Friday, July 31, 2015

Maxpull trainer on portable pull up bar



This Maxpull trainer fits on a portable pull up bar.  It rests on the grips and is tied down by one set of lines, and rotated back towards the door frame by a second set.

"Cultivating deep hold fitness" explains why you might want one, and how to train on it.

Here is what you need: 

  1. Materials: 
    1. A pull up bar like this one. 
    2. 4 inch pvc pipe 
    3. 1 sheet of skateboard grip tape (9 X 33 inches)
    4. 5 or 6 mm cord (ideally climbing grade)
    5. climbing tape or hockey tape
    6. Washers (fit cord but block knot in the cord)
  2. Tools
    1. Saw
    2. Drill  (with bit slightly larger than cord width)
    3. Orbital sander or sandpaper (60 grit is fine)
  3. Knots
    1. Overhand or figure 8 
    2. Clove hitch
    3. Half hitch  

Construction steps:  
  1. Cut the PVC into a 30 inch section, or a length that just fits inside your doorway.
  2. Sand the PVc to completely rough up the exterior
    1. Sand the ends to remove the sharp corner
  3. Rinse and wipe the plastic sanding dust
  4. Tightly wrap the area to either side of the perpendicular grip with tape
    1. This increases the friction on the bar and makes the knots much more secure
    2. As needed, reinforce the grips with tape. 
      1. Ours were cheap and too soft.
  5. Place the PVC pipe on the bar and see how it fits
    1. Mark the bar for tie down cord holes, slightly to the inside of the perpendicular grips
    2. Drill the tie down holes into the PVC
    3. Cut a 30 inch section of cord
    4. Tie an overhand or knot into one end, thread a washer onto the cord
    5. Thread the cord from inside the pipe out, so that the washer pulls tight to the interior
  6. Put the PVC pipe back on the bar, and practice securing it with clove hitches to the bar. 
    1. Tie the pipe to shortest distance to the cross bar and as tightly as you can.  It helps to tie the second line towards the outside of the bar so that as you tighten the second it is pulling the bar outward.  /o ----------------------------------------- o\
      1. I use clove hitches for these.
    2. Look at how the PVC pipe sits, and chose the spot to drill the second set of tie down straps.
      1. Select a spot that is high enough to cause the pipe to strongly rotate back towards the doorway and high enough that the cord, as it runs out of the back of the pipe will cushion the pipe against the molding. 
      2. I chose spots slightly outside of the first set of holes and rotated about 90 degrees from the first set.  When tied down, these straps angle in to tie on the inside of the
    3. Take the PVC pipe off and drill the second set of holes.  
      1. Widen the hole so that the line, when pulled down, is not being loaded over a sharp 90 degree corner in the PVC.     
  7. Put two more cords in using knots and washers again.
    1. Attach the tie down lines first, using clove hitches that you tie tight and securely.
    2. Attach the rotation lines.  I make two passes around the bar, cinching the line tight around the taped bar.  Then I tie a series of half hitches to secure them.  
    3. The pipe should have almost no rotation if you load it by hanging from it.
      1. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
      2. Make sure your lines are tight and knots are secure.  
      3. You don't want the Maxpull to move while you are using it.
  8. Decide where you want to put your grip tape. 
    1. I cut mine into two 8.5 by 9 inch sections, and left room in the middle 9 inches where I could place another sheet if I wanted to.  
    2. Make sure the grip tape goes low enough in the front that you can grip the pipe with the palm of your hand, and far enough down in the back such that it stays secure. 
    3. Sanding and cleaning the PVC makes the grip tape stick better, but it is not really designed to be loaded laterally, so make sure that sticky section extends well beyond where your fingers reach. 
    4. After you attach the grip tape you just need to poke a hole with a pencil and re-thread the rotation lines. 





The tie down line runs to the front of the bar, and outside of the cross piece.  The rotation line runs to the back and inside of the cross piece.


Tie down on line is on the left, secured with a clove hitch (extra half hitches are moved out of the way).   The rotation line is on the right, secured with two friction loops and three half hitches. 

The grip tape extends about 2 inches lower than the gripping area of the bar.  The rotation line is pinched between the molding and the Maxpull.






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