How to Connect a Resistance Band to a Door for a Pull-Up
Resistance bands are heavy- to light-gauged surgical tubing used by exercise aficionados to create instability in certain exercises, an instability that requires more muscular energy to “correct.” The tubes are used for a variety of basic and compound movements but also as an aid in certain exercises, for example, as a pull-up assistant. Using a door as your pull-up exercise station eliminates the need for any fancy equipment or a gym, and comes in especially handy when you're on the road. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Thick towel
- Electric drill/screwdriver (optional)
- Wood screws (optional)
- Heavyweight plates (optional)
Instructions
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Buy two bands of the right gauge of tubing first. This ensures the band will have the proper resistance and aid you in the movement by not snapping. Thinner tubes simply cannot carry much weight, and if you’re a heavier person, the tube won’t provide any boost. Purchase the thickest-gauge tubing you can, such as those that are a 1/2-inch in diameter, from either a sporting goods store that sells resistance bands or a surgical-supply store. If you can’t find such a gauge, smaller gauges grouped and bound together to create two separate bands create the same tensile strength.
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Throw a pair of bands or a pair of grouped bands over the top of an open door, facing toward the open doorframe. Adjust them so that the handles on the bands are roughly at waist height; this leaves plenty of slack on the backside of the door to serve as attachment points for the opposing ends of the bands. Anchor the long ends of the bands to the rear of the door by screwing the handles directly into the door itself. If this isn’t possible or desirable, coil the loose ends through and around heavyweight plates and position the plates on the floor, a few feet from the door to take up slack.
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Fold a thick towel in half and place it over the door, underneath the bands. This cushions the bands from the door’s top edge that would otherwise eat into and fray the tubing. You now have two options: either place your feet into the handles like you would stirrups or thread a strong, 2-inch dowel rod through the handles to create a small platform. The latter is advised if you grouped several bands together to keep all the excess handles from getting in the way of your feet.
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Adjust the portable door-hanging pull-up bar over the towel and tubing (if applicable). Otherwise, if you’re not using this piece of equipment, reach up and grip the top of the door with your hands over the towel and pull up; the bands should make resistance less and accept some of your bodyweight, allowing you to perform a pull-up with less exertion than a pure pull-up.
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Tips & Warnings
Wrap the entirety of the bands in duct or electrical tape to create a stiffer, thus stronger, tube to accommodate heavier bodyweights if desired.
References
- Photo Credit Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
