Outdoor pull-up bar / chin-up bar

[Markru]

Hi,

I'm planning to build a chin-up bar in the garden, similar to this one here: https://pontuswarnestal.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/2015-07-18-13-04-47.jpg

So simply put, 2 pressure-treated 95x95 posts with a bar between them (the picture, however, has a wooden dowel between them).

I'm looking for a good way to anchor this, preferably without casting. Will ground anchors (e.g. https://www.jula.se/catalog/bygg-och-farg/beslag/byggbeslag/jordankare/jordankare-340619/) work? Or do I need to cast it to make it stable enough?

Most of the load will obviously be straight down, but there's also some forward/backward moment when performing muscle-ups.

Alternatively, I could build the structure as an upside-down T, for example, https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/bygga-chinsstaellning.240356/#post-2056008, but it will then stand directly on the grass, which might not be optimal either.

Also looking for tips on where to find a suitable bar? About 150cm x 25mm galvanized.

 

[holmberg87]

Ground anchors will not work. I use several different outdoor gyms and they wobble unless they are securely anchored or supported by something else. Casting the post deep in concrete works well; otherwise, I would advise anchoring in a post shoe or making an upside-down T with diagonal braces.

I like when there's a ladder in between that you can climb on and 2 pull-up stations. Then, yes, you diagonal brace between these.

 

[holmberg87]

The nearest hardware store sells such pipes and maybe costs not much, about 100kr per meter.

 

[Dowser4711]

As mentioned, you can forget about ground anchors for anything other than extremely careful strict pullups. Muscle-ups or butterfly pullups will mean you'll be flat on the ground.

For long-term stability, you need solid foundations; otherwise, it will start to loosen over time. We have some setups where we have it free-standing, and it's a T with braces, but to achieve stability on soft ground like grass, the support itself needs to be almost as long as the height to the bar.

As Holmberg87 writes, it's not wrong to have more posts. Either have four with a monkey bar as described above or three with two bars at an angle, perhaps at different heights. Then you can connect them with a supporting triangle below ground and reduce the size of the posts.

 

[Markru]

Thanks for the response!
The stand will be on the short side of the house where it is quite narrow and therefore will end up either 1m from the house wall or 1m from a wooden fence, parallel to these. I thought that I might be able to attach horizontal 45-regels at 1m height either on the house or the fence to reduce swaying.

Alternatively, casting, but maybe something additional is still needed?
Or then more posts, but this defeats my idea of having it parallel with the house/fence. (x = the posts)

 

[Markru]

Maybe posts in ground anchors with each having 2 braces in their own ground anchors is an option?

 

[andersmc]

Build it with two posts on each side, like an upside-down V. Also, lean them inward.

 

[holmberg87]

You have good suggestions here and like a V similar to a swing set works too.
But I would cast and make it robust any day; you might even brace it against your fence.

It's very annoying with a frame that wobbles I think, and so do the outdoor gyms the municipality has built when they are standalone. Those with a monkey bar or 3 poles with sturdy casting are solid.

I really like that kind of thing after many years at the gym and training for competitions, but nowadays I think outdoor gyms are more all-round.

 

[olsjo]

How did you end up doing it? I’m planning something similar, but I’m thinking of 4 corner posts.

I see two options:
1) Buy pre-made 500/700mm foundation blocks that I dig in and attach the beam with a French wood screw in a post base
2) Cast about 50cm of the corner post directly into concrete

1) is, of course, more correct, but I'm considering the stability. It feels significantly more stable to get 50cm of the beam into the concrete than to screw it just above ground level.
If I cast it in concrete, the lifespan is limited, but as I understand it, it should still last 20 years, and that’s much longer than I’ll be using this structure.

What do you think about the difference in stability? I will anchor the structure to the facade of the garage, which might provide enough stability for the difference to be negligible whether the posts are cast-in or screwed into post bases?

 

[RealElwood]

How did you end up doing it? I am planning something similar, but I imagine using 4 corner posts.

I see two options:
1) Buy ready-made 500/700mm ground anchors that I dig down and attach the beam with French wood screws into a post base
2) Cast about 50cm of the corner post directly into concrete

1) is of course more correct, but I am wondering about the stability. It feels significantly more stable to get 50cm of the beam into the concrete than to screw it just above ground level.
If I cast it into concrete, the lifespan is limited, but from what I understand, it should still last 20 years, which is much longer than I will use this structure.

What do you think about the difference in stability? I will anchor the structure to the garage façade, maybe that provides enough stability so that the difference becomes negligible whether the posts are cast or screwed into post bases?

4 ground anchors in a square will be stable, compare to a swing set at a playground, it doesn't move, with attachment to the façade, you can skip two ground anchors.

 

[Markru]

How did you do it in the end?

I used two ground anchors https://www.jula.se/catalog/bygg-och-farg/beslag/byggbeslag/jordankare/jordankare-340626/ and placed the frame about 1.5m from the house wall, with horizontal 45x95 beams between the frame and the house wall.
I bought the pipe at Biltema, https://www.biltema.se/bygg/byggbeslag/stalror/stalror-2000038318, and sprayed it with rust protection paint.
The stability against the facade (perpendicular to the pipe) is very good, as the beams hold it in place. Sideways (parallel to the pipe), you can feel it moves a bit if you hang and shake it vigorously, but nothing that's really disturbing and it's hardly noticeable when doing regular exercises. It could however be easily improved with 45-degree beams between the facade and the 95x45 beams.

Casting would of course be more stable, but in my case, since it is attached to the facade, I would say it's almost negligible.

 

[olsjo]

4 blocks in a square will be stable, just like a swing set in a playground, it doesn't move. With attachment to the façade, you can skip two blocks.

Aha, interesting. So setting down ready-made blocks, attaching to post bases, and then attaching to the façade would be enough for tilting exercises like muscle-up?

How to attach to the façade, would regular angle brackets be sufficient? How large screws should be used?

 

[Markru]

Aha, interesting. So installing ready-made foundation blocks, securing them with post shoes and then attaching to the facade would suffice for kipping exercises like muscle-ups?

How to attach to the facade, are regular angle brackets enough? How large screws should be used?

Yes, works well enough for me at least. It's not anchored like a mountain, but I don't think you notice to the point of caring. I've hung and swung on it and don't think it's an issue. However, if you start shaking it sideways, it moves quite a bit, but I don't know why one would do that anyway... With muscle-ups, etc., you only move back and forth, never much sideways anyway.

Yes, angle brackets at both ends of the beams, I used 5x40 in the beams and 6x70 in the facade and posts.

 

[Markru]

Here's how it turned out

 

[olsjo]

This is how it turned out

What kind of pipes are those and are you satisfied? Is there any flex?