Planning to make your own DIY pull-up bar but don’t know the right dimensions?
I can help with that!
What is the best diameter for a pull-up bar? A pull-up bar should be at least 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) away from the wall and have a diameter or thickness of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 centimeters), a width of 46 to 50 inches (116.8 to 127.0 centimeters), and be made of galvanized metal.
But, you don’t want to use the cheapest material you can find or be done with this in 10 minutes, so I’ll walk you through the steps needed to have a safe and secure pull-up bar in your house.
In this article, I’ll go over:
- How wide your pull-up grip should be
- The best diameter/thickness and width for a pull-up bar
- The kind of pipe and size you’ll need to DIY this
- How thick your wall should be and how far away the pull-up bar should be from the wall and ceiling
- How much it costs to build a pull-up bar
Research published in the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation says that most people can’t even do ONE pull-up, so if you can do that, you’re off to a great start.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How Wide Should My Pull-Up Grip Be?
Before you begin screwing nails into your wall, it’s important to go over the proper technique for pull-ups. Otherwise, you may get the setup wrong.
When doing a pull-up or chin-up, your hands should be just around shoulder-width apart. This means that when your chin goes above the bar, it should be nesting neatly in between your hands.
The broader you are, the further apart you’ll need your arms to be.
Factor in your size when constructing a pull-up bar in your house.
The good news is that doing pull-ups should help fix your skinny arms and add some bulk and muscle to them.
What is the Best Diameter for a Pull-Up Bar?
It’s important that pull-up bars be able to support your entire body weight.
For that reason, you need a bar that’s thick enough to support you while still being easy to grip and hold.
The best diameter for a pull-up bar is between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 and 5.1 centimeters). The larger the diameter, the more weight it should theoretically hold, so if you’re on the larger side, you’ll want the extra support from a larger bar.
I’ll go over the dimensions for a pull-up bar later, but I wanted to make sure you got a direct answer quickly.
How Thick is a Normal Pull-Up Bar?
When referring to a pull-up bar, thickness and diameter mean the same thing.
Here are the key words you should know:
- Diameter and thickness: how thick the bar is
- Width: how wide the bar is
It may seem a little self-explanatory, but I wanted to clear that up so the rest of the article makes sense in case I interchange those words.
The best thickness for a pull-up bar is between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 and 5.1 centimeters).
Pull-Up Bar Dimensions (in Centimeters and Inches)
I mentioned it at the beginning of the article, but here are the pull-up bar dimensions in centimeters and inches.
Pull-Up Bar Dimensions
| Width | Diameter | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 46 to 50 in (116.8 to 127.0 cm) | 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) | Galvanized Metal |
Of course, this will depend on how broad you are, as you need the bar to be wide enough for you to be able to comfortably grip and support yourself.
Don’t go much thicker than those dimensions though because the average human hand can’t grip much more than that.
There isn’t an issue going with a wider bar, other than it taking up more space in your house, but you do need the right thickness or diameter.
What You Need to Know About Building a Pull-Up Bar in Your Home
Your pull-up bar should be able to support you as you do various types of pull-ups, including:
- Regular pull-ups
- Kipping pull-ups
- Muscle-ups
- Inversion
You may even want to mount rings or a suspension trainer on the bar, so configuring the design is incredibly important BEFORE you actually build it.
You may be wondering the:
- Kind of pipe to use for a pull-up bar
- Pipe size to use for a DIY pull-up bar
- Wall thickness for mounting
- Distance a pull-up bar should be from the wall
- How much it costs to build a pull-up bar
I promise to go over all of these things!
What Kind of Pipe to Use for a Pull-Up Bar?
Great question!
When building a pull-up bar, you should use a galvanized metal pipe with Kee Klamp fittings as they’re an affordable and easy-to-use for DIY applications. Using these materials also allows you to disassemble and rebuild for other projects, which is helpful if you want to create a free-standing or door-frame pull-up bar.
Regardless of whether you want a free-standing or door-frame pull-up bar, you’ll still want to use galvanized metal.
You should be able to find galvanized steel pipes at your local hardware store such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Make sure you buy enough in one piece. You don’t want to have to weld or solder anything on to your metal pipe for structure and stability purposes.
What Size Pipe for a DIY Pull-Up Bar?
While you could get away with using a 3/4-inch (1.9 centimeters) pipe if you weigh under 200 pounds, you should consider using a 1-inch pipe, even if it costs a little more.
When designing your pull-up bar, you should account for it to be able to support your whole body weight. If you use any weight belts or weight vests, then that’s additional weight to factor in.
That’s why I wouldn’t recommend using anything less than a 1-inch galvanized steel bar.
Weight-Friendly Tip
If you’re looking to do the pull-ups Navy SEALs do, the Navy SEAL pull-up diameter is a full 2 inches (5.1 centimeters). But, that’s on the higher side of the recommendation, so feel free to size down with the bar.You can go slightly larger, but I wouldn’t go any smaller.
Unless you’re a petite guy or gal, in which case you could manage. But, you should test it out before purchasing.
Wall Thickness for a Pull-Up Bar
You don’t want a thin wall to screw in a pull-up bar that will support your entire body. That’s how you end up tearing the wall down.
Your wall should be about 1/8 inches (0.3 centimeters) thick, but you shouldn’t screw the pipe directly on to the wall. If the studs behind the wall are up to code, they should be able to support it, but it’s safer to toggle bolt two 2 x 4 pieces of wood behind the bar and on to the wall.
According to a pull-up bar manufacturer and retailer, their screws have a length of 100 millimeters (3.9 inches), so your wall (including whatever material is supporting the pull-up bar in the back) should be at least 180 millimeters (7.1 inches) thick.
How Far Should a Pull-Up Bar Be From the Wall and Ceiling?
It’s helpful to know how far away the pull-up bar should be from the:
- Wall
- Ceiling
- Floor
That way, you don’t start randomly screwing into the wall and eventually find the right spot.
Here are the pull-up bar mounting measurements you should be aware of.
Pull-Up Bar Mounting Measurements
| Function | Distance From the Ceiling | Distance From the Floor | Distance From the Wall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-Ups | 20+ in (50.8 cm) | 6 in+ (15.2 cm) above the top of your head | 12+ in (30.5 cm) |
| Kipping Pull-Ups | 20+ in (50.8 cm) | Your height plus 24 in (61.0 cm) | 20+ in (50.8 cm) |
| Muscle-Ups | At least half your height | 6 in+ (15.2 cm) above the top of your head | 20+ in (50.8 cm) |
| Inversion | 18+ in (45.7 cm) | Minimum of your height plus 6 in (15.2 cm) | 18+ in (45.7 cm) |
| Rings or Suspension Trainer | N/A | Your height plus 24 in (61.0 cm) | 18+ in (45.7 cm) |
Take note of the fact that some of the various applications factor in your height, so there isn’t a universal answer.
But, I’ll mention that it’s always safer to estimate a little higher than end up cutting it close and bumping your head or banging your arms, potentially injuring yourself.
As carpenters say, measure twice and cut once.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Pull-Up Bar?
There are a few materials involved in your own DIY pull-up bar, including:
- Galvanized steel pipe
- Fittings
- Wood
All in all, a pull-up bar should cost you around $100 to $125 to assemble, but it may cost a little more if you don’t have any of the materials, tools, or equipment already in your house.
Conclusion
In this article, I went over the best diameter for a pull-up bar.
In case you scrolled past the answer, here it is again.
A pull-up bar should be at least 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) away from the wall and have a diameter or thickness of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 centimeters), a width of 46 to 50 inches (116.8 to 127.0 centimeters), and be made of galvanized metal.
I also went over:
- How wide your pull-up grip should be
- The best diameter/thickness and width for a pull-up bar
- The kind of pipe and size you’ll need to DIY this
- How thick your wall should be and how far away the pull-up bar should be from the wall and ceiling
- How much it costs to build a pull-up bar
Do you have any more questions about DIY pull-up bars? I look forward to hearing about your strength training and weight loss progress in the comments below.
To your weight-loss success!
