Stall Bars Plans - Looking for Feedback - Finished w/ Pic

I really want access to some stall bars, and the couple DIY versions that have been posted have inspired me to make some for my gym, but I'm looking for some feedback on my plans before I start trying to build and install them. Here's the basic plan I've drafted up (large-ish jpg) http://i.imgur.com/0mz7K.jpg

I bought a 36" long 1 3/8" diameter Douglas-fir dowel and stress tested it by supporting about 270lbs on it, and it seemed sturdy enough (I'm not that big, nor shall I ever get that big short of getting really fat or maybe, possibly going all out in strongman training, but even even then it is unlikely, but there are some members who are in the 250+lb range at my gym, and I want the unit to be sturdy enough to support anybody who would like to enjoy the benefits stall bars provide).

It doesn't have to be 88" tall, that just seemed like an okay measurement to start with after looking at some retail models. I'm wondering where would be the ideal locations to place the back braces, and if the configuration of attaching 9" long pieces of 2"x6" boards perpendicularly at the top for the highest rung will be sturdy enough without further fortification.

Update: I got the unit built and installed. I took some of the advice I received (thanks, by the way!) and went with a simple rung configuration and omitted two rungs between the top and the next one down. There are some things I'd change and do differently if I ever build another one, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Here's a picture: http://i.imgur.com/b6bdi.jpg

Brackets about a quarter to a third of the way from top and bottom.

If you do it right the top will be strong. Use Lag bolts and glue to be certain. I really over engineered mine.

Here we have stall bars in most gyms. It is very common to see them without the top extension. Rather there will be a couple of rungs missing from near the top which gives some room for the head to move into. This works very well and is an easier build.

I just noticed in one of the other stall bar threads that Coach Sommer recommends the top rung to be offset by 2"-3", whereas I've got mine offset by 3.5". If I take that measurement down to 2.5" I think all the rungs may fit within the dimensions of a single 2"x6" without adding any extension.

However, I'm not sure whether I want to omit a couple of rungs to allow a gap for one's head, go with a complete set of rungs, or try something unorthodox like removable rungs similar to pins in a squat rack (I must admit, the unorthodox approach is attractive).

Thanks for the quick reply, Cole!

I hang a small pad from mine placed behind my upper back. This works well for me.

I really don't recommend trying to make the dowels removable. I originally was looking at a similar approach and realized it would just be more trouble than it's worth to build and then to take the dowels out or put them back.

I was not particularly clear. I meant only two removable rungs, specifically the ones that would be omitted for space for one's head to move backward. My apologies.

I have stall bars now! I've gotten plenty of compliments from around the gym in regard to the apparatus. Picture has been added to the first post.

biz said:

There are some things I'd change and do differently if I ever build another one, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Here's a picture: {C}http://i.imgur.com/b6bdi.jpg

Thank you for information about your build. How are the stall bars surviving over 1 year later? And what would you do differently if you built another one?

Hey, thanks for the questions! I stopped going to the gym after November in order to return to martial arts (only so much time and money), but I still visit occasionally. I'm not sure how much they get used by other members, but this past Monday I played with some side levers, and the stall bars felt fine. As for what I'd do differently, I would use narrower boards for the sides or trim them down once the rungs were affixed so that they aren't quite so obtrusive during windshield wiper variations; I would use better dowels--see that vertical piece going up the middle? The dowels are screwed to it because they were bending a little too much under my weight alone, and I am not a heavy guy at all; I might do without the T-braces on the sides (my dad thought they'd be a good idea to prevent the wood from twisting in the long run, and he's a much more experienced craftsman than I am, so I went with it); I'd probably mount it to the wall through the back braces rather than those chunky blocks attached to the sides (which added to the difficulty in mounting it to the concrete wall).

Excellent. Thank you for the feedback and great work!