Hello
I am in the process of furnishing a gym in the basement. In the gym, I want the ability to hang two things from the ceiling: a punching bag weighing about 30 kg and myself, weighing about 90 kg.
To achieve this without damaging the ceiling, I am considering building a self-supporting cage inside the room as per the attached sketch. An important prerequisite is that I cannot or do not want to bolt things to the floor due to water-based floor heating. The idea would be as follows with designations from the sketch:
The three big questions for those of you who really know how to build are now:
Additionally, there are 5 questions in red on page two that I would appreciate answers to. Thanks in advance!
I am in the process of furnishing a gym in the basement. In the gym, I want the ability to hang two things from the ceiling: a punching bag weighing about 30 kg and myself, weighing about 90 kg.
To achieve this without damaging the ceiling, I am considering building a self-supporting cage inside the room as per the attached sketch. An important prerequisite is that I cannot or do not want to bolt things to the floor due to water-based floor heating. The idea would be as follows with designations from the sketch:
- At points A, B, C, E, and H, there are posts that are screwed into the respective wall
- Between A and B is the beam from which the punching bag and I will hang
- The beams CD, EF, and GH primarily exist to stabilize the construction laterally and are connected to beam AB via joints as marked
- Wall material, dimensions, and the timber sizes I have considered are specified in the sketch
The three big questions for those of you who really know how to build are now:
- Does this construction work, or is there a risk of me pulling down the walls?
- What material and dimensions should I use for the 4-meter long beam AB to support 90 kg in the middle and an additional 30 kg a bit on the side without it sagging?
- What material and dimensions should I use for the other parts of the construction to ensure stability? (Is it, for example, overkill to use expensive glued laminated timber instead of rough studs?)
Additionally, there are 5 questions in red on page two that I would appreciate answers to. Thanks in advance!
84 readings and not a single opinion, advice or suggestion...?
Beams on edge are always the most economical. For AB, I would take double 45x195. For CD and EF, a single 45x195, for GH, a single would suffice but if you want to avoid deflection, take double. Always use joint type no. 1. Anchor screws or ring nails. How important is the appearance? For attaching to the wall, I would take 10 mm nylon plugs (Fischer, Mitsutomo) with suitable coach screws. Try to get electro-galvanized, they are somewhat easier to drive in than hot-galvanized. And if you don't want to drench the whole room in sweat, electro-galvanizing is sufficient.
@kallun - I have been considering that, but I wonder if I can really get the measurements as precise as I need. Additionally, I don't want to encroach on the surface with posts except at the walls, and in some of my walls, I can't anchor things just anywhere. If you have seen any system that you think would work, I'm of course happy to listen!
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Are you just going to hit a punching bag and do some pull-ups, or will you now or maybe later start lifting a barbell as well? If you're going to use a barbell, then a power cage is almost indispensable for being able to train really safely. In such a cage, there's no problem doing pull-ups or similar exercises since all but the absolute cheapest ones are really sturdy and solid. You could, in that case, combine a power cage with a proper mount for a punching bag. If you don't want all the functionality of a power cage, then a more serious pull-up bar could be an option.
These solutions might not work in your room at all, but if they do, I believe they will be both cheaper and more efficient than building something yourself. If you are going to build it yourself, you can probably get a lot of inspiration by searching for "power cage diy" on Google or YouTube.
These solutions might not work in your room at all, but if they do, I believe they will be both cheaper and more efficient than building something yourself. If you are going to build it yourself, you can probably get a lot of inspiration by searching for "power cage diy" on Google or YouTube.
@Janus82 - Thanks for the feedback! I've looked at power cages too, but since the only exercise I do with a barbell is the classic Hack lift, it's not the best solution. My problem is that I need anchor points in the ceiling that are not near pillars and walls, with at least one meter in every direction. The sandbag is for my eldest son. He trains karate, so it will be kicked from all conceivable angles. The rings are for me, as I like gymnastic-like training and need to be able to hang both vertically and horizontally on them. A crossfit rig with a top bar of at least 3 (preferably closer to 4) meters could theoretically work, but I don't know/understand how to make the thing stay still. As above, I can't bolt it down to the floor (water-based underfloor heating) and I don't want to screw into the walls other than where there are studs. Most crossfit rigs also seem to have a height of at least 2.70, and I have 2.40 in ceiling height in the room. My aim is not to build this myself; I would rather buy a ready-made solution, but how do I meet my (fundamentally quite simple) needs with standard equipment??
@Thomas_Blekinge - Thanks! Some questions:
1. By 45x195, do you mean "regular" studs (C24 or similar) or glulam?
2. Regarding wall mounting - is the proposed combination of nylon plug/French intended only for the stone walls (B, E) or both for stone and ply/gypsum/stud (A, C, H)?
3. Do you have any suggestions on how to solve the distance problem at B illustrated on page 2? The granite is so uneven here that there are gaps of about 2 cm between the post and the wall when I push it in until it meets at some point. I need something on the wall side of the post to keep it vertical. My idea has been to have a very long bolt (at least 20 cm) for a 95x95 post, which is threaded through a pre-drilled hole in the post. I then screw on at least one nut (with nylon insert?), after which the bolt is screwed into a hole with a plug in the stone wall. With this approach, I should be able to use the nuts between the wall and the post to keep the post vertical. Would this work, and is there a simpler solution?
@Thomas_Blekinge - Thanks! Some questions:
1. By 45x195, do you mean "regular" studs (C24 or similar) or glulam?
2. Regarding wall mounting - is the proposed combination of nylon plug/French intended only for the stone walls (B, E) or both for stone and ply/gypsum/stud (A, C, H)?
3. Do you have any suggestions on how to solve the distance problem at B illustrated on page 2? The granite is so uneven here that there are gaps of about 2 cm between the post and the wall when I push it in until it meets at some point. I need something on the wall side of the post to keep it vertical. My idea has been to have a very long bolt (at least 20 cm) for a 95x95 post, which is threaded through a pre-drilled hole in the post. I then screw on at least one nut (with nylon insert?), after which the bolt is screwed into a hole with a plug in the stone wall. With this approach, I should be able to use the nuts between the wall and the post to keep the post vertical. Would this work, and is there a simpler solution?
Then I understand the need a little better.
What kind of joists do you have above the room? If it is a wooden joist, in which direction do the joists run, along with your intended beam or across it?
What I'm thinking is that if you have wooden joists across your intended beam or a concrete joist, you could use a slimmer beam, like 45x70, and attach it with some sturdier angle irons to all the joists over the entire room. If you have wooden joists that run along with the beam, you could make a cross-solution where you attach 45x70 studs to about 3 joists at even distances across the entire room and then attach a long 45x70 to these. If you do it in such a way, you should get a solid solution that doesn't need any legs or side supports to stay up. Additionally, you will retain more ceiling height than if you use a free-hanging beam across the entire room.
What kind of joists do you have above the room? If it is a wooden joist, in which direction do the joists run, along with your intended beam or across it?
What I'm thinking is that if you have wooden joists across your intended beam or a concrete joist, you could use a slimmer beam, like 45x70, and attach it with some sturdier angle irons to all the joists over the entire room. If you have wooden joists that run along with the beam, you could make a cross-solution where you attach 45x70 studs to about 3 joists at even distances across the entire room and then attach a long 45x70 to these. If you do it in such a way, you should get a solid solution that doesn't need any legs or side supports to stay up. Additionally, you will retain more ceiling height than if you use a free-hanging beam across the entire room.
@Janus82 - thank you!
To my knowledge, it is trägolvbjälklag but I am unsure if the direction is along or across beam AB. Let me check tonight and I will get back to you with an answer!
To my knowledge, it is trägolvbjälklag but I am unsure if the direction is along or across beam AB. Let me check tonight and I will get back to you with an answer!
Janus82 (and other gym enthusiasts) - I just spoke with Lars Norberg who runs Baltic Fitness, which manufactures rigs, racks, etc., in-house. It turns out that through them, you can take a standard model and (within reasonable limits) have it custom-sized basically without extra cost. My solution will likely be to buy one like this, get the height of the pillars adjusted for a 2.40 ceiling height, and the length of the wall mounts adjusted to be installed at E and C in my image.
Case closed, as they say. Thanks for all the input.
Case closed, as they say. Thanks for all the input.
I will have to compromise on that and hang it on a wall mount. I believe this overall solution justifies that deviation from the original idea.
I've looked at this thread a few times now and there's one thing I don't understand - the ceiling in your basement I assume is the floor of the upstairs room? If so, does that floor hold when you walk there with the sandbag in your arms? Maybe it even holds if you jump with the sandbag? If so, it holds just as well to hang an equivalent weight below. Just attach everything to one of the beams in the joist. If by chance there's no beam right where you want your stuff (they're usually 60cm apart), you can attach a piece of square tube 40x40x5 or something like that with a few screws in the nearest two beams and mount your items anywhere on the tube.
It's not like you're looking to hang any heavy stuff. Sure, there are some dynamic loads, but it's still light compared to, for example, the self-weight of the joist or several people moving around on the floor above.
It's not like you're looking to hang any heavy stuff. Sure, there are some dynamic loads, but it's still light compared to, for example, the self-weight of the joist or several people moving around on the floor above.
I'm going with Rogue stuff and I'm very satisfied with the quality. They have several possible systems, including one that folds out from the wall. Check http://www.rogueeurope.eu/rogue-rigs-racksHerr Hysteres said: