How to install a pull up bar?

Question

I have purchased a pull up bar with 4 attachment points, and will be installing it in my room. I understand it needs to be in a stud and not just drywall, but what else do I do to ensure it can withstand weight and force of 98kg me when working out with it. What screws do I use, etc? Thanks very much in advance. And what if my studs aren’t this exact width apart?

Noyade · Answer

I have no physique but did attend gyms years ago and I can honestly say I never saw chin-up bars attached to the walls - always a self-enclosed design that was mounted or resting on the floor. I wonder if this is/was a liability/insurance issue - should they part with the wall?

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @zoe.millars,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

Commercial-style pull-up bars like the one you've shown would typically be installed into a solid masonry or concrete wall, rather than directly into a standard timber stud wall.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be confident recommending that you simply fix it to the existing timber studs regardless of whether the mounting points line up perfectly or not. A pull-up bar is subjected to significant dynamic loads as you lift, swing and move on it, which can be considerably greater than your body weight. Even if the fixings themselves are strong enough, the wall framing and the way the bar is attached to it also need to be capable of handling those forces.

It may be possible to install the bar if additional structural timber or blocking is added between the studs to spread the load, but this would need to be assessed based on the construction of your wall and the mounting points on the bar.

I'd suggest speaking with a licenced builder or carpenter who can inspect the wall and the pull-up bar and advise what reinforcement would be required for a safe installation.

Jacob