(Part 3) Top products from r/bodyweightfitness

Ya legit gymnastics parallel bars are expensive. I have a iron gym pull-up bar and MDUSA rings but i hang my rings on a beam in a garage. I also have hanged them on a branch of a tree (make sure it's sturdy), on swing sets with the swings moved out of the way, on monkey bars, and on a football goal post. All were very succesful getting enough height and room on the sides is the most important which is why monkey bars actually work better than a narrow pull-up bar.

If drilling isn't an option then buying some sort of pull-up bar to hang them on is probably your next best bet. An iron gym is pretty cheap and with a couple of nails you can secure your doorframe extra if your worried about it being flimsy although my apartment doorframe does fine. You could also do a power tower for pretty cheap.

Right now, I'm going through u/ryandemonford 's Parkour Strength Training, and it's got a ton of great excersises for joint strength, and just strength excersises to help you better utilize your body while doing parkour. You can find most (if not all of them I believe) on his YouTube channel , but I'd also reccomend picking up the book. It's around $35 on Amazon, so it's not that bad. (I personally retain information better by having something detailed to read alongside having a visual aid. The YouTube videos are still a great guide by themselves however)

edit: He also had an AMA on this sub that I almost forgot about: https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/3ttw20/my_name_is_ryan_ford_author_of_parkour_strength/

I'm looking to start the recommended routine, and as such I'm shopping for a pull up bar. I've searched both here and /r/fitness, and found the Iron Gym one most regularly recommended for someone who can't bolt one into a doorway. However, looking through the progressions, I feel like something like this might be better, as it allows me to lower the height more easily to do horizontal rows. It also seems like this would be easier to take with me when travelling, although that's a secondary concern.

I'd appreciate any recommendations on which is the best way to go, especially if I've overlooked some part of the progressions that would make the Iron Gym style preferable in the long run.

I'm no veteran, but I built these for £10 - one thing i'd say is spring for a pipe cutter or get your pipe cut for you as using a hacksaw for cutting pipe is a fucking nightmare.

Also, I made the horizontal pipe 12" as I saw no need to have it be 24" and if it's longer it will just bend in the middle. Also, if you leave one pair of joints un-glued, you can fold them flat for easy storage.

They work great for l-sits and tuck planche work, and being able to transition from one to the other is fun.

My Reddit secret santa bought me these which are pretty good. Straps are really sturdy, but i imagine wood rings would feel nicer on the hands.

Great, thank you. I'm still new to this, so some of the acronyms are unfamiliar. I found a GHD, which looks like it has the quality you recommend.

I'm not sure what a step platform is, unless you mean something like this. But I don't see how that relates to saving space on weights.

I understand an ab roller to be this. I remember using one of these once and was impressed with how much it seemed to exercise my abs. Good suggestion.

As for suspension system, would that be something like this? Would a weight rack serve this purpose?

The FAQ is great. Also you can check out You Are Your Own Gym. It goes into a little bit of science and nutrition as well. I really liked it. It has an accompanying app you can get that has great 10 week workout routines built in. I have had great results using it so far.

Eventually you’ll want a bar or rings (rings work great for the rows too), but you may be able to find something in the meantime. Some stairs work if you can get under and behind them. Or a 2x4 on the ceiling of an unfinished basement. The best option is rings though, assuming you can find a spot to hang them. If you happen to have resistance bands, you can attach them overhead and mimic the pull-up motion.

I’ve been really happy with these rings.

I bought my rings from amazon: These have worked really well for me for the last few years now.

I generally go to the park and hang my rings on a tree branch or a large rugby goal post. Given that you're probably in the US, a football goal post would do pretty well for you.

Best of luck!

So a set like this seems solid? Like, if price was no issue, this would be a solid set to purchase? Thanks again!

http://www.amazon.com/Pellor-Gymnastic-Workout-Exercise-Buckles/dp/B00DW2DJOM/ref=sr_1_4?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1451710231&sr=1-4&keywords=gymnastic+rings&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A4576559011


EDIT: OR, this one looks to be the best and by far the most rated item on Amazon - any thoughts?

http://www.amazon.com/Nayoya-Gymnastic-Strength-Crossfit-Training/dp/B009RA6C1K/ref=sr_1_13?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1451713450&sr=1-13&keywords=gymnastic+rings

I'd recommend taking a look at the Body by You book. It's basically the You are Your Own Gym workout, but redesigned specifically for women, with different progressions, etc.

My wife started YAYOG, but didn't make it past the first couple of days due to the difficulty. She's had much better success with Body by You though, and has stuck with it as a result.

Also, if you do end up getting that book, I'd recommend the paper version. It's going to be easier to reference the exercises, plus it has places to log your workouts, etc. And, it's only $.10 more than the Kindle version right now.

I've had tennis elbow, so not exactly golfer's elbow, and I tried stretching, rubbing, resting, etc. but the only thing that helped me was when I bought and used this

I went on YouTube to know what exercises to do with it. I watched a lot of videos but only found this guy to be helpful link

Hope you get better soon!

I bought one from titan fitness that use regularly off of amazon when it was on sale and I love it. I’m a bigger guy too so it’s definitely up to snuff on holding a lot of weight, and it gives enough room off the wall to do muscle ups comfortably.

titan fitness pull up bar

It's difficult to study exercise technique/form in quite the same rigorous & scientific way as we do with medications & diseases. Or perhaps more importantly, people haven't put nearly as much effort & money into the (proper scientific) study of exercise.

Having said that, it's not a data-free zone. I'd recommend Kelly Starrett's book Becoming a Supple Leopard as a fairly comprehensive book that covers proper form for many exercises.

It's not referenced, but Starrett is knowedgeable & widely respected, and the book is excellent.

for what it's worth, it's even easier to patch a hole in the wall than it is to make the hole in the wall, so I'd still recommend a pullup bar in your wall, and an old person's walker for p bars

I have a very highly rated power tower and while totally safe, it's annoyingly wobbly

this is the one you'd probably want, though:

https://www.amazon.com/GoBeast-Pull-Bar-Dip-Stand/dp/B07282J2MZ/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-cHVsbCB1cCBtYXRl-ac_d_rm&keywords=Pull+Up+Mate&pd_rd_i=B07282J2MZ&pd_rd_r=2dc930da-933a-425f-911f-7793a9fcfdad&pd_rd_w=CYOKk&pd_rd_wg=OqI3E&pf_rd_p=983984df-2ad2-4c97-ba7f-4c5a90291c2b&pf_rd_r=76VMRVFPWJ21BXMW5DJ0&psc=1&qid=1571086927

Hmm, personally I use a straight bar (rather than the larger hooked over kinda ones) which extends out by twisting the central, part, works surprisingly well and I believe it can hold up to 100kg, are you sure you wouldn't be able to fit that into a suitcase? According to Amazon it's just over 60cm long when fully retracted.


This is the bar: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008BQ6WQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_jNgQAbRDZ313E

I have these and really like them. Brought my training to another level.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CLPLOH4

Super easy to set up and adjustable by nature.

As /u/Beazer says, if you have rings and place to hang them, you're good. If you need a place to hang them, something like the setup in this video would get you a long way.
Here is the bar.
And here are some wooden rings. Have fun!

I'm about 230(235 on a good day), and am wanting to start the RR routine. It's time to stop being a schlub and get my crap together....

I've been looking around for a door-mounted pull-up bar as a short-term solution, but am concerned about weight limits. Any recommendations? Optimally, I'd like to be able to use it for rows also if possible, and further down the line, I want to look into wall-mounted or power rack solutions.

Edit: This is the one I've been looking at, but Amazon info says 300lb weight capacity, while Wal-Mart Q&A says 220lb printed on the box. To be fair, there's a Wal-Mart 2 miles from the house, so I could just drive over there and look for myself. :(

I use a "power tower", something that looks close to this.

It's been great for the rec routine. Used to start pullups, dips and rows in the routine. But you can also do leg raises. I don't use that stuff at the bottom, to be honest it gets in the way.

I now also have rings hanging from the bar for support holds, dips, ring pushups, etc. You can't really do levers because there isn't enough room to rotate.

It's quite large, but as long as you have enough room, I think it's a useful piece of equipment.

Titan fitness pull up rig is cheap and solid as a rock. Titan Fitness Wall Mounted Pull Up Chin Up Bar Cross Fit Training Fitness Heavy Duty https://www.amazon**DOT**com/dp/B00HF8U37U?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

( I don't know how this sub is about Amazon links, I don't think its affiliate)

Something like this would probably suffice:

https://www.amazon.com/xFitness-Gymnastic-Enhanced-Flexible-CrossFit/dp/B01CLPLOH4/ref=pd_lpo_200_tr_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2ZQ2FZYPZJQFTRQEZ6E8

Important things: made of wood rather than plastic, decent straps, easily adjustable buckles that don't slip and which are gonna hold up for a good period of time.

this book may help. i have it but never read it. ive read through one of his other books though and i liked it a lot. i think he's a legit source, but I really wouldn't know.

anyway for me, it was/is my shoulder health. they are pulled forward from having them in front of my at my desk all day so they hurt when i try to exercise.

a good place to start to lessen the effects of sitting would be to get up every 20 minutes or so to move around a bit, and to stretch every night

Titan fitness pull up bar first result on amazon. If you have a workout park close by you might consider training there. Looks like good walls for handstand practice though!

TheraBand FlexBar: https://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Tendonitis-Resistance-Tendinitis-Intermediate/dp/B000KGOMBC/

Heard about it on Rogan's podcast. It's amazing. Start with green or blue depending on how strong you are.

Something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/XMark-Fitness-Power-Pull-up-Station/dp/B004OVLSOS/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_1

That's more affordable than I expected, to be honest. Especially because it'll allow me to do a few of the other exercises on here that I didn't think I'd be able to do without rings.

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.

Go Fit Elevated Chinup Bar. You'll love the extra foot of clearance it gives you over all the other bars.

http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-Elevated-Chin-Up-Station/dp/B0027ICCTA

These are the ones I own and they work great for me. But really any of the highly rated ones on Amazon are probably fine. Just make sure you read the reviews and don't order something with straps that slip or other annoying quality issues.

No one answered your rings question. I recently bought a pair of Black Mountain Product rings and they're pretty awesome (the straps are a little thin though so they turn easily). I couldn't afford wood and I don't know if wooden rings can be left outside for periods of time.

Going to respectfully disagree with /u/-RandomPoem here. It sounds like you want body control for parkour movements rather than one-arm chin or handstands for a minute. Ryan Ford's [Parkour Strength Training] (https://www.amazon.com/Parkour-Strength-Training-Overcome-Obstacles/dp/1517670896) comes to mind.

A more video-based course on quadrupedal movement is GMB's [Movement Vitamin] (https://gmb.io/v/) or [Elements] (https://gmb.io/e/)

Unreplied-to comment from yesterday's Daily Thread

If you reply here, please mention the user so they get notified. Ex: /u/<username>.

/u/Lego349 asked:

>Want to add a Power tower to my home set up for my routines. For my budget and avilable space I've got it narrowed down to two:


Stamina Power Towers

And

Golds Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower

Experiences, recommendations or reviews would be gretly appreciated.

Any wooden rings should do fine, example:

http://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-Wooden-Gym-Ring-%C2%B2KFQHZ/dp/B00LE9HFNQ/

I have these ones and they are great.

http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00ORP8WI6

This:

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1517670896?keywords=parkour%20strength%20Training&qid=1451994168&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

If you want actual function without unnecessary bulk, visit a parcour training/jam in your city. Everyone is usually extremely nice and supportive; and if they aren't, you don't want to learn from them.
Since it is a bodyweight sport focussing on technique and mental training, your body will only react to your movements --> There will be no "artificial" bulk, i.e. your physique will only change according to your body type/genetics. I've seen big/muscular and lean/skinny practitioners perform equally well.

I posted this in its own thread, although it should have gone here oops. Long story short. I am looking for a power tower with a smallish footprint that I can pack up when I am not using, and someone recommended https://www.amazon.com/GoBeast-Pull-Bar-Dip-Stand/dp/B07282J2MZ Looks good, but a final question is, is it sturdy enough to hang rings on? I'm not there yet, but I would like to be.

I hung these rings on this pull up bar mounted in a door frame for well over a year of regular use. All still 100% usable. The pullup bar's spongy center grips are starting to fall apart (again, after over a year of pull ups and weighted pull ups), but the rings and straps look brand new. Highly recommend both.

This is the best doorway pullup bar to get if you want to hang rings from one.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027ICCTA/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWV2STB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_knHwCb7Q9XE6P

This is your best option if you set up on the same bar every time.

From Kelly Starret's Deskbound:

“What about physio balls, BOSU balls, and kneeling chairs? We do not consider these to be great choices. While a bouncy ball does promote small movements with its constant instability, managing an organized spine for sustained periods is nearly impossible. Anyone on a ball chair will ultimately default to an end-range, tissue-limited shape as fatigue sets in or concentration is lost. The unstable surface accelerates postural decay and makes compensatory slouching or spinal overextension worse. Try to stand on a water bed for an hour and notice what happens. Add to this the fact that it is difficult to bear weight on your pelvis and not the soft tissues of your hamstrings. Most important, sitting on a ball is still sitting, with all of its pitfalls. While a kneeling chair does open up the hips, it provides limited dynamic sitting options and encourages spending time in an overextended shape. When it comes to sitting in a chair, your best bet is to go with a simple, rigid chair with a wide, semi-hard seat.”

I tend to trust K-Star on this kind of stuff. Of course, standing is even better than sitting, but if standing isn't an option, I'll often kneel at a standard-height desk (shifting between a one-knee-down lunge shape and a two knees down shape).

Want to add a Power tower to my home set up for my routines. For my budget and avilable space I've got it narrowed down to two:


Stamina Power Towers

And

Golds Gym XR 10.9 Power Tower

Experiences, recommendations or reviews would be gretly appreciated.

Something like this might suit you. I'm sure there are other similar stands available.

I just bought adjustable straps for my rings (https://www.amazon.com/Double-Circle-Replacement-Straps-Gymnastic/dp/B07CWV2STB/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=rings+straps+adjustable&qid=1573338214&sr=8-1). So much better than the cam buckle types. No messy straps and perfect length between different exercises!

Check the ones Antranik recommends in his rings routine page, those are recommended by him and have 50% discount on amazon, or at least they had it last week.

Edit: They still have the discount, here is the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LE9HFNQ/V

Has anyone tried making these types of straps for their rings. It seems like a lot of money for what it is. I have a sewing machine at home so was wondering if it’s worth DIY-ing my own or just buying it. https://www.amazon.com/Double-Circle-Replacement-Straps-Gymnastic/dp/B07CWV2STB/

The bar is probably the Iron Gym one, I was thinking about buying one today. I'm curious about the rings though, I was considering building my own dip bars but if the rings work just as well for $40 I'm going to spring for those. I'll edit my comment if I find the rings.

Pull-up Bar ($23.99):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EJMS6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QT1Gzb60K1F8Z

Rings ($32.99):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CLPLOH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NS1Gzb243K40T

I got mine from Amazon.
I've been very satisfied with it.

This one is my favorite one because you can get separation from the door. http://www.amazon.com/Elevated-Chin-Up-Station-GoFit/dp/B0027ICCTA/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1459105415&sr=8-21&keywords=door+pull+up+bar

I bought this one on Amazon and love it:

http://smile.amazon.com/Valeo-VA2413RE-AB-WHEEL/dp/B0007IS74G?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I don't know that it's "BIFL" quality necessarily but I don't know how you could break it either.

I got these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DW2DJOM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Jcq4ybDJ09ZE5

There's no height markings on the straps, and it can be a bit iffy to fit the straps through the clips, so they're not great if you want to unloop and loop quickly.

But if you're just going to hang them up and not mess about, they're good enough.

Have the thing that clamps facing you and pointing towards the ground, put the strap from the back and down into the clamp.

Hope that is easy to understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Pellor-Exercise-crossfit-training-Gymnastic/dp/B005EER2VC/ref=pd_sbs_sg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CY0JT9AQPEW1VN8WV53

Look at the last picture, they edited it but the straps come from behind.

Ahh yea that one looks nicer than the one I have. This is what I was talking about

Like this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008BQ6WQQ/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

I'm also in this position of figuring out the equipment I need.

I was thinking something like this Power Tower or this one

Originally I was thinking hey I will just build it myself with pipes. Well, doing that is more expensive than just buying one of those power towers.

I'm a little concerned about the width of the dip handles though...Being too wide?

Anyone have experience with these towers? I need something for pullups because all the doorways in the house have extra big molding around them so are unable to accommodate my pullups bar :(

If you have no shame, what I did was just bought a pair of rings, put the Smith machine to its highest setting and did ring dips, ring rows, ring push ups, ring pull-ups, ring Lsits and did sumo squats with dumbbells because eff Smith machines.

Rings are pretty inexpensive and a huge value to your exercising.

Yes4All KFQH Wooden Gym Ring https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LE9HFNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1YGIyb1GS5F8X

I'm also currently in process of getting rid of elbow tendinitis and would say it's around 80% healed, 90% on better days. It's from too much volume of climbing and bwf combined. The best tip to get rid of it was to get TheraBand and after I started RELIGIOUSLY doing 3 sets of 15 every day, it's improved in 2 weeks so much, compared to last 2-3 months.

The worst injury? I overtrained my left shoulder by doing to many muscle ups with improper technique and continued doing long sets with chicken winging when I got tired (one arm over bar first, second one follows). It got to the point I wasn't able to to 5 pull ups anymore. Dropped all of it, let it heal and started from basics, focused on strength training and stopped doing muscle ups for almost 2 years (I had a mental block and wasn't able to get over the bar with both arms at the same time as if the pain was still there). Conditioned the sh*t out of it, came back stronger, re-learned muscle ups last year.

https://www.amazon.com/Parkour-Strength-Training-Overcome-Obstacles/dp/1517670896

Worth following Ryan's Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/DemonDrills) too.

amazon has a lot of things you can try including this:

https://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Tendonitis-Resistance-Tendinitis-Intermediate/dp/B000KGOMBC/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=golfers+elbow&qid=1570750990&sr=8-4

i've had it so bad it hurt to hold a cup of water in my hand. in that case, it was rest and time that fixed it.

you also might want to look into bpc-157 if you are peptides-inclined.

I've ordered these and they have been working fine for me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BOVWP1Q/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Decided to purchase these straps

However, I made the mistake of not checking to see if the rings were a part of the item. Nope, I just got straps, anyone recommend some ring to go with it? Size? I'm a beginner in using these items.

I'm in an 500sq/ft studio apartment. No basement/garage lol

but I found this https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Fitness-Multi-Gym-Doorway-Portable/dp/B01KN17NTQ

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61j7m9xNeZL.jpg One of the reviewer posted a picture that looks very similar to my door trim.

I have two places that I visit. The local gym and this beast in my room.

I use the power tower for dips and pull ups (It is kind of a daily thing/when I need a breake from studying).

Normal link for people not on phones: http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-Elevated-Chin-Up-Station/dp/B0027ICCTA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409879515&sr=8-1&keywords=GoFit+Elevated+Chin+Up+Station

Iron Gym Xtreme

My mrs got me these rings for Christmas which I have hung on this pull up bar The straps are adjustable and really long, I have them about 3 foot off the ground for inverted rows.

I realise that is not an Iron Gym bar but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work the same.

I think he published new editions over the years, but that should be the book I had: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/0345528581

Check this one if you still looking for one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HF8U37U/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=imtaznabi09-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00HF8U37U&linkId=425c62a1deac2d0cca93cd4752f6ca58

Are these the Pellor rings you and the OP are referring to?
http://www.amazon.com/Pellor-Gymnastic-Crossfit-Workout-Exercise/dp/B00DW2DJOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413569711&sr=8-1

Ab Wheel
This is the one I use. The grips come off and the axle is a hollow rod.
Disassembles in 3 seconds.

Depending on where in canada you are... do you have any friends in the US who could order from amazon.com and you could drive to pick up the equipment? I see for e.g. this at about $130 and that at $150. That on amazon.ca is CDN$585 which seems like one hell of a markup for crossing a border.

Steven Low : http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/
 
Pavel Tsatsouline for strenght
 
Bret Contreras : http://www.amazon.com/Bodyweight-Strength-Training-Anatomy-Contreras/dp/1450429297/
 
Mark Lauren : http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/0345528581/
 
Etc... Google to find known authors and coachs and avoid pseudo-expert... You don't need to follow a lot of guys, choose just 3-4 very good ressources and it's sufficient.

I really can't recommend Becoming a Supple Leopard enough for mobility work and identifying which exercises to do.

Pretty sure that squat variation will ruin your knees. The guy in the video you showed - his heels are off the ground, he doesn't verticalize his shins, and he is loading all his body weight on his knees. It's like the sonkyo in kendo; my teammates all do it like this and they're going to suffer knee injury down the road.


Source: Kelly Starrett, Deskbound

Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628600586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GEeIybBKSRWH0

Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628600837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gFeIybZ03PF2R

3 hours and no recommendation for Becoming a Supple Leopard?

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?

I may get shouted at for this but becoming a supple leopard is really good. It's written by a guy involved with crossfit so I wouldn't be surprised if people dislike it, but it's good.

There are older pdf versions of it online, and if you skip to the exercises sections towards the end, you can find loaaaads of things to do with a foam roller, depending on what you're trying to hit.

There won't be a full "routine" because it would take ages. Just do 10 mins a day on 2 or 3 areas you think need it.

As far as causing injury- just look up how to foam roll your back. You'll struggle to injure anything else

edit: just to point out that mobilitywod (recommended in a different post) is the same guy who wrote this book!

I bought these recently and have no complaints.

Yes you can, but get your fingers ready as it is hard to grip, and also annoying as your feet touch the door

For the bar, buy a bar than open itselfs outwards ( like this one : https://www.amazon.fr/Ultrasport-3311000000702-Pull-Up-Mixte-Adulte/dp/B008BQ6WQQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1491759160&sr=8-4&keywords=barre+de+traction ), and put pieces of wood to distribute the pressure to avoid damaging your doorframe

I have one that's more similar to this. I find that having a wider surface area that contacts the door frame helps spread out the force and potential for damage not only to the door frame, but also reduces wear and tear on the padding of the pull up bar. I have had it for probably 5 years and used it in 6 different apartments and have never caused any damage to the door frames I've used it on. Also, I'd stay away from the tension rod style bar from your first link... I've seen way too many "fitness fail" videos on youtube from those falling out of the door frame while people are trying to use them. The other style uses your weight as a lever to secure the bar to the frame - just don't try to use it from the wrong side!