How to make a chin-up bar for your basement

For this project, you will need a drill, a 1 inch paddle bit, and (2) pipe wrenches.

(All pipe listed below is 3/4" in diameter.) My total cost for pipe was $21.41 at Lowes.

• (2) 12" pipe


• (2) 45 degree elbows


• (1) union


• (2) 8" pipe


• (2) 12" pipe

Other things that may not be 100% necessary, but I used are:

• (2) scrap 2x4s


• tape


• wood screws

Using your drill and 1" paddle bit drill two holes. These holes will be parallel from each other on at least 2 floor joists. Be careful not to drill through any wiring, piping, or other items that you do not want holes in. I would suggest that your holes be drilled as close to an exterior basement wall as possible. The strongest part of the joist is the part that is resting on the basement wall. Also keep in mind that you do not want to be so close that you can't maneuver to do your chin-ups. I placed my bar about a 11/2 ft. from the wall.

Take your (2) 12" pipes and place it in the two holes joining it together with the union. If you are having trouble fitting your pipes in the holes, you can run your drill in the holes a few time to clean out the excess wood. You can also turn your pipes while with a pipe wrench as if you are tightening a bolt. When you have the 2 pipes joined together with the union, be sure to make it tight using 2 pipe wrenches.

Now add the (2) 45 degree elbows to the ends of the (2) 12 in. pipes. Tighten with pipe wrenches.

Now add the (2) 8" pipes to the end of the elbows. The 45 degree elbows with the 8" pipes give a perfect chin-up bar for lat workouts. You can also perform various types of chin-ups with this bar.

(Depending on the strength of your joists, you may not need to do this.) I screwed (2) 2X4s directly under the bar on the outside edges of the joists. These 2x4s rest on my basement wall and run about 2 ft or so past my chin up bar. Before adding the 2x4s my joists would make cracking noises, so I beefed it up with some support.

If you are trying to build muscle, you will need to invest in supplements. The foods we eat today do not hold the nutrients that our bodies need. I recommend BodyBuilding.com for all your supplement needs.




You can also visit my blog for supplement reviews.

The pipe that I used would leave black residue on my hands so I taped up my pipe. The tape also works as a grip. Here's a pic of after I taped up one of the handles.

That's it. Enjoy your chin-up bar and remember, this is just information to show you how I made my chin-up bar. This is free information with no grantees. You take sole responsibility of the safety of your chin-up bar. I had to put that disclaimer in there. :)

Be sure to visit my website for free workout routines