Creative Fitness Door Gym
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List Price: Our Price: $28.95 You Save: $26.00 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $26.30 (click here) Category: Sports See more product details |
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Description of Creative Fitness Door Gym
The Door Gym stands head and shoulders above the competition. This versatile device can be set up in seconds on almost any door frame and lets you work out in the convenience of your own home or office. It latches on without screws, bolts or fasteners, so you won't leave holes in your door trim. A cantilever design uses your own body weight (up to 300 lbs.) to keep it in place. Door Gym is more than a simple pull-up, chin-up bar. It also has two protruding close-grip handles that let you work out with your palms facing each other, a good position for isolating the muscles in the center of your back that control posture. In addition, you can use Door Gym on the ground as a push-up bar and a sit-up spotter.Sports reviews of Creative Fitness Door Gym
Customer Review: great for apartments
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I've used the Door Gym for almost two years now and love it. Because my apartment was a rental, I needed to find a chin-up bar that did not do lasting damage to the door frame. While this will make a few superficial marks where the product contacts the wall, it sure beats having to deal with screw holes. I bought this over other similar "cantilever bar" products because this got the most consistent high reviews.
Doing pull-ups on this feels very solid and I've never felt at risk. The metal parts are well made. The crossbar that contacts the wall above the molding is plastic but it shows no signs of wear. The foam is of good quality, although the end pieces are now thin at the point of contact with the door frame.
The bar provides two grip positions--a fairly close grip position inside the levering bars and another perpendicular one on the levering bars themselves. It would be an improvement if grips outside the levering bars were provided. Of course, you can grip the bar in that position without the foam (and if your hands get sweaty you may prefer it). The Iron Gym provides grips at this position. However, the crossbar on that product is bolted together where this crossbar is a single solid piece.
I use the Door Gym in conjunction with the Lifeline Jungle Gym II, which is an upgraded version of the original Jungle Gym (both are alternatives to the widely advertised TRX suspension training system). By wrapping the strap of the Jungle Gym across the Door Gym, I get a setup that loosely mimics gymnast rings. I have successfully used this setup for about a year and love it. While the door frame interferes with some movements, I've still got an extremely versatile suspension training system that can be put away in seconds and requires no mounting. This is a major win in small rental apartments. I *highly* recommend this combined setup.
A final note. I've recently moved and have found that the Door Gym does not fit my doors here (about an inch or two too short). While this is frustrating it seems that all similar products have the same maximum door fit (32"), so I can't fault the Door Gym specifically here. There are extension bars available but they get terrible reviews, and I'll be doing a DIY mod to get my gym back up and running.
All in all, when the Door Gym fits, it works excellently. It has allowed me to setup a versatile and kick-butt workout system within the constraints imposed by a small rented space. What's more, when the girlfriend complains, the whole setup can disappear in seconds, all thanks to the Door Gym!
Customer Review: Works surprisingly well!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I was very skeptical of this "cantilevered" doorway chinning bar. I thought it would slide, not really stay up, be unsafe or unstable to use. Well, the thing actually works as advertised! It's basically a chinning bar sitting on 2 J shaped braces. The tops of the braces connect with a flat crosspiece. The crosspiece sits on the opposite side of the doorframe, resting on the top of the doorjamb. On the your side of the doorway, the ends of the chinning bar press against the doorframe. Your weight pushes the chinning bar against the doorframe on one side, presses the crosspiece against the doorjamb on the other. I was nervous pulling my 190lbs up on this thing, hearing all kinds of creaking from the doorway...but, in fact it was stable and held my weight like a champ. I live in an old apt., and techinically I think my doorframe is a bit two narrow for the specifications--there are foam pads at the ends of the bar that are suppose press against the doorframe molding. In my case, the doorframe hits the metal bar itself, and the padded ends extend beyond that. Probably not technically as safe as it should be (metal against wood, instead of non-slip foam against wood), but it still works great.I was also scared that since your weight holds it in place, it would fall off while you're not applying a lot of force. So you would have to do some kinda balancing act to hold it in place until you start chinning, and it would fall off as soon you're done. Not so. It rests fairly securely on the jamb, but a quick upward motion removes it right off. If you're paranoid, it comes with a little hook that you wedge in between the molding and the wall that will hold the unit in place while you're not chinning.
Two complaints: There are foam grips (including two perpendicular grips), but I wish the whole bar was foamed for a wider range of grips. If you're serious you'll probably want to buy the broad-grip accessory that's sold separately (I have not yet, so far this is plenty). Secondly, there's no assembly instructions, just an exploded view of what screws go where. There's only 4, so that's trivial, but they include some locking washers (2 metal, 2 plastic) that are essential to use, and the diagram does not indicate to use these. Otherwise, a very nice product.
Customer Review: Only Useful As Seen On TV Fitness Product
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I've owned this bar for a total of about one and a half years, and I'm definitely glad I purchased it.
I've used it quite a bit for all its intended purposes and it's still rigid and holding strong. Its never fallen out of my doorway or anything.. I use it without the safety holder as I lost it but it really isn't necessary anyways - stays sturdy during pullups.
It makes exercising simple and more enjoyable for me as in my view the only exercises anybody needs are pullups, pushups and chin ups. Can throw this up in a door way in seconds for pull-ups... throw it on the ground for a great push up base (it feels Much better in every way to do push ups grasping a bar vs. hand on ground.) Now as for the situps... sticking it in a doorway kind of sucks because as intuition says and as it does... it sits up a couple inches with your feet under it in a doorway so you have to point your foot up high and such so what I do is slide it under my bed which is at a perfect height to hold it tight.... you may not have a problem with it but when I do situps I like my feet to be held tight and flat. For pullups (and situps) it works perfectly though.
The instructions were lacking but if you glance at the box just once then any individual should be able to screw four pieces together.
It fits fine in regular doors... I used this on my door at a townhouse that I lived in a few months ago and the door in the room of my house now. So basically.. if you have what you think is a 'regular door'.. then it should fit no problem. I see these people complaining about it not fitting in their door and am just wondering what kind of crazy door they have. Look at the product - it's pretty easy to tell if it will work in your door if it has some funk stuff going on for it.
Um, lets see ... other thing.. somebody posted a photo of foam wearing the trim. It Does do this... additionally on my door trims it pushes in the wood a bit (since the trim is all 'fancy' shaped aka not flat,) nothing crazy mind you but I ended up wrapping some cloth around each end and duct taping them up..no more trim wear.
Customer Review: The ultimate home pull-up, chin-up, hanging crunch bar!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
Pull-ups and chin-ups aren't the easiest exercise to do, but they are the best bodyweight exercise that you can do. It's great for developing your arms, back, and abs (crunches). If you're a pull-up / chin-up freak, the Door Gym is great. I use the Door Gym more than any other exercise equipment that I have at home because it's unavoidable. It's in the doorway to my bedroom. I can't pass through without doing several pull-ups and chin-ups.
The assembly was a bit of a challenge. At first, I thought the four screws were too short until I really pressed the two pieces together and forced the screws through the holes. The wrench that comes with the Door Gym for assembly is a joke. I strongly recommend buying or using your own wrench.
After assembling the Door Gym, it hangs on the door with ease and securely. I was somewhat concerned that it would damage the wall and the door frame, but it doesn't leave a mark.
I considered buying the cheaper screw-into-the-door frame pull-up/chin-up bars, but the Door Gym is more versatile (plus it's removable and it doesn't damage the door frame). With the Door Gym, you can do the usual pull-ups and chin-ups, but you can also do neutral grip (palms facing each other pull-ups) and commando pull-ups. There's an optional extender that you can buy for a much wider grip, but I can't imagine why it's necessary.
There are similar products like the Door Gym. I saw one at a fitness store. The design was very similar, but the construction and materials were inferior. The metal felt too light and the foam used for gripping and to cushion against the door frame were very thin. The "knock-off" also had a different design for the part that presses against the door header wall which puts more pressure and more likely to damage the wall.
If you're taller than 5'8", you might not like any door pull-up/chin-up bar since it'll be difficult to really extend out when hanging. It's still possible to use it, but you'll really have to bend your legs throughout the exercise.
Customer Review: Simple/versatile/effective chin up solution
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I've had the Door Gym for about a month now and have been very pleased with it. It really does just hang on the opposite top of the door. However, the cantilever design does not rest your body weight on the door trim, but against the door frame both sides of the door frame. You can easily put it up or down in seconds.
Door Gym comes with a small metal tab that can easily be inserted between the wall and trim molding on the side opposite where you do your chin ups. This tab is not noticeable and makes a safety stop for the top part of the door gym that is pressing against the top of the door. The instructions recommend this if children will use the Door Gym, but I put it up even for my use since I always use the same doorway. You do not have to have it, but it adds a little safety measure to insure it won't slip off the trim. I have used the Door Gym many times now and have not seen any wear on my door and I feel very comfortable with its safety.
You do need to pay attention to the door dimensions they recommend for use. There are definitely some doors in my house it won't work with (too wide, not enough top clearance if there is a very low ceiling above door, etc.)
I really like the push-up feature for deep push-ups on the floor, they're more effective than regular push-ups.
I have not used it as a sit-up spotter since I don't have a door convenient for that, but it basically can sit on the floor and the long bar normally used for chin-ups locks against the door frame on the side opposite where you are doing situps.
Great idea and product. If you're in a hurry you can get a decent upper body work out in minutes with just this one handy device .