Total gym pull-up bar recommendations...
 

I am looking into buying one of those pull up bars, this one is mounted on the door frame. Kind of debating if buying it or not.

Does anyone has any experience, feedback how good these total gym pull up bars are?

It depends on your goal. If you just want to tone than the pull-ups and minimal resistance ( I am picturing the Randy Courtour door gym thing) should do the job. If you want to pack on some muscle the only real way is to purchase some dumbells (2 sets - one medium to heavy and one lighter to do shoulders, rows and bi's x 10-12 reps) and a short barbell (4 ft'er) so that you can hit the tries with some skull crushers and mash the bi's with curls and 21's. To gain weight takes weight while resistance (rubber bands and body weight) tones.

Go to an gym - univesity/college gyms are dirt cheap and the girls are plentiful

Not only muscle mass, maybe a little more explosiveness and power.

I know some will laugh, but a friend lent me a copy of P90X, I am stuck on the pull ups as I dont have the bar. Currently when its time to do pull ups I just use a barbell with the heaviest weight

If your just talking about one of the simple pull-up bars (not the whole fancy door gym thing) go for it. What are they $30 or so bucks (loo around..don't go breaking the bank)? Hell get a buddy to weld you a simple door mount. Simple chin-ups and pull-ups are effective but if you are a tall person (lets say 5"10 or more) your knees might hit the floor. I'm just under 5'10 (I like to think average) and the door bar works with minimal clearance to spare, but I have to remember where the ceiling is because its not to hard to strike the noggin' at the top (not to mention on the frame). For the price I'd say its worth the try because if its not high enough you can loop some old sweaters over the bar and thrash you back with some tilted rows and perform descent leg raises (revers crunch).

From calisthenics you can gain strength, endurance and toning while *slowly* building muscle mass.

For quicker increases in muscle mass, you need to move heavier weight with fewer reps, while ensuring you are activating the larger muscle groups. (ie: squats w/ a smith machine.)

Both require proper form, hydration and diet for best effects. Both are greatly augmented with some form of aerobic exercise as well.

The advantage to the calisthenics is that most do not require any equipment; just your body, the ground and determination.

http://www.twohundredsquats.com/
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
http://twentypullups.com/
http://www.hundredpushups.com/

I have one of the Iron Gym pull up bars. It cost $35 and has been worth it. (If for no other reason than not to have a rapid welded alternative tearing up the door frames in my house.)

- L

ya hydration is required.....the guy above has the whole weight vs muscle thing correct

stop being a bitch and just go workout at the gym. you'll gain muscle way faster than you would with a pull up bar alone unless this isn't a option for you then i say go for it

The folks here telling you to just buy a cheap door pull-up bar are right, but if you play your cards right, a gym membership won't cost you more than a dollar a day. Do that and get serious about working out. You'll never feel better.

Once you figure out a dedicated workout plan, you can create "easy" days around what you have at the house, if you're pressed for time on a certain day.

Please take it easy, I am getting back on track after long time as a surfer and cyclist, it took a week of P90X to see how fucked up I was.

I do have a freakin cardoivascular top end, but in terms of core, terrible.
'


Ok, I will give it a shot, and if wahtever well just a few bucks...
he frame sta
I do have the perfect pull up and it sucks big time. T

Give it a shot and report back. I know our door frames wouldn't hold my big ass. Hell, I swear I see the bar at the gym flex every time I hang from it haha

70% of your physique is diet, with the rest being the actual crunch time.

I know that's right. I need 250-300 grams of protein/day to maintain 195 lbs. Forget all you fat bodies. I wish I could maintain decent weight.

It does take dedication to keep solid gains, though. If you really want to be healthy and look the part, it takes a total commitment. Think about it, and when you're ready, I hear P90X is a pretty good way to begin.

Once you're ready to get yolked out, PM me.

You might want to watch the protein intake though. I've heard through the grape vine (Human health and nutrition along with A&P1/2) that a higher intake of protein then needed can be damaging to the kidneys. Also, when counting protein, take serving size into account. That piece of chicken you thought was only 25g could actually be 4x that.

Wanna keep weight on, eat fat. Pound for pound, it'll blow carbs and protien out of the water. On top of that, a jar of peanut butter a night makes the perfect snack. Calories in Vs. Calories out. Its really that simple. Screw you high metabolism pricks....... I can't keep mine up for shit haha.

The door-mounted pull-up bars suck, IMO. Mine damaged the door frame a bit, not to mention that there's not enough height to do proper pull-ups on a doorframe.

If you have the space, a standalone pull-up/dip bar is the way to go. For P90X it'd be the perfect setup IMO, with a set of dumbells for the parts where you need those.

I'm curious though about your build before I say that P90X is right for you. For those who want to lose bodyfat it's a great program. If you're scrawny and want to get a bit more cut, it's a great program. If you want to be the next Mr. Olympia, it's not for you.

Come on son! Got to the gym and stop buying stupid shit that will collect dust after a week.

http://www.isteroids.com/images/inje...njections1.jpg

Less damaging then non parenteral drugs if you want to head down that dark highway........

Options:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/shenand...odyweight.html

Here's a couple different pull up variations (and other exercises) that will keep you busy for a while:
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html

And it doesn't matter if you go to the gym or buy some stuff. Both are a waste of money if you burn out within a couple months. Setting a goal for a lifetime of fitness is about changing habits over the long term.

Chris

I have a 35$ Iron Gym pullup bar for P90X (which is awesome BTW). The problem with them is that door frames place it too awkwardly low to the ground to effectively do pull ups. I'm only 5'6".

If you have the space, go for a standalone.

I don't know why you're pushing the gym still. I know plenty of people who get in great shape without stepping foot in a gym. Throw a tire around, do some yardwork, go run up some hills, strap a rucksack to your back and haul it up a mountain, do sprints, lift some kettlebells, etc.

The only thing I can see the OP needing a gym for is isolation exercises to build maximum muscle mass. Not everyone has this as their goal.

^cause the gym motivates people, or at least it does for me.

Valid point.

What turns me off to gyms is the inconvenience. You have to get ready, drive there, get out, swipe your access card, wait for the machine you want to use, drive back with your sweaty shirt transferring your sweat to your seats, etc. Working out at home works better for me.

Though it's better than here. There are just some weights over by the latrine here..

I got my own setup on the garage, a bench I got for free when a neighbor bought a new set. Plenty of weights donated overtime thanks to Craigslist free classifieds.

At work there is a good gym, but the P90X cannot be done.

I agree with Koto, its a pain when you go to the gym, the thing I hate the must is nasty ass equipment. Got to be using the damn sanitizer spray, and to make it worst people dont put the weights back on the racks.

When eating a high protein diet, hydration is the most efficient means to avoid kidney issues. - Taking a page from the military, if you aren't pissing clear, you aren't drinking enough...

General rule of thumb is 1 gram of protien per pound of body mass to *maintain* body weight while in a training routine. You need more (1.1 to 1.5) if you want to *gain*. - Keeping in mind, YMMV depending upon your body type. (Endomorph, Exomorph, etc...)


Make small, but effective, changes to your diet that you will maintain. Keep tuning your diet until you are eating the way you should (not necessarily the way you want to). Allow yourself some guilty pleasures, but keep them in check. But for any real improvements, much less long term, you have to be disciplined and consistent. - It really is a life-style choice.

For example, I dropped nearly 2,000 calories a day from my diet from switching from "regular" sodas to diet sodas. Then increased my water intake to further reduce the number of sodas I consumed each day.

Another example, I emptied the M&Ms from the candy jars on my desks (one at home, one at the office) and replaced them with cocoa covered dry roasted almonds. This led not only to a reduction in weight and fat intake, but also lower my cholesteral.

One last component not covered, stretching. Do so before and after you exercise. However, be careful when streching after you train; the muscles are already weakened, you don't want to cause unwanted tearing or injuries.

- L

Get this:

You just pointed out my two GREATEST pet peeves. Most people do put the weights back, but a select few with poor gym etiquette who decide to leave the gym a wreck (Typically the billy badass kids still in HS) ruin it for all of us. I also make it a habit to sanitize before and after on each machine. You never know what the person before you is carrying, and not doing so after wards is again, horrible gym etiquette.

Speaking of nutrition- Don't forget to eat your carbs. Protein is a poor source of energy. If your running at 160+ BPM and coming near muscle failure for the 30-45 minute duration of you gym experience, your burning off a lot of it.

FWIW I do kettlebell along with some dumbbells for chest once a week. And do MMA and also run about 10 miles a week. Currently am 5'11" and 166lbs and around 10% body fat. I like kettbells because they are good for strength and also keep my cardio strong. Plus the dynamic movements are a lot more fun to me than static dumbbell exercises.

I wouldn't say that a kettlebell is a substitute for a pullup bar but it can get you good results- looks, strength, power.

And as for diet, I don't think it really matters that much except don't eat crappy stuff and count your damn calories. Protein is overrated. I have had more success with a diet with some nut protein and lots of fat and complex carbs than a diet with 250 grams of protein a day.

Or you could man up and do them sideways like me
Attachment 194244

Yah well if you can do a fucking flag then you have some serious skullcrushing strength. I've wanted to be able to do that type of shit for years. I still can't even do a muscle up.

How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

5'11" 222lbs

I am 5'8", 170, got plenty of cardio punch whenever i match up with wannabe cyclists, but doing a week of P90X gave me the wake up call.

That is very impressive, on the same token, I bet you cant man up to 4 hours of road cycling.

That is why I am working out core body to have overall power.

At what weight were you able to do a flag or other serious benchmark gymnastic type strength moves/exercises?

Also, what can you deadlift/squat/bench/curl etc? Can you planche?

This is really good information to know. I thought that I would need to put a LOT more muscle on in order to have good enough power to height ratio and this confirms it. Most people who can do that type of stuff are a lot shorter and they don't need as much muscle (in weight) to move their bones around. I was planning to try to get up to 190lbs or so with 8% body fat but I guess I need to aim a lot higher.

Honestly I just tryed it the other day and it was very hard to do, it's a total different muscle strength. As for lifting I haven't maxed out in a while but these are the weights I do 8-10 reps
Bench 365lbs 8-10 reps
Squat 315lbs 8-10 reps
Deadlift 365lbs 8-10 reps
Shoulder press 120lbs dumbbells 8 reps
Curl 50lbs dumbbells 8-10 reps

the door bar i have currently works just fine if your door frames are more than 5 inches thick it might not fit properly though just fyi.

Miataspeed has laid out a winner of a plan. 8% bodyfat lol you need to get down to atleast 5-6 before you can be able to do shit like a flag etc. The bottom line if is, work hard eat plenty of protien and good carbs and eventualy it will all pay off. ( i cant stress the eat plenty part enough, 5k+ calories are needed or your progress will be very slow and otherwise normal)
oh and dips pwn pull ups for upper body work out with just body weight, but they still score 2nd to hand stand pushups in my book.

MS2005- You remind me of this guy-



In short- impressive!

Man, where to start on this bullshit. Bodyfat % has nothing to do with being able to do a strength exercise. Anything relative fit will work. These are core strength moves. Most people at 5-6% bodyfat are probably dehydrated and/or cutting so they'll be at a disadvantage off the bat. I can pretty much guarantee someone under 200 lbs eating 5k+ calories ain't hitting 5-6% bodyfat unless they're getting some serious PED help.

Dips and pullups are working totally different muscle groups so one isn't better than the other. You're talking tris/chest vs lats/back/bis.

That's like saying curls are much better than calf presses. :facepalm:

Frank

Right. It is possible though to maintain a low bodyfat like that. One thing I've noticed is that after your body stays in a certain bodyfat % or strength range for a while, like over a month, it's pretty easy to maintain that state. It's difficult though to change out of that state be it gains or losses.

5000 calories really is a lot. You had better be working out like a slave or else you will mostly put on fat. I did a diet just like that which included the aforementioned 250g of protein and I gained about 35lbs in 2 months. Unfortunately, about 20lbs of that was fat and then it took me about 6 months to get rid of the fat. No good.

I say I'm around 8-9% BF, I used to be 5-6% BF back in the day but I was dehydrated and it's really not a place you want to be. I do agree that once your BF is low, it is easy to maintain it. I eat pie, candy and junk through out the day (with healthy food as well) and still have a six pack.

I went to the gym yesterday, I listened to Marylin Manson while I pumped shit up all while watching the cowboys get pwnt.

Braineack is on the y8s fitness plan. He pays less than 70 cents a day to go to a gym AND gets to take me along for free!

We hit all major muscle groups in three visits a week with some light cardio afterwards. We aim for 6-10 reps x 3 sets for each exercise. Sometimes we do more than one exercise per muscle group.

How do we look so far?

http://jonjamesmusic.com/images/Hans-and-Franz.jpg

I get sorta turned on when I wash my calves as of late...

Whee if anyone cares I did 450 kettlebell reps yesterday

one 53lb kettlebell:

30 swings
30 cleans
30 swings
30 cleans
30 walking swings
30 cleans
30 one arm swings
30 one arm side swings
30 walking swings
30 pass arounds (pass around the body in a circle)
30 walking swings
30 two arm side swings
30 leg pass throughs
30 side swings
30 pass arounds

That was mostly a bicep and core workout. The side swings and pass arounds are really good for abs/lats/back stability and strength.

Then I got on the treadmill and walked two tenths of a mile in flip flops.

Ha, I noticed that also. After my injury in 2007, it took nearly a year for me to start gaining weight from my new found piss poor diet. Watch out though.... After that it all went down hill to the fat train wreck I am today :vash:

To get back on topic, the $35 doorway pull up bar has served me well for a couple of years as a supplement to my 2-3 gym visits a week. It enables me to get some pull-ups in whenever I think of it or walk past it. It is used more than anything at the gym could ever be. I'm 6'1" and don't have a problem with my knees getting close to the floor, either. In fact, I bought some gravity boots to use with it and it gives me about eight inches of clearance between my head and the floor. In addition to the obvious abdominal training and spinal decompression/relaxation you can do with the gravity boots, the most amazing exercise (finds muscles or parts of muscles you didn't realize were there) are the inverted squats. Don't do too many initially or you will be hurting for days.

After my brain tumor was removed I got up to 215lbs because of the high carb, high protein diet they had me on, lousy stinking steroids they were giving me, and my inability to exercise. Now I'm down to 180. I don't like the gym and only go because I need to do something occasionally to stay fit. I was a lanky youth who was well suited to endurance sports and, by design, never had the propensity to bulk. I'm just interested in long term health through mild cardio, toning, and trying to keep the fat off. I really just want to be tight like good pussy.

Damn it op, just buy a fucking bar. You can get them for like $10. No need to spend $30. Use wood screws and screw them into your door frame. Voila. Done. IMO no exercise is the most amazingest exercise that will do everything for you. The total gym thing won't make much of a dick of difference. Yippie fuck, lots of grips. If you can really do sets of pullups on all the different grips in one session or even a day, then you wouldn't be asking the question. Pullups are one of the harder bodyweight exercises. Just start doing something and TTU to you.

I hear good things about Body By Jake Tower3000 or whatever. Might get that when it gets too cold for me to want to go to the gym...

I've been taking Jack3d pre-workout and Nitrotech Hardcore protein 2 scoops afterwards.

Working out regularly is a good way to keep my cigarette-smoking in check. Before I started going to the gym 5 days a week, I would smoke a pack a day. Now it's like a pack every 2-3 days...still bad, but I'm trying...