I recently completed the design for a multi exercise body weight station for my own training and am talking with an equipment manufacturer about fabricating now, and am wondering if there is enough interest to make it available commercially. The station is highly space efficient, easy to move and assemble, and will feature heavy duty, commercial grade construction and materials providing all of the following body weight exercises and many more:
- Chin ups
- Neutral grip pull ups
- Parallel bar and bench-style dips
- Inverted rows
- Regular, incline and handstand push ups (with roller pad to aid balance)
- Biceps close-grip rows
- Triceps close-grip push ups
- Wall squats or hack squats (with roller pad for back support)
- Heel Raise
- Roller pads also positioned to provide a leg rest to reduce weight lifted during dips and pull ups
The station features angled bars for a variety of grip widths and more comfortable hand and arm position and extra thick bars for hand comfort during the pushing movements (separate dipping and rowing bars at different diameters).
Two roller pads provide balance support during handstand push ups, wall squats and hack squats and a place to hold the legs to reduce resistance during dips and pull ups and can also be used for a variety of isometric movements and stretches. The base of the frame features attachment points for bands to add resistance to body weight exercises.
The station is designed for heavy duty, commercial-level use, but will easily fit and function in residential spaces with ceilings as low as 7’6″. We won’t know for sure until it’s built, but I estimate the weight will be around 250 pounds (heavy duty steel tubing, not that flimsy crap most home machines and bodyweight equipment is made of).
If you have questions or are interested in purchasing the station please let me know in the comments below and I will either answer questions here or contact you with more details. Once mine is built I will post photos, and I will provide a training video with exercise demonstrations with machine purchases.
Update 8/24/11:
I did a rough 3d model of the body weight station in Google Sketchup so people could get an idea what it will look like. The red cylinders on the back are the roller pads which provide support and assist with balance during handstand push ups and hack squats.
I did not draw the band attachment points on the 3d model, but they will be positioned along the insides of the lower frame and the underside of the top of the back frame.
Although it isn’t obvious from this veiw, the chinning bar in the front has a 15 degree bend at the center which provides a more optimal grip angle as well as better clearance for the head and chin during the exercise.
I should have an estimate of the cost for the station within a week, and as soon as the first one is built I’ll be posting video demonstrations of the exercises that can be performed on it.
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Excellent! What do you estimate to be its approximate price? Or is it too early to tell it because it would depend on interest? What possibilities would be to get it to Europe? Too soon to think about sells in Europe?
Tauno,
I won’t know the price until we’ve discussed what it will cost to make and we have an idea of the demand. I’m sure it can be shipped to Europe, although I’m not sure what the cost will be.
It sounds great drewe. I have a bench and dumbbells at the moment, so this sounds like the perfect accompaniment to that set up. Space is at a premium where I live though (hence why I have a foldable bench) so if this comes as described above it would be brilliant.
I have toyed with the idea of buying a squat rack or dip station, but this sounds like it will do all that and more.
Can’t wait to see it.
Matt,
A good squat or power rack is a useful and versatile piece of equipment, but this would be far more space efficient and a better option for body weight training. This is not a squat rack, but the roller pads are positioned to provide back support for “wall” squats and a rolling support for body weight hack squats. Any of the exercises can be made harder by using a weighted vest or bands and a weighted belt can be used for the dips, chin ups and pull ups.
Drew-I’d love to see what it looks like and how it functions.
Also, I did squats today at a slower rep cadence as you suggested. Some observations: I was able to comfortably get much deeper into the squat. I had no back issues at all and was able to concentrate on core stability. It was hard! I used only 185 lbs but that was enough. I will continue to do these slowly and add weight, probably 5 lbs per workout, for a while. Thanks again for the tip.
Thomas,
You’re welcome. As soon as I’ve had mine built I will post photos of it. After I wrap up Elements of Form I can post a 3d rendering of it if there is enough interest.
This sounds like just the sort of thing I’m looking for. Obviously, until I know more (specifically pricing) I couldn’t say for sure that I would order. But, given the quality of materials and construction that you highlight – with reasonable pricing – I would definitely be on board to purchase.
William,
We can’t determine the price until we know what it costs to build, but since it is being made out of heavy gauge steel tubing and bars and high quality padding it will cost more than the typical, flimsy chin up and dip stations you would see in fitness equipment and sporting goods stores.
Color me interested in more information, sounds as tho’ it could be pretty space efficient which is important for most people setting up to workout at home.
Yes, yes, yes. This is awesome.
Yes this sounds awesome. Have you considered a handstand pushup component that allows a full range overhead press? i find it annoying to only be able to lower myself until my head touches the floor
Drew,
The lower bars for push ups were designed to allow for a much greater range of motion during handstand push ups and a more comfortable wrist position, and the roller pads assist you with balance if you need it (and prevent you from kicking up too far and falling on your back) but roll to allow you to go up and down smoothly.
Sounds like it’ll be a great piece of equipment. If my basement ceilings were high enough I would definitely be interested.
I’d be interested in such a machine but won’t know until I see a design.
When I read the title I didn’t think I was interested. When I read the list of supported exercises, I perked up. For one, I’m a bit tired of doing the heel raises off my stepladder.
I would be very interested at a price of $500 or less
Charlie,
I won’t know what the price will be until they let me know the materials cost, labor, powder coating, etc., just trying to determine whether there is an interest at this point.
I’m definitely interested in seeing the design (3D or otherwise) posted on here. That will definitely help; this sounds pretty unique, given what I’ve seen (or not seen) out there.
William,
Once I’ve wrapped up the current book I will work on a 3D model or drawing.
Would definitely be interested in this. Look forward to seeing the design.
I would definitely be interested. Got to workout shipping costs.
Drew,
I would buy one to have in my garage. Many times UE is booked on the day I am scheduled to work out and this would be a great solution. If I set it up outdoors, do you think it would do OK? (I don’t care about rust).
Hey Doug,
Yes, it would be fine outdoors as long as you had level, stable ground to place it on, and the powder coat finish should protect it from the elements pretty well.
Sounds great! I already have a great home gym in my basement but would love to add it. On a separate note, I have a quick question for you Drew. What would you think of doing one HIT exercise per day only, instead of doing a full body once or twice weekly.
Ex: Monday…one set of chest
Tuesday…one set of lat pulldowns
Wednesday…one set of overhead press
Thursday…one set of bicep curls
Friday…One set of tricep pushdowns
Shouldn’t eat up too much recovery would it? And I figure alternating pushing and pulling movements would be good as well. Just a thought. Let me know what you think
Blain,
This would depend on the local recovery of individual muscle groups. While a very low volume would mean very low demands or time requirement for systemic recovery, the recovery of individual muscles may take a while. You might be better off doing two pushing movements then waiting a few days and doing two pulling movements, rather than going every other day.
Hi Drew,
Being a bodyweight training aficionado, I would definitely like to see some pictures!
Some additional exercise options that might already be possible, or could be added with minor design alterations:
– unilateral leg work (one leg squat from a block, etc.)
– multiple position overcoming isometric holds (i. e. you push/pull against an immovable object)
– mounts/hooks for resistance bands
However, I think your target market are mostly commercial facilities, hotels etc. All of the listed exercises can be done at home with everyday objects, and in this versatility and flexibility lies the allure of bodyweight training. Whenever I find a new cool exercise variation that can be done with improbable props, that is a personal eureka moment for me not to be missed.
There might be an affluent and status-conscious sub-group among bodyweight exercisers who rejoice at the chance of finally splurging some money on their otherwise spartan pursuit, who knows?
Klaus,
The lower roller pad on the back will assist with balance during bilateral or unilateral leg work, including one-legged squats. The roller pads and the various bars can be used for isometric holds. There are attachment points at the front, middle and back of the bottom of the frame and the back of the top for bands, which can be used for separate exercises or to add resistance to chin ups, dips, etc.
Although the pads on the back were designed and positioned with squatting and handstand push ups in mind, I believe they will lend themselves to other trunk and leg movements. Once the prototype is built I will post a video demonstrating the various exercises that can be done on it. I spoke with Ken at Regeneration Exercise yesterday and am excited about working with them on this and think they’re going to produce an awesome piece of equipment.
While a lot of the same exercises could be done with minimal equipment – chin up bars, parallel bars, rowing bars, push up bars, and a wall – this is designed to make them as safe, efficient and effective as possible, and to provide the greatest variety of exercises in a relatively small space. I designed it to fit in a typical residential space, since that was what I wanted it for, but it is definitely a commercial piece of equipment. I think the ruggedness, simplicity and versatility of it will appeal to the more affluent home market, but I really envision this being used in private personal training studios and athletic training facilities.
Drew,
Thanks for the quick reply. I see your point, a sturdy training station is definitely safer than two wobbly chairs. The possibility to add resistance bands is also a huge bonus.
I’ll stay tuned…
Klaus,
Stability and safety was a major concern. If anyone around central Florida or Gainesville who weighs at least 250 and can do proper, full range chin ups and dips would like to help demonstrate the stability of the machine for a video once it’s built let me know.
I am behind on wrapping up Elements of Form due to having to deal with a hacker attack on the web site this week (which has been fixed) so I won’t be able to get to it until the weekend, but I plan to write something about my reasons for designing this and the process, as well as a description of how it can be used for full-body workouts.
I would totally buy this machine as long as the resistance is enough to take me to muscular hypertrophy …. and if the price is right .
James,
The right body weight exercises can provide more than enough of a challenge for almost anyone, unless you are insanely strong. The station also has attachment points for bands to increase the resistance during any exercise.
I’d certainly be interested. If possible, keep assembly and disassembly as easy as possible.
John,
It will be pretty straight forward to assemble and disassemble, and can easily be moved by one person with a dolly, or easily carried by two. The rowing or dipping bars would provide perfect handholds for carrying upright.
Drew,
I like this idea. I imagine a machine that takes the best elements of a squat cage and the Nautilus Multi-Exercise without the size or bulk.
1) Possible resource for building prototype:
I had created a similar list for a workout station for myself. While researching how to do it, I found a resource that may be helpful. The resource I found is called Kee Klamp. Kee Klamps are available through a website called simplified building (with which I am not associated).
Kee Klamps are used in industrial construction as connectors for steel and aluminum pipe, such as to build handrails, safety rails, etc. They permit modular design while maintaining extreme strength.
Had you considered a modular design? A workout station that could be disassembled for storage or moving, or expanded to include additional stations, could be handy. Modularity may not be on your radar as a design criterion, but for the sake of a proof of concept or prototype, the above may come in handy.
2) Possible ideas:
* suspended handles? I have seen adjustable nylon straps with handles that hang from the chinup bar, to allow for adjustable height and widths for the grips. On that other machine, they were used for inverted rows, incline pushups/chest fly, etc. If workable, this could
* modularity? as mentioned above, not an option for welded metal, but very useful at times to be able to disassemble for storage, moving.
* free weight use? most bodyweight machines suffer when it comes to leg press or squat movements. That alone is enough to keep me going to a gym. If your design could include safety bars suitable for squatting, it would add to its versatility.
Hope these help,
JV474
Hey JM,
Regeneration Equipment in Gainesville will be building it, and they’ve got some highly knowledgeable and experienced people so I trust they’re going to do a great job with it.
I’ve considered modularity, but I also wanted to keep it as simple as possible and just do a few things really well, but it’s surprisingly versatile as is. The lower roller pad would allow a person to perform a variation on one legged squats that is easier on the knee and would be sufficiently challenging for most users. If not, you can always add resistance with bands using the anchor points on the frame (which would be less cumbersome and provide a more appropriate resistance curve for a compound leg movement).
Suspended handles could be attached, but the station already provides a variety of widths for the exercises mentioned, and I prefer to use and train clients on stable equipment.
If you’re concerned about whether the legs can be adequately worked with the machine, try this:
Stand with your back against a flat, smooth wall. Keeping your back flat against the wall, place your feet together about one step in front of you. Raise one foot so are you supporting your weight with the other. Slowly squat down with the one leg, allowing your back to slide down the wall until the top of your thigh is parallel with the floor, then slowly press yourself back up. The lower roller pad on the machine is designed to support you during this movement. If it is too difficult, you can do it with both legs. If it is too easy you can place a band over the hips or over the shoulders and behind the neck for added resistance.
Count me in. Let me know.
Re: one legged squat
So, I take it that you don’t share the same concern about loading the hips/pelvis unilaterally as Ken Hutchins? I know he warned about this in an article awhile back.
Joe,
It depends on the person, the exercise, and the style of performance. For a person with a healthy back and hips unilateral, body weight squats performed in a controlled manner are not harmful.
I’m very interested in the body weight station. Are there any sketches you can put up?
Mark,
I am working on doing a 3d drawing in Google Sketchup and will post it later tonight.
Drew-I’ve been doing some body weight exercises, specifically chins and dips, in an alternating reverse “ladder” style. This allows me to do a high volume of work in a small amount of time as long as I don’t fatigue too much (for example, I was able to do 90 chins and 112 dips in about 15 minutes using reverse ladders. I generally start with an 9, 7, 5, 3 type scheme and then might go to a 7, 5, 3, then 5, 5, 3, etc.). This is quite a met-con workout but I wouldn’t call it HIT. I do this workout occasionally between HIT sessions. What do you think of this? Beyond met-con, do you think it has any benefits?
Thomas,
Those type of workouts can be highly effective for metabolic conditioning, but be careful with your form. When people perform timed metcon workouts – either a set volume for time, or as much volume as they can within a set time – the tendency is to focus more on quantity than quality of work, moving faster and loosening up form. While this may still produce a considerable metabolic demand, it would not address other factors like strength and flexibility as effectively and can be harder on the joints.
My preference for metcon type workouts are 3x3s and some modified CrossFit workouts. They will provide a similar stimulus for metabolic and cardiovascular improvements while more effectively addressing other factors and being less stressful for the joints.
Agreed. Form is a little less tight for sure, especially on the chins (I’m certainly not “kipping”, however). I purposefully try to minimize fatigue because if it turns into more of a HIT workout, it tends to effect my HIT strength workouts negatively (I overtrain quickly). So it’s done purely as a met-con workout but with less fatigue. I do get a little sore (it’s a lot of work!) but I generally don’t feel run down like I do after a very hard HIT workout. I have really found body weight exercises, as pure met-con, to be quite enjoyable.
One other thing, I only do this met-con once per week as too much of this workload can open you up to repetitive stress injury, even if form is perfect. This, I have found, is one of the great things about HIT-it minimized repetitive stress injury due to its required reduced frequency.
DREW!!!! I’m gonna need one of those!!! Especially considering the thought you have apprently put into all the details, even the height issue (I work out in my basement, so low ceilings…).
Once you know the price and shipping to Canada (if any), you’ll have to drop me a line!!!
I’d certainly be interested in something like this. I have a Weider pullup/dip/pushup/abs station and though it can let me do alot, it also limits any variations on the above. And if yours lets you add bands, all the better.
Drew,
Is there any particular time when only doing body-weight workouts would be more advantageous than doing machine or free weight workouts? Or are they good to do in order to switch up routines once in a while? Thanks.
Mike,
In terms of effectiveness, free weights are a step up from many body weight exercises, and properly designed machines are an even bigger step up from free weights. That being said, if done correctly body weight training is highly effective. It’s advantage is it can be done almost anywhere with little or no equipment, and what equipment is needed for certain exercises is very basic. There are some other psychological advantages to it having to do with the direct experience of moving one’s body translating into better understanding of and confidence in the capabilities it develops, especially when compared to machines, but that’s something I will write about in a lot more detail later.
The reason I designed this was to have a station here to use to perform various body weight exercises in an optimal manner, something I will be focusing on heavily for the next year. The reason for this focus (along with shrug bar deadlifts) is I believe over the next few years this country and probably the world in general is going to be in a really bad state, politically and economically, and body weight training will become the most economic, efficient and practical way for most people to effectively maintain the strength and fitness they are going to need.
I find I’ve been training mostly women, most of whom have never done weight training before. Will you show ways to make this useful for that crowd or is this too advanced? I’m fairly strong and have difficulty with most upper-body body weight exercises (as I’ve written you before) but would love to incorporate more body weight exercises for myself as well and to eventually have a small home gym for private training. This could be great for that if I could figure out enough exercises to adapt to beginner (mostly women and slightly older, 40+) trainees. Thanks!
Hey Angie,
They’re starting construction on the first one and once the frame is assembled and the pads are on I’ll be visiting the factory to film some demonstrations before they send it to be powder coated. I will show how it can be used to perform variations of some of the exercises for beginners as well as more advanced trainees.
The push up and rowing bars can be used to also perform dips and pull ups with the feet supported or resting on the ground for people who are not yet strong enough to do those exercises with their body weight, and I will also be demonstrating how to use bands with the machine to increase or decrease the difficulty of exercises to suit the user, as well as for the performance of additional exercises.
Drew,
this sounds great but I’m wondering if you could add a glute/hamstring developer like a hyperextention bench to your design. That would totally set it apart from any thing on the market.
Albert,
One of my design goals was to keep it as simple and space efficient as possible and adding a foot support for a roman chair or glute ham raise would have increased the size or gotten in the way of other exercises. I could, however, make it an option for those who want it. All that would be required is an extension off the back with a small platform for foot stability and roller pads to hold the ankles. It may not be necessary, however. I have a feeling once I get a chance to play around with the prototype I’ll have a better idea of what can be done on it in addition to the movements it was specifically designed for.
After further consideration I’ve decided not to design modules to extend the Ultimate Body Weight Station. It is already extremely versatile and well designed for the exercises it provides.
If there is enough interest and if there is a legitimate need for it, it would make more sense to design a second station specifically for leg and trunk exercises than to modify the UBWS.
Will this allow for suspension traing and perhaps ring training?
Scott,
A suspension trainer or rings could be mounted on it but wouldn’t be necessary. Most of the best body weight exercises can be done on the station as it is, and exercise on a stable platform is safer and more effective than on an unstable one. Suspension trainers increase the difficulty of balancing during many exercises but detract from the intensity of contraction in the target muscles, similar to how crunches on the floor work the abs more effectively than crunches on a ball or BOSU.
thanks for the response,
I am very interested I cannot wait to see the prototype.
Scott,
You’re welcome. I can’t wait to start training on it.
Interested also! Browsing your site for a Hit bodyweight routine….can’t wait!
Clarence,
There is an entire section of body weight routines in High Intensity Workouts. I will also be posting photos and video demonstrating some of the exercises that can be done on it as soon as the first one is built.
This is awesome for me since I find that I feel the best when most of my training consists of calisthenics.
Idea: Make the height of rollers and dip bars adjustable? Also, would I be able to hang from the rollers to do sit ups?
Hey Joel,
Height adjustment on the dipping and rowing bars and pads would have been ideal but would have increased the manufacturing cost considerably. Knowing they were going to be fixed a lot of thought went into the dimensions and I believe the bar heights will work well for most people.
You could probably hang from the top pad to do sit ups by hooking your feet around the outside frame, but I don’t recommend hanging sit ups. A crunching movement may be possible while laying across the lower roller pad, but I won’t know until I try it out. Direct ab exercises were not a big priority when developing the machine since the abs are already worked during many of the other exercises (chin ups, push ups, etc.) and crunches can be performed from the floor without any need for equipment at all.
The biggest priorities were providing optimal grip positions, angles, and diameters for chin ups, pull ups, inverted rows, handstand push ups and dips. The additional design features for squats, various types of push ups, stretching, band attachment points, etc. came after, and only if they didn’t compromise those.
Since there have been quite a few questions about it though, I am working on designs for a second station which will be primarily for the abs, back and hip extensors, and obliques, and possibly some other leg options.