Apparatus for INVERTED ROWS at home

[Java Cafe]

It's reasonably easy to follow Stronglifts 5 x 5 at home, and rig the equipment necessary to perform all of the exercises. Except for one - the Inverted Rows. I am trying to figure out how to do that. I do not have the room to put a cage in my home, so there must be an alternative.

I do have and use a pull up bar (one of those that attach to the top of a doorway). Could I possibly use long straps (longer than the typical ab straps) and devise a way of doing something similar to the Inverted Rows?

I was wondering if this would work: http://amzn.to/bTmE4b

What do you think? Could you possibly suggest alternatives or have other ideas?

Thanks in advance.

~ JC ~

 

[MotF Bane]

My first thought is a pair of modified triangles with a pipe between them. Base made of 2x4, and the longer the 2x4, the more stable. Put a vertical one between the triangles upper sides, drill holes through it, and you can have an adjustable height for the pipe.

A simpler but non-adjustable option - a pipe over a pair of chairs.

 

[KoolDrew]

Those would work fine. However, since you obviously have the equipment for it, why not just do barbell rows?

 

[Java Cafe]

Yeah, bent over barbell rows . . . I could do that. But, I want(ed) to follow Stronglifts 5x5 to the extent I could.

I am a beginner, work out at home alone, am in the sixth decade of my life (although reasonably healthy/fit), and I worry about if/whether I will end up injuring my lower back somehow.

 

[Java Cafe]

My first thought is a pair of modified triangles with a pipe between them. Base made of 2x4, and the longer the 2x4, the more stable. Put a vertical one between the triangles upper sides, drill holes through it, and you can have an adjustable height for the pipe.

A simpler but non-adjustable option - a pipe over a pair of chairs.

Pipe? You mean a regular pipe from a hardware store? (Or, are there exercise-specific pipes available somewhere?)

 

[brikis98]

Got a squat rack?

 

[Java Cafe]

Got a squat rack?

What I have are squat stands. These: http://amzn.to/cOPSR5

 

[brikis98]

What I have are squat stands. These: http://amzn.to/cOPSR5

Put them in the lowest setting, put on a barbell with some weight on it, get underneath and do inverted rows.

 

[Java Cafe]

Thanks, brikis98. I am going to try that. I hope it will be steady enough for that purpose. If was an integrated rack (one piece construction), I wouldn't have any worries. But, this may work too.

 

[brikis98]

Thanks, brikis98. I am going to try that. I hope it will be steady enough for that purpose. If was an integrated rack (one piece construction), I wouldn't have any worries. But, this may work too.

Yup, give it a shot, see how stable/steady it is. If it doesn't work out, try propping up a barbell between any other two objects, such as boxes, tables, etc. Alternatively, if you have a pull-up bar, you can hang a set of gymnastic rings from it and do the rows on them. On top of that, the rings are useful for a huge variety of other upper body exercises: ring dips, ring push-ups, muscle-ups, l sits, front lever, back lever, skin the cat, etc.

 

[kamper]

I just bought a set of rings for this very purpose. I will be hanging them from my doorway chin-up bar, although it's screwed in and pretty solid. I was looking at laying a bar over something, but as brikis points out, there's lots of other cool stuff to do with rings, hopefully even within the small space of my doorway.

 

[MotF Bane]

Pipe? You mean a regular pipe from a hardware store? (Or, are there exercise-specific pipes available somewhere?)

Regular pipe. Metal, same diameter as a weight bar.

 

[Java Cafe]

Thanks, everyone.

Kamper: Where did you buy your rings from?

 

[kamper]

Thanks, everyone.

Kamper: Where did you buy your rings from?

The link in brikis's post.