Chin Up Buying Guide
Do not be fooled, the simple chin-up bar can outperform some very expensive and complicated back machines. If done in the correct form, pull-ups can be the best exercise you could do to have a well-developed back.
It activates a ton of different muscle groups and even allows you to target a specific area based on the grips you are using. Best of all they take up minimal space and compared to other gym equipment that targets the back, like lat pulldown machines, they are much more affordable.
Whether it is a home gym, studio, or commercial gym, this is your best-case scenario.
You could probably get away with doing chin-ups while hanging off a pipe jammed into your bathroom door frame, but why risk starring in a gym fail video or ruining your house when you can get yourself a quality chin-up bar at a very affordable price.
We offer Australia’s best range of chin-up bars that cater to all the different training, mounting and budgetary requirements. In this article, we will discuss the features of each so you can choose the one that will best suit your needs.
Why Multi-Grip
If you had browsed the Bodyweight section of our website, you would notice a trend toward chin-up bars with multiple grip positions and thickness. The old-school chin-up bar, which we offer, was just a straight bar. There is nothing wrong with these they suit some training disciplines better, but the multi-grip designs will add to your training experience.
Performing the same exercise, or variation of the same exercise with the same gym equipment for a prolonged period can create muscle imbalances in your body. Take chin-ups at a fixed-grip width as an example. You would still be using the same muscles as in any other variation, what changes is the stress on specific muscle groups.
If you don’t mix things up, the stronger muscle groups will continue to get stronger while the weaker muscle groups will either stagnate or even get weaker.
The chin-up bars from ATX®, offer you various grips and grip widths, so you can always switch things around when your training reaches a plateau. With barbell exercises, if you stagnate on your deadlift, you can utilize a hex trap deadlift bar for a training cycle to target muscles that are not activated whilst doing traditional straight bar deadlifts.
This is another advantage of the humble chin-up bar. If you opt for a multi-grip version, you only need one piece of equipment to keep accumulating strength gains. Unlike barbells, you don’t need different bars to hit different muscle groups. Another win for the hip pocket!
Straight Chin-Up Bar or Multi-Grip
Some training disciplines will address strength imbalances using different methods. Sports like CrossFit or Gymnastics utilize rings that will activate different muscle groups. Additionally, in CrossFit, you will need a straight chin-up bar without knurling to perform exercises like muscle-ups. Plus, this style of chin-up bar is more suited for use with suspension trainers and rings which are both used in these disciplines.
CrossFit boxes often require multiple chin-up bars which makes the ATX straight chin-up bar ideal for this application. They offer extension kits that allow you to add on to the initial unit. This saves cost not only in the initial purchase but also in the mounting.
Weight Load Capacity
It doesn’t take much time researching on the internet and you can easily find gym equipment that offers weight loading capacities that defy the laws of physics. With such amazing engineering skills, it amazes me that these highly skilled individuals are wasting their time in the fitness industry. These guys should be building suspension bridges not building power racks!
But to the trained eye, you only need to look at their primitive designs and materials used to realize that these claims could be a little farfetched. It is almost like people could be lying about their weight load ratings and there are no standards that need to be adhered to – sadly this is the reality of the Australian fitness equipment industry.
Even a manufacturer like ATX®, which operates in 40 different countries and has in-house engineers, cannot match these advertised weight load capacities from our competitors. They use double or even triple the steel, only to safely rate their bars for a third of the competitor’s rating.
The bottom line is that you will have to use your discretion when analyzing weight load capacities.
The ATX® Equipment has been tested and certified in accordance with European standards for fitness equipment. I wouldn’t put this segment into the article if we didn’t get emails from customers asking us why ATX® products have lower weight load ratings or to price match an inferior product.
Mounting Type
The structural integrity of the steel and design does play a major role in the overall weight load capacity measurement. However, that is only as valid as the surface you are mounting the chin-up bar to alongside the size/quantity of the bolts you are using to secure it.
For example, you could mount a chin-up bar rated for 4,000kg to a gyprock wall and it will struggle to hold 20kgs.
If you are not sure what surface you should mount your chin-up bar too, then you need to seek advice from a qualified technician. If you think a stud finder is a lady who frequents bars and clubs in scantily clad outfits then you are the person I am talking about.
The surface in terms of material and area will determine which chin-up bar will best suit your needs.
A nice smooth concrete wall offers no restrictions. Mounting to a pillar will limit you to one style. Alternatively, if you have no suitable wall space then you will be restricted to a ceiling-mounted version.
For people mounting to walls with timber frames, one of the advantages of having such wide a range of options is that there may be a chin-up bar that fits perfectly to your wall frame. Once again, I emphasize that if you are unsure what to do, get in a trained professional. It is money well spent.
ATX-CHUP-B
Your perfect entry-level Chin Up Bar is packed a bunch full of great features.
Pro’s
- Compact Footprint and sturdy design. Don’t let this simple design fool you. The brackets and steel tubes are all thick. You will rip the dynabolts out of the wall before this chin-up bar yields! The height of the wall brackets is only 25cm.
- Multiple Grips – five different hand positions with two different grip widths for the additional forearm work.
- Legitimate 200 kgs weight load capacity – Certified for Domestic use by European Standards.
- Medium knurling – prevents your hands from sliding off the handles without ripping into your skin.
Con’s:
- Weight Load capacity could be exceeded by bigger/stronger athletes who perform weighted chins. It is not the chin-up bar that is the issue, it is the compact mounting area. Less space equals fewer bolts and less bracing support.
- The wide grip is too narrow for bigger units wanting to do wide grip chins.
Perfect for:
The ATX Chin Up bar might not have the highest weight load rating or the widest grip span, but this is the price you pay to get the total size and mounting dimensions down.
The elements that haven’t been sacrificed build quality and durability.
If you are on a budget or have space constraints, then this chin-up will serve you well for years.
ATX® Gladiator Chin Up Bar (ATX-PUX-730)
This simple yet oversized chin-up bar is worthy of its Gladiator title. I strongly recommend that you reach for the measuring tape when considering this pull-up bar. The pictures do not fully convey the size of this beast. So just make sure you have enough room!
Pros:
- A genuine commercial chin-up with first-class build quality – rated for 300 kgs.
- Six different grip positions with aggressive knurling.
- Designed for people with no space constraints.
- Simple yet bulletproof 3-piece design.
- Reinforcement plates for additional support.
Cons:
- You need a lot of room.
- The knurling is on the aggressive side. Don’t get this for muscle-ups unless you have got some deadlifting callouses.
ATX® Thick Grip Gladiator Chin Up Bar (ATX-PUX-740)
If you like the Gladiator, but also enjoy the challenge of some grip work, the ATX® Thick Gladiator Chin Up bar is packing that extra girth to satisfy your needs.
It has a few improved features compared to the skinny version:
- Thick grip in the rear.
- The V-Shaped recess in the front of the bar, allows you to comfortably use both front and rear grips.
- Mounting plates are a tad shorter compared to the slim version.
ATX-PUX-720 ATX® Multi Grip Chin Up Wall/Ceiling Mounted
Probably the most underrated design in the world. This genuine commercial chin-up bar features a little bit of everything which makes it so perfect:
Pros:
- Can be mounted to the wall or ceiling.
- Six different grips, 28 mm and 46 mm in diameter.
- 300 kgs Weight Load Capacity.
- Compact mounting area.
- Medium knurling
- Manufactured out of thick steel sheet and tubular steel.
- It just looks good! You only appreciate this if you saw the old design. The new design with its folded brackets just looks so sleek and clean.
Cons:
- I guess you could say this is pricey compared to other chin-up bars on the market. But to achieve the compact mounting area and unparalleled rigidity you must use quality material and manufacturing.
Perfect for:
Any gym environment where space is at a premium. The vertical distance on the mounting plate is perfect for lining up on brick walls. Alternatively, if you can’t wall mount, but have a suitable ceiling mounting point you will struggle to find a better option.
ATX-PUX-750 Professional Wall Mounted Chin Up
The ATX® Professional Wall Mounted Chin Up is the pull-up bar for people who thought they did not have the space to mount one. It offers an extremely compact mounting area while being extremely solid.
Pros:
- 27 mm thick solid steel handles.
- The frame is manufactured out of 5 mm thick steel sheet that is folded for some eye-catching lines (I think I have a gym equipment fetish)
- 250 kgs safe working load.
- 48 grip variants and grip widths.
- Exceptionally small mounting area (24 cm x 30 cm).
Cons:
- The handles must be tightened/loosened every time you change position.
- Expensive.
Perfect for:
This is the chin-up bar you use when the others will not work. Or if you want to get more varied grip positions. The other options are simply easier to train on in that you do not have to adjust the handles.
But if you cannot mount these chin-ups then this is perfect for you. I have seen these mounted on concrete pillars – something you simply cannot do with a traditional chin-up.
Utilizing such a space in any gym is just such a bonus. It adds a quality exercise without using up any footprint – all pillars in gyms should have one!
ATX-CFCU ATX® Expandable Pull Up System
Originally designed for commercial applications, the ATX® Modular Pull Up System has quickly become a hit between CrossFit boxes and calisthenics enthusiasts in Europe.
Pros:
- Can be installed as a single or an endless pull-up station.
- Rated for 300 kgs (per station), or 200 kgs per bar extension.
- High Base weight – 33 kgs.
- Certified for Commercial use – EN 20957 I.II.IV – S
- Solid old-school straight bar for people who like to keep it simple. Or for Crossfitters that like to muscle up.
Cons:
- Takes up a lot of space – the chin-up is 148 cm wide.
- Expensive for home gym use.
Perfect for:
It is quite apparent, that this modular pull-up system has been tailored to suit commercial gyms that specialize in group training. The base version does offer exceptional stability, from which everyone could benefit from.
ATX-PU-STA ATX® Functional Pull-Up Station
This is the chin-up bar that has every option box ticked. It has loads of grip positions, grip thickness, hooks for hanging bags, and a pair of blue balls. It is built like a tank and given the number of features, it has a relatively compact mounting area.
Pros:
- Multiple grip positions
- Grip training – thick grip handles combined with bomb grips (blue balls)
- Super solid construction – 33.5 kgs of steel is involved in the construction of this Pull-Up Station.
- You can attach boxing bags or suspension trainers to this bar with ease.
- 350 kgs weight load rating and commercial certificate make it suitable for any setting.
- Relatively compact mounting area.
Cons:
- You will need 8 x dynabolts to mount it.
- It ain’t cheap!
Perfect For:
As a minimalist myself, this bar is simply an overkill. I would not buy it myself, there are simply cheaper options that will cover the bases that I will utilize in my training.
Just like my gym equipment fetish, some take it to the next level when decking out their weights room. Their gyms are more than somewhere to train, it is their pride and joy. Just like customizing a car is not for all people, there are plenty out there that get into that sort of thing.
If you want your gym to stand out from the crowd then buy this one.