Backyard Pull-up Bar Part III

By Al Kavadlo | Published: September 9, 2011

Last summer my brother Danny and I built a backyard pull-up bar at his home in Brooklyn. The original set-up featured two bars of different heights connected by crossbeams for extra stability.

Recently, Danny had the idea to make an adjustment to the backyard pull-up bar set-up by switching the crossbeams on the right side into parallel beams. This one minor adjustment has opened up a lot of new possibilities for our backyard workouts.

In addition to practicing various types of pull-ups, muscle-ups and levers, we can now work on human flags off the parallel bars as well as using them for assisted one arm pull-ups.

Watch the video below to see some highlights from one of our recent training sessions:

Related Posts:

Building a Backyard Pull-up Bar
Backyard Pull-up Bar Part 2: Back to the Bar

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    This entry was posted in Body Weight Exercises, Pull-ups!, Strength and Conditioning. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
    • Bluesky1199

      That is awesome!

    • Feinguy

      You Mr Kavadlo are the embodiment of motivation, inspiration and positivity. Plus my mom digs you too.  :oI

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Walton/100001113585802 Eric Walton

      Brilliant as ever guys.

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Eric!

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Well thank you very much.  Your mom has good taste!  :)

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks!

    • http://www.facebook.com/giancarlov1 Giancarlo Vinciguerra

      You guys are Rock Stars!

    • Tom

      I know you did some trick with gravity but how did you pull it of with the train in the background? :) Amazing, I definately need to work out

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Giancarlo!

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Tom – but the train going by doesn’t make it any harder.  The 2″ thick bar on the other hand…

    • Tom

      Just kidding:) You guys are so strong it looks like gravity doesnt work any more in Brooklyn!

    • Pingback: More Backyard Pull-up Fun | Mark's Daily Apple Health and Fitness Forum page

    • Anonymous

      Damn Al…
      That first Super-Slow muscle-up is just ridiculous.  Seriously.
      Even by your standards.

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Danny!  You’re looking pretty strong yourself there!

    • Curtis

      Outstanding setup there… How far apart are the new parallel bars?  

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Curtis.  We’ve got the bars set around 52 inches apart, which is a little wide for more, but ideal for Danny.  But hey – it’s his backyard!

    • Callymac1969

      Seriosly freakin fantastic guys.. come up with a routine and try out for America’s got talent we wcould all vote for you!!!

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Haha – thanks!

    • Anonymous

      Totally amazing…this is one of my fave Al/Danny videos of all time.  Danny’s Buddha pull-ups are da bomb!  And Al’s pedaling flags are my new aspiration…

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Thanks, Jeff!

    • http://pullupbarreviews.com/ Pull Up Bar

      Well I have my own and have been using it for the past 3 months..I am looking mighty fine!

    • Rob White

      Hey Al, i’ve been looking for a suitable bar to do stuff like muscle ups and plyo’s on, and as i’ve said before i rent so i cant drill stuff into the walls and theres no decent parks near me. I came across this http://trapezerigging.com/FreeStandingPortablePullupBar/#elite. 

      This is the Elite model with a stabiliser bar on the base. The Standard model seems to generally get good reviews. People that have used it say although it can wobble a bit if you swing around on it, it never falls over or collapses. The Stabiliser bar in the Elite version should eliminate most of this wobble.

      The guy who makes it specialises in equipment for circus performers, so i imagine it should be pretty solid.

      The fact that you can pack it away into a case and take it around is great cos i could set it up outside my garage, on the playing fields near me, round my friends, and take it with me easily if i move to another property.

      It is pretty expensive, but as a one-off payment its alot cheaper than paying for gym membership!

      I have emailed the UK distributor to see if it can handle muscle ups, plyometric stuff, and possible even human flag work. I’m looking forward to their response.

    • http://www.AlKavadlo.com/ Al Kavadlo

      Looks good to me, Rob!  Maybe not so much for the flag though…

    • Rob White

      Hi Al, just as i was posting here, the guys who make this bar emailed me back. They said its not good for any kipping movements. Damn.

      However, they do make a dedicated kipping bar 
      http://trapezerigging.com/KippingBar/. Significantly more expensive and looks massive!, but apparently still quite easy to assemble / disassemble and move around.Some other brands i have come across:The TAPS bar: http://tacticalathlete.com/store.php?view_product=29. Much more stable than the Trapeze Rigging Elite. Definitely good for kipping and muscle ups. Dont know about plyo’s nut should be if it can handle kipping and muscle ups. More expensive and heavier, and a bit more time consuming to set up than the Trapeze Rigging EliteIronmind Command Chinning Bar: http://ironmind-store.com/NEW-Command-Chinning-Bar/productinfo/1450/ Cheaper than the TAPS, but looks slightly less stable than the TAPS. Definitely good for kipping. Dont know about plyo’s and muscle ups, but like the TAPS its alot more stable than the Trapeze Rigging Elite so a definite possibility.

    • RobbyTaylor

      Have you considered some gymnastics rings? With some creativity you should be able to find a decent place to hang them (example: if you are in an apartment, you can probably find a sturdy railing to suspend them from), and they are quite versatile for training…but yeah no flags haha.