Reddit reviews Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition

I don't think there is really any substitute for pullups (and its related motions, like cable pulldowns). However, you can still target your latissimus dorsi, albeit from different angles; you can use bent over rows, along with pullovers (which may be easier on a Swiss Ball instead of lying perpendicular on a bench), or inverted rows. They don't match the vertical range of motion of pullups, or recruit as many helper muscles, but they will do as substitutes if you have no other equipment.

Personally, I'd be wary about using household items as makeshift pullup bars, unless you're good enough at engineering or physics to properly analyze them.

In my opinion, the best way to do pullups at home, especially when you have limited funds and space, is to get a door frame pullup bar in the style of the Iron Gym / Iron Gym Xtreme / P90X / EasyEffort. These are not like the old style bars which expand to brace against the inside of a door frame; these are the type which rest on the frame lintel, hang through the doorway, and brace against the frame on the other side. It's easier to understand by seeing how it fits. They support about 136 kilograms / 300 pounds, are easily removable, and require no alteration of your doorway.

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

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I've had good luck with the Iron Gym one. Hasn't messed up my door and it works well.

Link

I have this:

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001ND04U4

Same thing

I have a door frame pull up bar (like this) with some ab straps. The pull up bar is excellent at hanging clothes on. I'm guessing it could also be used for exercise.

$20 OBO. Please don't make me move this to the new house.

I highly recommend this one.

I got mine at Winners (of all places) for around $25 or so. I like it because it has a lot of grip options, and the wide grips come out a bit so you're not rubbing your elbows along the wall.

First thing that comes to mind is getting a pull up bar (especially one like the this one with multiple grips): http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001ND04U4

Between chin ups and multiple arm position pullups (and dips using a chair), you'll hit the majority of your upper body. You can even use your back pack to increase the weight.

Also, have you checked out the side bar at /r/bodyweightfitness ?

You can also get a resistance band set that would allow you to workout your chest standing up. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Bodylastics-Resistance-components-membership-LIVEEXERCISE/dp/B006O09M4K (very versatile and affordable).

I actually own both of those so feel free to ask me about them.

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001ND04U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=exercise-and-fitness&qid=1280262649&sr=1-1

These kinds of pull up systems work really well with minimal risk of falling.

Of course having your own backyard is a blessing that should be utilized to its fullest ;)

A few years ago, I crafted a couple back boards (+ simple mounting hardware) that quickly attach to and detach from this type of Iron Gym with ease. I no longer use the first back board (the second one is just a larger WxH/thicker/more meticulously planned version of the first). The back board has T-nuts in a grid pattern and honestly works really well with just climbing holds instead of a commercial hang board, but you could screw a hang board into the back board if you desire.

I no longer use the first board, so I'm looking to pass it along to someone who might breathe new life into it. It's gratis aside from shipping, unless someone feels generous. I sent you a PM with some information about it in case you would like to use it.

Ah, I have a doorway-hung pull-up bar, this one, to be precise. It's too low for me to attach the rings to and not touch the ground.

I would imagine it would increase grip strength, just as it does for other pulling/lifting exercises. I want to increase my grip strength, but haven't really been in the bodyweight fitness community long enough to have experience with equipment specifically designed to do that.

Buy the Iron Gym Extreme, it may be the dumbest named piece of workout equipment ever, but for turning a standard doorway into a pull up station, without any permanent fixtures, it's pretty sweet.

HALF PRICE!

• Buy a bike
  
• Cycle to the gym. Nice warmup. 5 miles isn't too bad on a bike unless it's crazy hilly.
  
• Squat
  
• Cycle home. Good cooldown.
  
  Crunches are pretty much useless and will make your back hurt easily. Same with supine leg lifts. If you want a six pack, do hanging leg raises to build up those muscles and control your diet to get rid of the fat covering them up. Even if you don't end up going to the gym, get one of these and do the HLR's on it. It will let you add pull-ups to your at-home regimen, too.

Lost 75 lbs a few years ago with no gym, trainer, etc. The only equipment I had was some free weights (for curls and things like that) and eventually a pull-up bar (I'd recommend this one ).

I managed to go from 5' 8" 215lbs to 140lbs (pretty small at this point) over the course of about half a year. It can be done without anything other than motivation and willpower. To be honest, I kept thinking I'd plateau around 180lbs, then 170lbs, etc. Once you get your lifestyle changed, the weight won't stop dropping. I realize I started at a lower weight than you are, but the only real difference is the length of time it'll take you to get where you want. Once you get through the first few months, it won't be "losing weight" anymore, it'll just be living your life.

I posted what I did to someone else earlier today. It's a long post, but I tried to give as much advice as I could.

Sorry about the length, I'm just trying to say every helpful bit of advice I can think of. I really hope it helps. In short, just do little things like eating less, snacking less, and being more active.

My advice to you (and how I did it):

Pay an extreme amount of attention to what you eat. Eat slightly smaller meals (assuming you're eating too much like I was).

Whenever you find yourself wanting something to eat, drink water. It doesn't matter how you feel. Refuse to be controlled by hunger. Just drink water and eat food for nourishment when you feel it's necessary. (as a note: make sure you're still eating enough, obviously. But don't eat more than enough.)

Get into some small amount of exercise, but nothing super extreme. The exercise is a good way to keep your body healthy and a really nice way to see your progress (that first pull-up is really satisfying).

For about one year, eat NO sweets. Not a single one. There are certain foods that are unquestionably unhealthy/unnecessary (cake, cookies, etc). When you want some, drink water. You can even imagine eating it as you're drinking the water if you want. But nothing more than water. One thing that helped me is the realization that the taste of that cookie only lasts for a little while, but your health will last for the rest of your life. After the cookie is gone, it's gone; it becomes just another memory (of which you most certainly have plenty). Try to think long term.

Generally, I'm just suggesting a lifestyle change. Even if you're eating a little healthier than before, you'll get healthier and lose weight. You don't need to go run a mile every day to get healthier. A little bit every day will add up, and eventually, you'll be feeling and looking healthier. Think about whatever there is that will keep you motivated (the ladies, kids, wife, yourself).

Good luck!!!

Okay, so you already have a bike that you're using to commute. If that takes you 20+ minutes in one direction, that's enough to get rolling. Otherwise, I suggest working in some dedicated cardio time. Even though your challenge physically is not to lose weight but to get stronger, cardio is great for your heart, your metabolism, your hormonal balance, and basically your overall health.

Depending on which way you swing, you may or may not benefit from working out in your dorm. Personally, I want to go some place where I can just cut loose and totally focus on the workout. Plus, I find that I begin to hate the place where I live if I do too many different things there. Perhaps when you get to the point that you own a house or something where you can partition off a work space over there, a hanging out space over there, etc. exercising in your home can work optimally. I just go to a park about a block from my flat since there are some bars there I can use for pull ups. I haven't decided yet whether to do this straight through the winter, get a gym membership, or purchase a relatively inexpensive door mounted bar like this one. But in your case, you're already paying fees for the upkeep of your university's gym; so, why not get some use out of that?

And not to sound like a broken record, but the FAQ over at r/fitness would probably give you a bunch of great ideas. Go get 'em, bro!

Dunno if it's just a joke about you're username of if you really are interested in working your arms.

If you are interested, push-ups mostly work your chest and I think back/shoulders to an extent. For biceps/triceps you just need a dumbbell or something. Getting a pull up bar can really help a lot too. I have and definitely suggest this.

It's not the kind of bar you're talking about, but I use this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ND04U4

I don't use any screws or hooks or anything with it, never had any trouble with it coming out of place (200 lbs).

The main thing is to make exercising convenient for you. If you want to go to a gym ..then make sure it is next to your house or work. But personally I think gym is helpful if you have a partner (that's the biggest motivation) But if you don't want to pay monthly & drive waste gas to get to the gym ....just buy some dumbbells, Iron Gym Pull up bar, & put on some you-tube videos like this one.

You'll get motivation ...start eating right....start reading up on the right foods...& make a list of your fitness goals...Always track your shit. Just remember it doesn't matter that your working out 2 hours everyday....it just matters that you do something...anything at all.

Here, use one of these

It doesn't put stress on the frame, but rather the wall itself. Your gf might be thinking of the ones that install like a shower curtain rod.

Not to be a debbie downer, but I had one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001ND04U4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376498059&sr=8-2&keywords=pull+up+bar

and it ended up damaging my door. I weigh 220 and was using it quite a bit, had some splintering on the wood.

Everything you said is correct, but just for others who read this, they now make ones that come out from the door and allow the full range of motion:

An example: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Total-Upper-Body-Workout/dp/B001ND04U4

I don't have one, but that's what I've been looking at. Seems like a pretty wide grip though, and I'm not sure if you'd be able to do chinups on it or not. It looks like your shoulders/traps might hit the handles on the sides.

I've got this type of bar and if you get some of these and use it to pad out the ends that lean against the door, you won't get any marks.

Unfortunately I can't answer you, so I'm gonna be rude and steal your thread a bit with a similar question.

I'm gonna by a chin up bar in the likes of Iron Gym and some rings to hang on the bar, mainly for dips and inverted rows. Does anybody else have a similar setup? Is it safe? And where is the optimal place on the bar to hang the rings from?

Also, the Lifeline USA Pullup Revolution can help you do assisted pull ups along with doing negatives. I also have the Iron gym pullup bar. They work great together.

Ohhh its a dip bar. the other one is a pull up bar. you said bottom of it so i was looking towards the floor lol.

Iron Gym Xtreme