Softball Pullup Grips | DIY Fitness Equipment

Anytime you can use a welder is cool. Here’s a fun project for your home gym – softball pullup grips. This DIY fitness equipment project is pretty simple and will let you build grips of steel.

Where Did I Get This Idea?

I may be creative, but I also love learning from others. The idea of softball grips for doing pullups is something I picked up from Ben Bruno. Check out his post of fitness videos Ben Bruno Take 61. Thanks to Twitter (@troyp) I was able to get @benbruno1 to point me to @dieselstrength. James has a great article on how to make softball grips

The process sounded simple and I love the idea of doing pullups to work my grip. So … I had to give it a try.

My Adventure Making Softball Pullup Grips

Stories are sometimes best told through video. Here is my adventure making softball pullup grips…

The Process Mods – What I Did Differently

James does a great job describing the process jump over to his site for more details. But I did make a few changes.

Serious Strength

And I don’t mean me (yet). When we were reviewing James’ plan the idea of just welding the washer on the bottom of the bolts to hold all my weight just sounded a little sketchy. So we went overboard. We decided to put on the two washers, then a single nut, and weld it all together. There is no way these are coming apart.

Padding on the Pullup Bar

I couldn’t find hose the right size to fit over the chain, so … I bought some to slip over the pullup bar instead. I bought 1″ clear tubing from Home Depot. Then I cut two 4″ long sections and cut a slit down the length to open them up. This allows me to slip them easily on and off my pullup bar. That gives a bit of cushion and protects the bar from the chain on the grips.

So go make a pair and let’s hear how the process goes for you.

About Troy Pesola

Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside of work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.