Pull Up Station – Your Alternatives

Ok, by now, you know just how beneficial a Pull Up Station is and can be.  (And if you’re still not convinced, be sure to scroll down and check out the below pull up station article.)

But, did you know that you could actually choose from quite a large variety of different Pull Up Station apparatus?  You’d think that a Pull Up Station would be pretty simple – just a bar to do pull ups, chins, and the like on.  And while at it’s most basic level, that is true, there is equipment with added benefits and features that make them very useful and some are even portable.

Let’s take a look at a few of the Pull Up Station alternatives you have at your disposal…

Pull Up Station Alternative #1 – Doorway Pull Up Bar

When many people think of a home Pull Up Station, they think of  a Doorway Pull Up Bar.

This little piece of equipment is pretty versatile and can be used in almost any doorway in your home.  They are designed in such a way that they use physics and bracing to keep in place.  Basically, part of it will be on one side of the doorway, sort of ‘looping’ over the door jamb.  The other part of it will be on the opposite side of the doorway, bracing from the opposite direction.

Most of the time when you get a Doorway Pull Up Bar, it will be in a box and you’ll have to assemble it yourself.  This is no problem – the whole process only takes about 5 minutes or so…10 max.  (TIP – Get yourself a little tube of “Loctite” and put some on the threads of the bolts when you put it together.  This will keep all the nuts tight and ensure it stays a solid and safe unit.)

Doorway Pull Up Stations are great because they’re generally pretty cheap, they’re not permanent (no drilling or screwing into the doorway) and can be put up or taken down in literally seconds.  Just be sure that when you use one, you move slow and controlled – excess momentum could cause the bar to move and fall while you’re in the middle of a set.

Pull Up Station Alternative #2 – Tower

You’ve probably seen a Pull Up Station like this at your local sporting goods store.  This is a free-standing unit that sits on the floor.  It will have a wide base that extends in several directions for maximum stability.  There will be a center section that comes up and has a pull up bar hanging from it.  On the opposite side of the Pull Up Station, it will usually be configured to be used as a station for doing Dips as well as Leg Raises.

This unit is a little more expensive than the Doorway Pull Up bar, and it takes up a little more space.  You might have to put it together yourself, or some of the sturdier options will be all one unit.  This Pull Up Station is going to be much stronger than a doorway option, however.  This is the sort of equipment that you could use a little more momentum on and be totally safe.  You can also load it much heavier (meaning that when you’re strong enough, you can do weighted Pull Ups and Chins) with no problem.  And you’ll never have to worry about a Pull Up Tower beating up your home or coming down while you’re in the middle of a set.

An added benefit is that you can also use it for additional exercises besides just Pull Ups, Chins, and their variations.  It’s ready-made to do Dips and Leg Raises.

Pull Up Station Alternative #3 – Rings

The next type of Pull Up Station you can use is one that, unless you travel in certain fitness circles, have no idea about – and that’s Rings.

If you’re thinking that these look like what you see men competing on in gymnastics events, then you’re completely correct – that’s exactly what they are.  In recent years, they’ve become quite popular with some fitness trainers because of their versatility and how they can improve the effectiveness of Pull Ups.

One of the things that makes Rings a great Pull Up Station is also one of the things that makes them the hardest to use – and that’s the fact that they’re totally totally independent of one another.  Unlike a Pull Up Bar, you’re free to move your hands where you want and hold them how you want.  This ends up easing a lot of stress on the shoulders, wrists, and elbows – this is a good thing.

However, this makes using them for Pull Ups and Chins much tougher, as it makes the exercise harder to do.  But again – this is a good thing.  It will take you a little longer to progress than normal, but that’s fine – the added strength and stability you’ll build will be well worth it.

Rings are also highly versatile in that they can be used for a whole myriad of different exercises, depending on how long you make the straps (and how high you have the Rings hanging off the floor).  You can use them for Pull Ups and Chins.  Lower them a little, prop your feet on a bench, and you can use them to do Inverted Rows.  Leave them where they are, flip over (so you’re facing the ground with your feet propped up) and now you’re doing Pushups on the Rings.  Raise them back up a little and you can do Dips on them.  Chain a Pull Up and a Dip together and you can do what’s called a “Muscle Up”.  Or, do various specific upper back and shoulder rehab exercises like Face Pulls.

Rings really are great for working the entire upper body.  And they’re usually very competitively priced.  (More than a Doorway Pull Up Bar, but less than a Tower.)  They’re also completely portable which means you can easily take them with you anywhere you go.

The main gripe Rings face is that you will need somewhere very strong and secure to hang them from.  This can be almost anywhere – a rafter in your basement, cross-bracing on your porch, or even a thick, sturdy tree-branch.  But you will need someplace to hang them, or else you won’t be able to use them.

Pull Up Station Alternative #4 – The TRX

You have almost assuredly heard of the TRX and suspension training by now…it’s in all the magazines, and all the ‘big-name’ mainstream Hollywood trainers use them, as well as even a few pro-athletes.

Basically, a TRX tries to take the idea of Rings and “one-up” it.

First, the handles are straight and foam-covered.  This makes them easier to grip and a little more stable in certain positions.  It also gives you a little more versatility with some exercises (especially those that target the biceps and triceps).

But where the TRX really steps it up a notch is with the addition of foot straps to each handle.  Now, this isn’t just a Pull Up Station – now you have ways to work your core, your Lower Body, and much more.  The TRX actually goes from being just a Pull Up Station to being a piece of equipment that you can train the entire body with.

Like Rings, you will have to have a place to securely hang the TRX, so be sure to think about that before you invest in one.  And the other main drawback is the price – it is a bit more spendy than other Pull Up Station alternatives (especially when compared to Rings).  However, with that added price, you are getting much more added versatility, and added ways you can use it.

It would be highly possible to think that you would need no other piece of equipment for your workouts than just a TRX.

CATEGORY – PULL UP STATION