Metal or Wooden Stall Bars?

After lots of research, I'm ready to pull the trigger on the Rogue Stall Bar 3.0 and want recommendations on metal or wood.  Price is not a factor.  Comfort and safety are key.  These will be installed in an unheated garage.  Thanks for your suggestions!

No question; go with metal.  Most adults will eventually snap the wooden rails; especially the long rails that rogue uses.

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

Counterpoint: made my own from wood. Also in an unheated garage but feel wonderful!

However, they're much narrower than the Rogue bars (about 32 inches vs 43), so stresses on the middle of the dowels will be less. Before I made the stall bars I used the safety bars on my power rack: absolutely freezing in winter.

Counter Counterpoint:  Good point, however easily dealt with by simply wrapping the rails in athletic tape if needed.

Over the years I have never seen a young athlete break a wooden rail, I have however seen adults break at least 7-9 rails.   Luckily no one was injured.  Metal rails make this problem a non-issue.  

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

Thanks for the quick replies!  I agree with you Coach Sommer, the metal brings peace of mind and athletic tape is a great comfort tip.  I'll just make sure not to lick the metal rails in sub-freezing temperatures!

If you forget about the licking, please take a photo so we can compare your fate with Jeff Daniel’s above.  

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

Will do!

On 10/17/2019 at 12:30 AM, Coach Sommer said:

No question; go with metal.  Most adults will eventually snap the wooden rails; especially the long rails that rogue uses.

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

Hi Coach,

I purchased this one from a physical therapist closing shop.

It's by Enraf-Nonius, who make them in Europe . Price was only €100 ($108), and it has the oval crossbars.

I weigh 178lb (81kg). 

It seemed little used, and new it used to cost €350 ($380).

So far so good.

If there is anything you'd advise not do on it,  please tell me, I'm all ears.

Really enjoying this Gymnastic stuff.

Cheers

Hi Alain,

Congratulations on getting such a good deal.  It is not so much a matter of avoiding a specific exercise or stretch as much as it is the overall bodyweight of an adult in general.  

Listen carefully for the sounds of a rail(s) cracking; this will go a long way towards helping you to train safely.  When in doubt, replace the suspect rail.  There is nothing quite like the joy of a nice long splinter impaling you or falling onto the top of your head when a rail snaps in half.  Being slow and deliberate in your movements will help avoid breakage.  

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

Thanks for the advice Coach Sommer