| 7,000+ Reviews
Free EU Shipping above 100€*
400,000+ Customers Worldwide
Worldwide Tracked Shipping
You rent, you can't drill, and the nearest bar is a 20-minute walk away. A door pull up bar solves all three in about a minute of setup. These 12 pull up bar exercises for beginners and advanced athletes cover pulling, core and even dips, all on a bar that clips into your doorway and comes off when you're done.
Extend-it or Hook-it: which door pull up bar should you choose?
GORNATION makes two no-drill models, and they mount in completely different ways.
The Door Pull Up Bar Extend-it is a telescopic bar that locks inside the door frame. You rotate it to extend it until it presses against both sides, and an anti-rotation design plus triple anti-slip rubber keeps it in place. It fits frames of 74 to 90 cm inner width, holds up to 150 kg and has a 50 cm padded grip. Because it sits inside the frame, it's the one that lets you move along the bar, which is what commando pull ups need.
The Door Pull Up Bar Hook-it hangs over the top of the door frame and spreads the load across the frame and the wall. It's powder-coated steel with two bars at different thicknesses, 32 mm and 35 mm, so you get several grip positions and can hang higher. It holds up to 130 kg, folds flat for storage, and fits frames protruding 1.5 to 2 cm from the wall, up to 8.5 cm high and 12 to 21 cm deep. Measure your frame before ordering: that's the one check that decides which model works in your flat.
Both models install without tools or drilling, come off in seconds, carry a 2-year warranty, and work with rings and resistance bands. You'll find them both in our pull up bars collection.
How to install your door pull up bar safely
A door bar is only as solid as the frame it sits on. Before your first session, check three things.
The frame itself. It has to be solid wood or a properly fixed frame, not a hollow trim strip tacked onto plasterboard. Push on it: if it flexes, don't hang from it.
The fit. On the Extend-it, tighten until the rubber pads sit flush against both sides with no play, and check the bar can't rotate. On the Hook-it, make sure the hooks sit fully over the frame and the rubber ends rest flat against the wall.
The first hang. Put your weight on the bar gradually, feet still on the floor, before you do a single rep. Repeat that check every few sessions, and re-tighten anything that has moved.
6 pull up bar exercises to start with
Basic pull up variations
1. Standard pull ups. The pull up is the movement everything else builds on. Overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms straight. Pull your shoulder blades down first, then pull until your chin clears the bar, and lower yourself all the way to straight arms. On a door bar, bend your knees behind you so your feet don't touch the floor.
2. Wide-grip pull ups. The wide grip pull up moves your hands out past shoulder width, which shortens the range and shifts more work to your lats. Expect fewer reps than standard pull ups, and stop the set as soon as your form breaks.
3. Chin-ups. Same movement with your palms facing you. Your biceps sit in a stronger position, so most people get more reps. Keep your elbows close to your body and pull your chest to the bar.
Progressions and advanced variations
4. Bodyweight rows. If you can't do a pull up yet, start here. Mount the bar low, lie underneath it, grab it and pull your chest up with your body straight from head to heels. The australian pull up trains the same muscles with a fraction of the load, and the more horizontal you get, the harder it becomes.
5. Negative pull ups. Jump or step to the top position, chin over the bar, then lower yourself as slowly as you can, aiming for 5 seconds. You're much stronger on the lowering phase than on the pulling one, which is exactly why negatives build your first pull up faster than anything else.
6. Commando pull ups. The commando pull up has you grip the bar with both hands in line, one in front of the other, and pull up alternately to the left and right of the bar. Your core fights the rotation the whole time. This one needs a bar you can stand under along its length, so it suits the Extend-it.
6 more exercises for your core, triceps and chest
Core and abs
7. Hanging leg raises. Hang with straight arms and shoulders pulled down, then raise your legs to parallel with the floor, knees locked, and lower them slowly. The hanging leg raise loads your abs far harder than any floor exercise. Stop the set as soon as your body starts to swing.
8. Knee tucks. The hanging knee raise is the beginner version: same hang, knees drawn to your chest instead of straight legs. Tilt your pelvis back at the start of each rep, pause at the bottom, and build to 3 sets of 12 before moving to straight legs.
Pushing work on the same bar
9. Triceps dips. Mount the bar low, sit with your back to it, hands on the bar behind you, and press yourself up and down. Keep your elbows pointing back rather than flaring out. It's the simplest way to train pushing on a bar that was built for pulling.
10. Straight bar dips. With the bar at medium height, the straight bar dip becomes possible: support yourself above the bar with straight arms, lean forward, lower your chest toward it and press back up. It's a key step toward the muscle up. Check your bar's fit before this one, since supporting yourself above the bar loads it differently than hanging under it.
Adding equipment to your door bar
11. Assisted pull ups with a resistance band. Loop a band over the bar, pull the end through itself and put one foot or knee in the loop. The band pushes hardest at the bottom, where the movement is hardest. The GORNATION Premium Resistance Bands come in four strengths, from Ultra Light (2-7 kg) to Heavy (20-40 kg): pick the one that gives you 5 to 8 clean reps, then drop to a lighter band as you progress. That's your route to an unassisted pull up.
12. Rings on your door bar. Hang rings from the bar and you unlock rows, ring push ups and dips. The GORNATION Workout Rings Set uses 18 cm birch rings on 4.5 m straps, with sewn length markings so both rings sit at the same height. Keep the load within your bar's limit, and see our guide to exercises on gymnastics rings for what to do with them.
A beginner workout plan for your door pull up bar
Train 2 to 3 times a week, with a rest day in between. Pick your level and move up when you reach the goal in the last column.
| Level | The workout | Sets and reps | Move up when |
|---|---|---|---|
| No pull up yet | Bodyweight rows, negatives, dead hangs, knee tucks | 3 x 8-12, 4 x 1 (5 s), 3 x 20 s, 3 x 10 | You do 1 full pull up |
| Beginner | Pull ups, assisted pull ups, chin-ups, knee tucks | 4 x 3-5, 3 x 6-8, 3 x 6-8, 3 x 12 | You do 8 clean pull ups in a row |
| Intermediate | Pull ups, wide-grip pull ups, leg raises, straight bar dips | 4 x 6-10, 3 x 5-8, 3 x 8-12, 3 x 6-10 | You do 12 pull ups, then add load |
| Advanced | Commando pull ups, ring work, leg raises, weighted pull ups | 4 x 4-6 per side, 3 x 8, 4 x 10-12, 5 x 3-6 | Keep adding load or harder variations |
Ready for load? Our guide to weighted pull ups covers the next step, within your bar's weight limit.
FAQ: door pull up bars
How do you choose the right pull up bar for your door?
Measure the frame first. The Extend-it fits inner widths of 74 to 90 cm and holds up to 150 kg, mounting inside the frame. The Hook-it hangs over a frame protruding 1.5 to 2 cm, up to 8.5 cm high and 12 to 21 cm deep, holds up to 130 kg and gives you two grip thicknesses. Your frame usually decides for you.
Will a door pull up bar damage the frame?
Not when it's correctly fitted. The Extend-it uses wide anti-slip rubber pads to spread pressure across the frame sides, and the Hook-it has white rubber ends that rest against the wall. Both come off in seconds, so you can remove them between sessions. On a fragile or hollow frame, no door bar is a good idea.
Can you build muscle with only a pull up bar?
For your back, biceps and core, yes: pull ups, rows and leg raises cover them. Add triceps dips and straight bar dips and you have pushing work too. What a door bar can't replace is heavy leg training, so plan squats and lunges separately.
How do you do your first pull up?
Combine three things: bodyweight rows to build the pulling pattern, negatives to make your muscles handle your bodyweight, and assisted pull ups with a band to train the full movement. Three sessions a week, and most beginners get their first rep in one to two months.
How do you maintain a door pull up bar?
Check it before each session for movement or wear, and re-tighten the Extend-it if it has loosened. Keep the rubber pads clean, since dust reduces their grip, and wipe the bar down after sweaty sessions. Replace it if any rubber part is cracked or worn through.
Start with the bar in your doorway
Twelve exercises, one bar, no drilling. Start with rows and negatives if the pull up is still out of reach, use the plan above, and add a rep or a harder variation each week. Explore the GORNATION equipment range and set your bar up today.
