Planning your home gym space is a key component in creating a highly functional workout area that doesn’t leave you feeling cramped. Similarly with your pull up bar, the same concept applies where you need to plan enough head room as well as foot/leg room for a comfortable uninterrupted work out. So, what height should a pull up bar be?
In order to find the optimal height of your pull up bar. First, reach up over your head extending your arms fully with your feet flat on the ground. Your pull up bar should sit somewhere in the middle of your fingers, between your knuckles and your finger tips. Also ensure 1.5-2 feet of head space from the top of your bar to the ceiling. This gives enough space for you to complete your work out without having to reach up too high or having too big of a drop when finishing.
Pull up bars come in many different options for home use. There are door frame pull up bars, wall mounted, free standing and outdoor variations to name a few. They all come in different heights available and some or non adjustable.
What Are The Different Types Of Pull Up Bars?
| Type Of Pull Up Bars | Description | Average Height Of Bar |
| Doorway | Very common and affordable. Most doorway pull up bars come ready out of the box, or requires small assembly. They fit most standard sized door frames simply by hooking on the top and bracing to the door frame on the other side. | 72″-84″ 6-7 Feet |
| Wall Mounted | These pull bars give you a bit more flexibilty for installation purposes. They can be fixed onto any wall of you home given they are mounted on to wall studs to prevent major damage. | by preference |
| Free Standing | Versatile tower structure, thats allows pull ups as well a dips. Its usually a bigger piece of equipment therefore more space would be needed. Generally a very tall structure as well. | 50″-100″ 5-8 Feet (adjustable) |
| Outdoor | Similar to the free standing type of structure. These models usually are made a heftier to withstand the elements from being outdoors. Also could be a great project to make one yourself if you’re a DIY type. | by preference |
Where Should A Pull Up Bar Be Placed?
Having a large open space in a room or wall would be the ideal place to install a pull up bar. At a minimum a 3 x 3 feet area would be recommended. Preferably in the same space as your home gym or at least not in high traffic areas.
Keep in mind you would also need to have enough clearing for your head and feet to give you maximum range of motion. As a general marker, you would want 1.5-2 feet of room above the bar to allow your pull ups go uninterrupted.
If you have a door way pull up bar, find a doorway that is used the least in your home (but still convenient) to avoid having to install and uninstall your equipment for every use.
Which Pull Up Bar Should You Get
Theres a couple of things to consider before landing on what type of pull up bar to commit to. The first thing to look is what type of space do you have?
If you already have a dedicated home gym area like a garage or basement, that also has high ceilings (around 10 feet). Then go for a wall mounted or free standing pull up bar. Being able to round out your home gym and maximize your given space takes away any further planning.
In contrast, if your indoor space is limited. A doorway pull up bar would be a great option, just keep in mind you may have to remove and reinstall from time to time which can become a bit tedious.
How High Should A Pull Up Bar Be From The Ceiling
Before measuring the height from your pull up bar. Find an area in your home or apartment that is not in high traffic areas but still a great space for you to move around freely and safely.
If possible, with plenty of high ceiling.
If you will be installing a wall mounted pull up bar, be sure to check and double check that during installation, the pull up bar is mounting securely to the studs in your wall.
After you found your space and you have your pull up bar ready to be set up. We can now ask the question “how high should my pull up bar be?”
As previously mentioned you would want your pull up bar to sit within the height of your knuckles and finger tips when your feet are flat on the floor.
From the top of your pull up bar (where you grip) you would want at least another 1.5 – 2 feet of clearance before the ceiling.
When thinking of your range of motion during a pull up. You need enough space below the bar for your body to dip down without intereference from the floor.
As well as enough head room for when you make the pull up and part of your upper body is above the bar.
Most garages are great for this. The walls are very sturdy (with the studs exposed already in some) and the ceilings are high.
Its also a space that a pull up bar would look totally natural.
What If Your Ceiling Is Not High Enough?
Having lower ceilings available can also work. Although you may need to get a bit creative or change your work out style a bit.
If we consider the range of motion of the pull up again, the only adjustments you can make is on the lower half of your body. When you make a pull up and your head is going above the bar, you will need that head room and there is nothing we can do there.
However, if your legs cannot hang freely because of the floor, then you will need to make the adjustment of bending your knees for your workout or putting your legs out in front of you in order to allow your workout be complete with little interruption.
Because of this your pull up bar may seem a bit low or awkward to look at. But with the adjustments mentioned you should be just fine.
Conclusion
A type of pull up bar should be part of any complete home gym. This excercise works so many different muscles in one go.
With so many different options out there, usually the main question is “which one should I get?” and “where would I put it?” After reading this article I hope I was able to answer these questions for you and pointed you in the right direction.