontal bar.

A wooden stand will help small people and children to climb the horizontal bar

Features of manufacturing a children's design

The main requirement when creating children's gymnastic equipment is safety. Therefore, the safety margin requirements are twice as high as for adults. For all materials, it is necessary to check the safety certificate for the absence of harmful emissions. Considering that children are the most active during the game, the equipment needs to be built in an appropriate shape and design, both structural and design.

Children will be interested in bright colors and unusual designs

You need to pay attention to the quality of the ladder rungs. To ensure that the metal surface of the crossbars does not slip and maintains a normal comfortable temperature, it must be rubberized. Neoprene is also used as a protective coating. For safety, wooden crossbars are carefully processed and coated with a colorless, odorless varnish.

Decorating Tips

A horizontal bar is a sports facility designed to be used for more than one year. To extend its service life, it is necessary to treat all its parts with anti-corrosion agents, especially the “underground” elements.
The crossbar should not be rough, otherwise problems with the palms cannot be avoided, so the horizontal pipe must be well sanded and waxed (you can also use special anti-slip products). Sports stores sell straps, pads, and hooks for performing exercises on the horizontal bar - they will help you exercise comfortably, comfortably and without blisters.
It’s up to you to paint or leave the horizontal bar in its original form. Naturally, the beautiful appearance of the sports facility will harmoniously fit into the design of your site. By the way, you can entrust the decorating work to children who will be the direct users of the horizontal bar. In this case, bright colors that attract the attention of children would be appropriate.

The bright colors of sports facilities make them attractive
The area around the projectile should be well-groomed and not overgrown; it is best to fill it with gravel or sand. Additionally, you can purchase or sew a gymnastics mat that will soften the blow when falling or jumping.

An outdoor horizontal bar will help adults and children stay in great physical shape. You can build this simple sports equipment yourself. The horizontal bar can help in the formation of an athletic figure, add health and positive mood.

Horizontal bars in the doorway

Common designs of horizontal bars for doors are shown in Fig. They are not very suitable for self-production: curved rods-“horns” are subject to high loads due to the large ratio of the lever arms, so they need to be made from special steel. And, please note – assembly is bolt-on only. Welding seams under such loads are unreliable.

Horizontal bars for industrial doorways

The situation is even worse with the loads on the attachment point to the wall. There the shoulder ratio reaches (10-15):1 and colossal loads arise, and the wall in this place is, as a rule, weakened. If the main athlete in the house, leaving, forgets to remove the horizontal bar, and the weaker half needs to close the door, then it won’t be long before injury: during the installation/removal process, a piece of iron weighing 20 kg inevitably ends up above your head. In general, home horizontal bars of this type are more of a marketing ploy.

Unsuccessful methods of attaching a horizontal bar to walls and ceilings

More useful and certainly more reliable would be a homemade horizontal bar installed in a doorway or corridor in a spacer or on side holders. There are certain subtleties here. Firstly, the removable crossbar (neck) inserted into the U-shaped pockets (on the left in the figure) will inevitably give some play. Exercising while the bar is moving in your hands is inconvenient and not very useful, but what’s worse is that sharp instantaneous loads are transferred to building structures. Which are not designed for them at all. Rigid mounting to the ceiling (in the center) is little better; a human athlete is not a chandelier. And soft fastening with concentrated loads on the right is absolutely unacceptable.

Reliable fastenings of home horizontal bars in openings

The amateur design of the horizontal bar in the opening is shown in pos. 1 pic. The thrust bearings of the installation units are 5 mm steel sheet. The possibility of removing the neck is provided by an elongated slot in it at one end; the crossbar itself is shorter than the width of the opening. Longitudinal slots in the clamps of the mounting units ensure a tight clamping of the neck when fastening with bolts. The reliability conditions for such a design are as follows:

From the end of the elongated slot to the edge of the neck - from 30 mm;
The slots in the clips should extend beyond the rear edges of the bolt holes, but not more than 3-4 mm;
The solid edges of the installed neck must protrude beyond the inner edge of the slots in the clips by at least 30-40 mm.

The disadvantage of this design is the “cartridges” sticking out of the walls for approx. by 120 mm. The design with the crossbar clamped with nuts (item 2) makes it possible to reduce the overhang of the fastening units to 50-60 mm, but it still sticks out, and the threaded pins are more dangerous than clips made from pipe sections.

The design of the horizontal bar in the opening is optimal in terms of mechanics and ergonomics - with the bar attached to the rails, pos. 3. The “self-tapping screw” is shown there conditionally; in fact, it is an M12 bolt in an anchor buried at least 130 mm into the concrete. The advantage of this fastening is also that you don’t need a tool to install/remove the neck: the thread of the screw spacers at one end is right-handed, and at the other – left-handed. To install, place the bar in place, unscrew the spacers until they rest lightly on the bonks, and turn the bar by hand. Just don’t overdo it: the fixation is “dead” even with a slight twist; If a healthy man touches you with his “claws”, then, no matter the hour, you will have to remove the horizontal bar with a grinder. The disadvantage of the bonk system is that rather complex turning work is required.

Note: it is also possible to detach the horizontal bar in the opening with clamps on the corners, but see the view on the right in Fig. Fastening the crossbar on strong wooden bosses (left and center) is suitable for people weighing up to 60-65 kg - teenagers, women. And the crossbar of such a horizontal bar cannot be removed, which, with a standard doorway height of 190 cm, creates great inconvenience.

Homemade methods of attaching a horizontal bar in an opening

And for children!

In general, a horizontal bar for adults in an opening is, as they say, a palliative. It’s another matter for tough beginners. Static loads from them are less than adults according to weight, and dynamic loads are an order of magnitude lower, because The square of the instantaneous speed of movement of body parts acts here. Therefore, it is permissible to attach a children's horizontal bar in a doorway directly to the door frame, and its supporting structure is made of durable, fine-grained hardwood.

Children's horizontal bar - wall bars in the doorway

The diagram and drawings of a children's horizontal bar of this type, combined with a wall bars, are shown in Fig. Pipes – steel 20x1.5; wooden parts - oak board from 20 mm. Sufficient strength and reliability are ensured by a large number of attachment points. The design and dimensional ratios of the parts of the installation units make it possible to perform some gymnastic exercises.

About the handles

The handles of homemade horizontal bars that sit firmly in place and have a grip are made from heat-shrinkable tubes (HERE) with a diameter 20-30% larger than the outer diameter of the pipe. Sold HERE in radio and electrical stores; shrink by heating with a household hairdryer at full power. One layer of shrink-wrapped TUT has a thickness of approx. 1.5 mm; There may be several layers. Grooved handles can be obtained using narrow rings from the same HERE. In general, cheap and cheerful.

Recommendations from professionals

We perform a wide range of movements every day, including standing, walking, pushing, pulling, twisting, twisting and more. By improving your functional strength through dynamic compound exercises such as pull-ups, you will strengthen the connections between your nervous and muscular systems.

Improved posture. When you strengthen your back and core muscles, your posture improves. As your position improves, you become longer and leaner.
Reduced back pain. Many people sit on the drive to work, sit in front of the computer all day, and then sit at home. You can even sit on the couch when you're at home. All this cumulative sitting increases the physiological stress on the back. By strengthening your back muscles and core with tightening, you reduce your chances of future back pain and injury.
Beautiful physiology. Want to look great in this T-shirt? Pull-ups help straighten your back and force your biceps to work harder. All this makes your waist smaller. For guys, this can also help create a "V" shape.

When it comes to extreme sports like mountaineering, wrestling and horse racing, a strong grip will be your best friend throughout these tough, albeit quite enjoyable activities. It's no surprise that one of the best ways to significantly improve your grip is to do pull-ups. Since this strength exercise allows you to lift your entire body weight while hanging from a pull-up bar, much of the stress will be focused on your palms and fingers!

So, once you've taken the time out of your daily life to do a couple of pull-up bar exercises, you'll be able to excel in more extreme and challenging sports!

What to pay attention to

To know exactly which horizontal bar you need, you need to take into account many parameters when choosing a design. In this case, you need to take into account not only the size of the equipment and the method of its attachment, but also the type of simulator. If for some it will simply serve as a means of stretching the spine, then others plan to use it to pump up almost all muscles .

All attention to functionality

According to its functional purpose, the horizontal bar can be represented by a regular crossbar for pulling up and performing simple exercises.

Or consist of three elements: parallel bars-press horizontal bar. On such a simulator there will really be room to expand, training different muscle groups depending on the element displayed.

Mounting method

You can attach the crossbar:

on the wall;
into the doorway;
on the ceiling.

A special feature of the wall-mounted version is the presence of powerful corners attached directly to the wall.

What should be the size of the horizontal bar

The size of the simulator also matters, especially if it is planned to be installed in an apartment. So, the horizontal bar should fit into the place chosen for it without any problems and be comfortable for training.

It is important to pay attention to the wall thickness and pipe diameter. Typically, these parameters are adjusted to the average chest size and average height of a person. But if you go beyond the standard boundaries, it is better to select equipment for yourself.

The diameter of the crossbar should be in the range from 2.8 to 4.1 cm. In fact, everything is purely individual. If we are not talking about Olympic training, then it is not necessary to comply with these requirements: the parameters are selected based on the person’s preferences and types of exercises. Thus, the recommended length for amateur use is 110-115 cm, width – 40-50 cm, height – 30-40 cm. The ideal height from the floor is considered to be 10-20 cm above the outstretched arms of the practitioner.

Ergonomic properties

Related to the ease of use of the simulator. For example, the presence of soft plastic pads will make the grip easier.

What else you should pay attention to: 5 most valuable tips

There are a few more important points that you should pay attention to:

weight of the simulator - it must be at least five kilograms to support the weight of the exerciser;
a structure consisting of the height of the fastening, the presence and location of the support, fastening to the wall;
versatility - consists of the number of different grips and exercise options that can be done on the simulator; wall-mounted models benefit from this, as they are more durable and allow you to perform exercises with weights;
appearance – when installing equipment in an apartment, it is important that it fits into the interior without violating its integrity, so you need to pay attention to color and material.

Kinds

Horizontal bars on sale can be presented in two main types: folding and collapsible. Stationary models are most often made by hand.

Folding

Depending on the model, this type of floor horizontal bar can be folded in two variations: vertical and horizontal. Its design elements are equipped with hinged units and allow you to fold the “projectile” without disassembling it. A horizontal bar folded in this way can be stored in a narrow place with sufficient free space, for example, behind a cabinet.

Collapsible

Such a horizontal bar is stored and transported in disassembled form. All parts of its design have connections equipped with screw fastenings. When unscrewing them, the horizontal bar is disassembled into its component parts:

working crossbar;
vertical racks (each can be divided in half);
“sole” (may consist of several parts);
various devices for additional exercises;
connecting bars and other fasteners.

The main difference between moving horizontal bars is the price level, determined by the functionality of the “shells”. This parameter is also affected by the presence or absence of anti-slip agents on working surfaces. They can be rubberized soft linings or coatings, rolled corrugations.

Another factor that determines the price niche is the brand under which a particular sports machine is produced.

How to choose materials?

Most often, horizontal bars are made from metal pipes. They may have different cross-sections. An option with a round or rectangular cross-section will work equally well.

However, the rectangular one is considered more durable, although in some situations it can break in half sharply, when the round one simply gradually bends. In terms of convenience, a round pipe fits more comfortably in your hand; this adds comfort when performing exercises. Choose a crossbar diameter between 27 and 32 millimeters.

Sometimes they resort to wooden crossbars. You should be extremely careful here. Wood has a heterogeneous structure and can behave completely unpredictably when moving in jerks, for example.