I've been getting a lot of requests to cover and review more budget-friendly home gym options; so, I'm listening! Expect some cool DIY stuff coming up...
It'd be cool if you did videos where you challenged yourself to fit within a certain budget. What's the best gym under 1K, 1.5K, 2K. I'm currently trying to plan out a gym and not sure how best to use my money.
Wd40 is not a lubricant wd stands for water dispersal and it was there 40th attempt at the recipe. Wd40 would actually make it worse after a while. Teflon based lubricant sprays like used on bicycles would be best. Thanks for the great diy job though
Nice one. I’m going to pull in some comments into one place: 1. Get a pulley with bearings, not much more expensive but no squeak. 2. Put 12-18 inches of chain between the wire and the weights, so you have easy length adjustment via attaching to different chain links 3. To cut the wire, use a cold chisel and a hammer 4. The max weight will be limited by the weakest element - no point buying 800lb wire if your carabiners are 200lb load max 5. 4mm wire is usually good for 170kgs; 6mm coated wire is 4mm wire and 2mm coating. 6. Kneeling lat pull-downs are a great exercise and mean you don’t need to worry about securing your legs. And you can get foam kneeling mats if you have dodgy knees. Keep adding if I’ve missed any!
7. Strip the vinyl/pvc coating from the wire wherever you're connecting your wire rope clips. Prevents slippage of the clips. And a drop of blue loctite on the nuts is also good insurance that the clips won't loosen/slip overtime due to vibration.
Regarding #1) I use some nylon pulleys from Amazon. It costs a little more, but the pulley has a nice smooth motion with no noise at all. Additional item) In my setup, which was inspired by Coop's video, I always use 2 pulleys for every exercise. It allows the loading pin to always be in the center of the rack, while the other pulley (where I'll be sitting/standing) will be on one side of the rack. Regarding #2) This is brilliant, but I would actually need about 3 feet of chain, which is about the difference of connecting a 2nd pulley to the middle of the rack (for things such as tricep rope exercises or lat pulldowns) with a farther connection point for pulley #1 at the top of the rack, in comparison to connecting the 2nd pulley to the bottom of the rack (for things such as seated low rows or bicep curls) with a closer connection point for pulley #1 at the top of the rack. In the meantime, I've just had 2 sets of cables/pulleys so I would switch between them for different exercises, but the chain is still a great idea. Regarding #4) I've used either carabiners that have a higher load max, or something like threaded quick links for the pulley connection points. Takes a little bit longer to connect the pulleys, but only costs a little more than carabiners (or sometimes about the same) and has a working load of 800+ pounds. Regarding #6) Even if you're doing kneeling lat pulldowns, you will still need to secure your legs if you are pulling down a much higher weight than your own. For example, I normally do weighted pull-ups with 80 to 90 pounds of plates on a weighted belt. If I tried to do the same on a lat pulldown with nothing to secure my legs, I'd be flying upward. Additional Item) You can use outrigger ball stops for that plastic/rubber ball at the cable end (the one that hooks to a cable attachment). While it's not necessary, it will stop it at the pulley instead of the wire rope clip. This just makes it look more like actual "gym equipment", since those always have that plastic/rubber ball at the end. If you buy it specifically for cable pulley machines, it will cost about $10+. I went to my local boating shop and bought 2 for $4.50. Instead of using it for boating or fishing though, I just string it to the cable before adding the wire rope clip.
@@AL-ul6uk any chance you could make a video or take a photo of your setup with the double pulley system? I was thinking of doing the same myself snd would love to see a good reference of how it should be
I'd recommend a short length of chain connecting the bar to the cable (about 16 inches), this allows adjustments to length on the fly by simply locking the carabiner onto a different link.
@@satchm05 At the end of the cable where you would attach your bar, put a short length of chain. This allows adjustments to length by hooking the carabiner onto different links for rows, pulldowns etc.
I just made myself a pulley system as well n it cost me $25 from Bunnings warehouse "made in AUSTRALIA". Works like a charm. Fuk COVID-19 and God save the Queen.
Mine cost $30 today but I put it together in under 20 minutes and it works better than expected. It has the exact feel of an expensive cable machine at a commercial gym. I love it!
For everyone planning to make one of these, do yourselves a favor and strip the vinyl coating from the thimble loop and clamped section. Also- leave a space, roughly the width of the wire rope, between the pointy end of the thimble and the first clamp. You'll increase the holding power (and safety) ten-fold.
@@Mr100700551 He is saying you need to strip the coating down to the bare wire where the wire goes over that little tear drop piece to keep it from kinking and also strip it away from where the two or three little clamps are attached to the wire. Lastly, he is saying not to attach the two or three clamps too close to the little tear drop thing. Hope that helps you. The reason being is it will be slippery and hard to get a great clampdown. If its attached to bare wire it can bite in well.
I've had a home gym since I fell in love with weights at age 13. One thing I discovered by mistake last year. I had some spare cable laying around from God knows what. I made a triceps press down, put maybe 40 lbs on to test, and it felt like 90! The plastic protection on the cable was thick and that was biting down on the pulley... Absorbing the weight and not letting it roll. I had to go buy some with a very light coat of protection. Just wanted to make your viewers aware of this. You can wrap black tape around the cable if it begins to fray.
You can build a rack out of 4x4 post set them inside cemented buckets. Connect the upper cross members using framing hardware which has a very heavy weight rating. Drill holes through the upper and set a threaded hook through your holes and tighten everything down. Done. Materials should be around 100-150
Hey coop! Huge fan. Just a quick note on this project. Having the exposed rope clip on wire rope is kinda dangerous. You've got sharp bolts protruding. If somebody loses grip, they're going to shred any flesh they come into contact with if they're moving fast enough. I know people do this, but I've shied away from advising this. Like mom used to say, "it's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye." Hahaha! It's not that I don't use them. I use wire rope for a lot of things like batting cages, etc. They have their place. It's just that you don't want them exposed in any application near a person's skin. I suppose you could grind them flat, maybe wrap them with cloth and then shrink wrap them. Something like that. Here's a series I did on this. Maybe it can help with your frugal gym direction going forward. Life got in the way and I haven't done anything with this channel in a while. It was never monetized. I just wanted to help people. Also note: you were a huge help to me when I put my gym together back in the day. Thanks! Cheers! Love the work you do and looking forward to your other videos on the topic. Spud Inc Alternative: ruclips.net/video/Pi7ghsKs7FI/видео.html Making Cables: ruclips.net/video/CpuILTNBo5A/видео.html Pully system for racks: ruclips.net/video/l770Zq59c2k/видео.html Cable system ski erg: ruclips.net/video/mvYw1OdGeJU/видео.html Cable Cross: ruclips.net/video/2dMsbYwAwac/видео.html Chains for Cable Cross: ruclips.net/video/s_nXxzRa4gU/видео.html Loading Pins: ruclips.net/video/tzuF1DLHWto/видео.html Assisted Chin-Ups: ruclips.net/video/6UgWi5k6X4w/видео.html
I'm surprised with some of the negative reviews. I was so impressed with the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMwYg0MOXR4M-oGeyBsNSYe1aPOUoRH6D cage that I got the lat pulldown attachment that goes with it. It is equally outstanding. I don't have one complaint other than putting it together is a job. The instructions and packaging of the parts are very well designed and organized. Also, I stripped and damaged the pull down cable the first day, admitting it was my stupid fault, and they quickly replaced it at no charge. I'm 6'5, 280lbs and fit in the cage just fine. Glenn B
I recently rigged up a pulley system in the rafters of my garage. If you don't want to pay alot of money for a lat pulldown bar, buy a set of mountain bike handle bars. There are many lengths and shapes to suit and you can even get lock on hand grips to extend the bar if you want to. I brought some dirtbike handlebars and they work great.
Hey Coop. Thanks for the advice. Went to Home Depot and everything worked out great! One thing I ended up doing a little differently was having the cable on a pulley a little shorter for standing tricep pushdowns. Then I created a cable extension a couple feet long that I could clip in for the lat pulldown on the floor. Thank you!
@@NOWAlex Look up "amsteel blue dyneema". It is cord that is as strong as steel and very thin. It's what sailboats use. It would be perfect for this DIY cable pulley setup. You can even incorporate a "whoopie sling" for adjustable lengths. I'm going to give it a try.
I took my pulleys off of a Total Gym someone was throwing out. I workout in an unfinished part of my basement and have them connected to eye bolts screwed into the floor joists. You can cover the sharper ends of the wire and connectors with electrical or duct tape.
Been using this for two years now, replacing the wire cable about every 6-9 months. This was due to the plastic cracking, followed by the steel wire cable beginning to fray. The first time I let it go until it completely snapped and dropped 50lbs flat on the ground, good thing I was only doing triceps and not a lat pull down. I believe the cracking occurs due to the angle the cable has to bend over the pulley. The larger the pulley the better. Will be trying aircraft cable which is what gyms use for their pulley machines. Also invest in some silicone lubricant spray to have the pulley move smoothly and squeak free.
I've been using a similar DIY pulley system for years now and here are some more details that might be useful to someone trying this out. 1. To do lat pulldowns better, get two pulleys instead of one: one should be on the front cross member of the rack, the other one on the back cross member (assuming your rack has two). That way you are a few feet away from the weight stack, able to pull straight down instead of at a weird angle, and there is less chance of weights crushing your legs if they start to swing and something goes wrong. 2. If someone is planning to do this with light weights (so probably less than 150lb or so), quality ropes are a viable alternative to steel cables. they clamp using the same accessories as the steel cable does. Just make sure it has double the load rating, and that it's not unnecessarily think (more internal rope friction, which means you have to pull harder than the weight to raise it, but it is significantly easier to let it go back down). 3. If you want to go ultra budget (pulleys are expensive in some regions) and are more experienced in DIY, you can buy platform wheels (like the ones that you would install to a shop table to move it around) and cut the rubber out. Almost always platform wheels have a channel that holds the rubber part that works great for rope or cables. Buy the one that rotates freely and you need to bolt it to the cross member. Usually they have a pin bearing inside so it's even smoother than some pulleys (although tracking the cable to the middle is not as great).
Back in the 80's and 90's I didn't have a lot of money, but I did have a rope, a homemade pull down bar (I built and welded myself), plastic coated (cement filled) Montgomery Wards weights, and 2 clothesline pulleys. Tied them up in the rafters in my garage with baling string, and it worked for years!😎👍
FYI coop the reason why spud inc's cables fray so fast is not necessarily that it is uncoated, but has to do with the size of the wire going over the small size of the pulley. The coated ones will last a little longer but with that small of pulley you are using the wire will break (fray on the inside) fairly quickly. if you want the cable to last longer use a bigger pulley. The larger size wire diameter the larger size pulley you need a 1\4" cable (wire size) needs at least a 4" diameter pulley, with the bigger the longer it will last. 3/16 can go to a 3" pulley or so.
Good tips here. I would do this so that it works from the side of the cage vs the front. Then you can more easily add an extender to the top with an extra pulley so that the pull down movement is straight down and outside and away from the cage. Also allows you to keep it in place without as much take down and setup. Thanks Coop!
Diy plate storage! Build mine this weekend. Just some 2x6s, 1" floor flange, and 8" lengths of 1" pipe. Screw the 2x6 to a stud, screw the floor flanges to the 2x6 spaced according to your plates, and then screw the 8" pieces into the floor flanges. Super strong and only costs a few bucks each!
i know this is old, but i did basically this years ago, with those exact same pulleys. be careful with the pulleys, you will burn right through the axles of them if you put much weight on them or use it much. they are okay for short term use, but when they get rough or noisy pull the pin and check out the axle.
I’ve built and rebuilt this system three times. The cable kept getting shredding after a few months. The issue is the small radius on that pulley. I ordered a 3” pulley from amazon and it’s so much smoother. The bigger radius will help keeping the cable from pinching on itself if that makes sense
yh i thought them cheap pulleys are far too small itll feel rough and pinch the cable too tightly ,thats why gym equipment have big even plastic pulley wheels
I went super short at the handle/attachment side of the pulley system and use a chain for extra slack to adjust handles for different exercises and tension. Overall this was a great video, Coop. I’m so glad I started a home gym before this Covid-19 shitstorm occurred. People are going crazy out there
Hey @Garage Gym Reviews! I went out and made this the weekend after you put this video out. This diy has been a life save for my home gym! Can’t thank you enough 🤘
Just made something very similar, but the only thing I had for a handle is an old towel. At first I thought it would limit me but honestly, it's amazing. Roll it up, thread it through, and you're good to go. If you need a single arm handle, tie the towel and grab the knot, single handle achieved. Also, use garage door pulley's to stop that squeak. They're a little more expensive but still at Home Depot. Seriously though, love your channel. You the shit, Coop!
Dude, the band tension or chains would kind of simulate the old Nautilus system in a funky way. Increased tension as you contract more. You wouldn't have to use other body movement to "cheat" to start your rep. I really wish you could show how to use a second pully system you mentioned to pull straight down and how to securely attach a pully for low rows. Great video!
The upload date on this joint is majestic. St. Paddy's day is exactly when the quarantine started in my mind. Man up stairs wanted your video to blow up.
Made mine today! Works a treat thanks Coop! I also used a piece of galvanised pipe along with a flat piece that screws onto the bottom of it as a weight pin! Cheap weight pin from the hardware store too woohoo!
I made one of these and still have it. Another RUclips showed a good way to make it with crimping instead of screw tightening. I did this because I didn’t want bolts so close to my face on certain movements. I also wrapped the crimped metal with electric tape Incase it slides near me head. I took out the plastic to make the cable crimp together metal on metal. Returned the crimper. Also can use gold balls drilling a hole through it before you lock them down.
I did this about 20 years ago and upgraded to a weight stack machine I mounted to the basement wall. I got it for free on Craigslist. I then found a 300lb Olympic set with bench , again for free! I removed the last pull down from that and mounted the uprights to another wall. I then found a dumbell Rack with 10-35lb dumbbells for $65 and added to that with dumbbell pairs I’d find at .50/lb.
So after watching this video made the exact same pulley system for my home gym. Craziest thing happened! I was using lat pull down and noticed the cable looked weird - looked at it closer....it MELTED and the pulley was very hot!!! 😳 no one else had this happen?!?!?
The cable is actually "wire rope", and when you flex it the internal wires rub against each other, which generates heat. If I were to guess, you have a pulley that is a much smaller diameter than it should be, and so bending the wire rope more than you're supposed to, and generating excess heat. Get a larger diameter pulley, and you're likely to solve the problem. Still, I am a bit surprised you got hot enough to melt the coating. How much were you using it?
Thanks for the video. It really helped and I built my own. It was more expensive than $25 as the materials are more expensive in the UK but it all worked well. Also the loading pin and bar are pretty expensive too and needed to be purchased separately of course! Nevertheless the pulley system itself was a God send. Thanks
I'm going to build this to add onto my squat rack. Also going to sit the weight plates post with some black pipe and a floor flange. Thanks for the video!
So I made a pull up bar in that i could take apart and bring outside of my townhouse. Its around 7ft tall and made out of galvanized pipe (they put threads on them) and I think 2x8 lumber. I used a metal flange to connect them to the wood. It was around 100$ at home depot but its not really study enough for muscle-ups. Id like to see if you can make one that's easy to tear down that will support that!
Good video. I never understood why there were not a lot of quality, cheap cable machines that were offered since cable was so cheap and you wouldn't need as high quality of a metal frame as you would for a power rack. Cable machines are really popular at commercial gyms.
Wire rope will also last longer if you don't force it to a tight curve on a small pulley. It's fine for the thimble, because that's not moving, but the repeated flex as it runs across the pulley will cause it to wear out faster. Manufacturers will list minimum pulley sizes for each wire rope, depending on both diameter and construction. Ideally the groove in the pulley is also matched to the cable diameter you're using. Getting a properly sized pulley probably requires shopping somewhere other than Home Depot.
@@bamafan1612 I don't understand your first question. Get a plastic pulley. Metal pulleys are made for ropes, like rock climbing. The vinyl coating will get torn up between the metal pulley and metal inner-cable.
@@populer208 Hey Scott, my first question was wondering if the angle being less drastic between two pulleys would allow for a better experience as opposed to a more acute angle with just one pulley. Thanks!!
@@bamafan1612 I doubt that would affect anything. 170° around a pulley is the same amount of "bend" as 135°. The size of the pulley would have a bigger impact. Think about driving, what's a sharper turn a right turn at an intersection that's sharper than 90° or turning 270° onto a highway? That sharp right is shorter, but still harder of a turn.
First time caller, long time listener. When I posted my first garage gym video I showed my DIY chain resistance. I took a pair of collars replaced the tightening lever with a bolt that would hold a four foot lead chain and then attached a large carabiner and then added two and a half foot lengths of chain that added up to about twenty five lbs. each You've got the subscribers if that was on your channel...
I got the Spud pulley because of the strap and heavy ring loading pin lol. I don't think most people know it's virtually identical to what you did here though. Build quality value 10/10
Hey Coop, I have a Spud Inc Setup, and the newer ones do come with a coated cable. Not sure the actual diameter of the cable, but the cable is indeed coated.
Coop: Here's how to build a pulley system for $25... Also Coop: Here's Flex Wheeler's special lat pull down handle that costs $400. Also Also Coop: Hey I modified this $1000 belt squat to be a pulley system . Gotta love the variety! Much love.
I have a budget rack with a top and bottom pulley built it. We made an attachment so two cords came off of it. So we could do flys both arms at once 👍🏻
I just made this and total cost in cdn dollars was 94$ at Home Depot with 2 pulleys and hardware to make two cables since I made a low pulley also. My pro tip is do not buy these crapy Home Depot pulleys and buy some good quality ones on Amazon or elsewhere with bearings in them because these cheap ones have a lot of friction and are crap, I took theme apart and added bearing grease everywhere inside and quite messy to do but helped a lot, using light oil will not last long and I added silicone spay and wipe the vinyl cable with that. If you use them without adding grease they will chew up the vinyle on the cable and sometimes they will jam up and stop rotating. Let your cable length stop at the top close to the top pulley that way you get full range of motion, then sit on a bench or chair to do lat pull downs, i made my load pin and do not need anything to keep it from swinging, it’s motion is pretty straight. I know he tried to make it cheap but sometimes pay the extra 20$ and once to try good pulleys you will throw this junk in the garbage
Nope! I do not recommend using that metal pulley! I've built this some years ago, and what happens over a short period of use is the pulley heats up and plastic coating begins to melt after doing many repetitions of pulling and then the friction of the cable to the metal pulley weakens metal to metal and the cable will frey and break!, Find a strong pulley with rubber coating that won't wear out the cable! Trust me!
2 of these setups, about 5, 6 feet away from each other . I used the main beam in my basement to carry the load. Instead of drilling into the wood, I used heavy duty nylon straps with hooks on both ends to wrap around the beam to create my hook for the pulley.
I've been thinking of doing this since before but it seems to complicated the first parts seem easy but then it gets complicated and so far this is the best explanation video I've seen on this you even show what cable and with plastic and the prices and how it looks and the weight capacity which is really important
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
you could also add 2 foot of light chain for the end with the handle attachment. This would allow you to have adjustable lengths for tri pressdowns and other various cable movements. Would only add a few more bucks.
Hey Coop really appreciate this video. Quick question though if I wanted to do lying Cable chest flys flat or incline would I need to make an additional whole new one with the low pulley cables. Do you think you could please make a video on how to set one up for that and would it work?
That brings back memories. lol That's exactly how I built my first lat machine when I was about twenty, over 40 years ago. It used to get a big swing up which made it impractical after a few reps. Never thought about chains or anything, that would have helped.
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
Two pulleys. One in front and one in back. That way the cable goes straight up, straight across, and then straight down like a proper lat pulldown machine.
Did this same thing, but glad you addressed some of the issues I have have, like weight swaying and squeaky pulley. I also like the way you attached it, I don’t have a rack so have been just lag bolting the pulley to the open rafters in my garage
I built one of these about a year ago, and I would highly recommend getting some different pulleys. I used the exact ones Coop used here, and my cable repeatedly frays. I get that it's not expensive, but still a waste. Switched to some rock climbing pulleys from Amazon, never had an issue since.
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
For the squeek.... at my local hardware store I found some WD-40 but could not find WD-42 like you recomended at 12:47. Is WD-42 a specialty product that is hard to find?
Ryan Humiston would have built this is 4 mins. Since I started watching his channel, I have no patience for long drawn out videos that waste a ton of time. Thanks for the idea tho
This was the most detailed explanation for DIY Garage Gym equipment. I liked all the extra tips with chains and bands to decrease the swinging effect. How about a video on how you do DIY Hardware Store Chains. The basics for this are kinda obvious but the devil is in the details.
I've been getting a lot of requests to cover and review more budget-friendly home gym options; so, I'm listening! Expect some cool DIY stuff coming up...
It'd be cool if you did videos where you challenged yourself to fit within a certain budget. What's the best gym under 1K, 1.5K, 2K. I'm currently trying to plan out a gym and not sure how best to use my money.
Wd40 is not a lubricant wd stands for water dispersal and it was there 40th attempt at the recipe. Wd40 would actually make it worse after a while. Teflon based lubricant sprays like used on bicycles would be best. Thanks for the great diy job though
@@michaelirani1053 That's an EXCELLENT idea. Will do this. Thank you!
@@b.bark1 Thank you for this info. Very helpful.
How would this work if you wanted to use it to do shoulder shrugs or bicep curls?
Nice one. I’m going to pull in some comments into one place:
1. Get a pulley with bearings, not much more expensive but no squeak.
2. Put 12-18 inches of chain between the wire and the weights, so you have easy length adjustment via attaching to different chain links
3. To cut the wire, use a cold chisel and a hammer
4. The max weight will be limited by the weakest element - no point buying 800lb wire if your carabiners are 200lb load max
5. 4mm wire is usually good for 170kgs; 6mm coated wire is 4mm wire and 2mm coating.
6. Kneeling lat pull-downs are a great exercise and mean you don’t need to worry about securing your legs. And you can get foam kneeling mats if you have dodgy knees.
Keep adding if I’ve missed any!
7. Strip the vinyl/pvc coating from the wire wherever you're connecting your wire rope clips. Prevents slippage of the clips. And a drop of blue loctite on the nuts is also good insurance that the clips won't loosen/slip overtime due to vibration.
Regarding #1) I use some nylon pulleys from Amazon. It costs a little more, but the pulley has a nice smooth motion with no noise at all.
Additional item) In my setup, which was inspired by Coop's video, I always use 2 pulleys for every exercise. It allows the loading pin to always be in the center of the rack, while the other pulley (where I'll be sitting/standing) will be on one side of the rack.
Regarding #2) This is brilliant, but I would actually need about 3 feet of chain, which is about the difference of connecting a 2nd pulley to the middle of the rack (for things such as tricep rope exercises or lat pulldowns) with a farther connection point for pulley #1 at the top of the rack, in comparison to connecting the 2nd pulley to the bottom of the rack (for things such as seated low rows or bicep curls) with a closer connection point for pulley #1 at the top of the rack. In the meantime, I've just had 2 sets of cables/pulleys so I would switch between them for different exercises, but the chain is still a great idea.
Regarding #4) I've used either carabiners that have a higher load max, or something like threaded quick links for the pulley connection points. Takes a little bit longer to connect the pulleys, but only costs a little more than carabiners (or sometimes about the same) and has a working load of 800+ pounds.
Regarding #6) Even if you're doing kneeling lat pulldowns, you will still need to secure your legs if you are pulling down a much higher weight than your own. For example, I normally do weighted pull-ups with 80 to 90 pounds of plates on a weighted belt. If I tried to do the same on a lat pulldown with nothing to secure my legs, I'd be flying upward.
Additional Item) You can use outrigger ball stops for that plastic/rubber ball at the cable end (the one that hooks to a cable attachment). While it's not necessary, it will stop it at the pulley instead of the wire rope clip. This just makes it look more like actual "gym equipment", since those always have that plastic/rubber ball at the end. If you buy it specifically for cable pulley machines, it will cost about $10+. I went to my local boating shop and bought 2 for $4.50. Instead of using it for boating or fishing though, I just string it to the cable before adding the wire rope clip.
@@AL-ul6uk any chance you could make a video or take a photo of your setup with the double pulley system? I was thinking of doing the same myself snd would love to see a good reference of how it should be
@@LuD3lanoi Sure. I have quite a few pictures of my setup, specifically for the individual exercises I can do with them. I'll message you.
@@AL-ul6uk could you send those to me aswell?
I'd recommend a short length of chain connecting the bar to the cable (about 16 inches), this allows adjustments to length on the fly by simply locking the carabiner onto a different link.
great fucking comment. totally doing this
That's just awesome! Great f#cking idea!!
Where exactly?
Wait what
@@satchm05 At the end of the cable where you would attach your bar, put a short length of chain. This allows adjustments to length by hooking the carabiner onto different links for rows, pulldowns etc.
Your channel is going to explode in views with this covid-19 and gym closing
Jep found this channel last friday - Rogue delivery is coming Thursday (hopefully)
YUP!
how u gonna buy the parts if shops are closed ? woooosh, ud have to do ito nline
Yes sir
I just made myself a pulley system as well n it cost me $25 from Bunnings warehouse "made in AUSTRALIA". Works like a charm. Fuk COVID-19 and God save the Queen.
Mine cost $30 today but I put it together in under 20 minutes and it works better than expected. It has the exact feel of an expensive cable machine at a commercial gym. I love it!
Coop, last night I was looking at cable systems and wondered how hard it would be to diy, and here you are with a video.
I was reading your mind. MUAHAHAHA
I was literally on amazon looking at some system last night as well ! Will give this a shot instead
get propelyn diamond braded rope. the steel wire will tear through the plastic and then cut through the pulley. trust me.
@S Lawson
Quasimodo predicted all this.
For everyone planning to make one of these, do yourselves a favor and strip the vinyl coating from the thimble loop and clamped section. Also- leave a space, roughly the width of the wire rope, between the pointy end of the thimble and the first clamp. You'll increase the holding power (and safety) ten-fold.
Chuck D get propelyn rope the steel with wire cut through the pulley.
Maybe make a video? Im bad at visualizing things. Thanks in advance!
Make a video to make it simpler, if you can ofc but yes i agree, specially stripping that coating in the clamped section and at the thimble.
@@Mr100700551 He is saying you need to strip the coating down to the bare wire where the wire goes over that little tear drop piece to keep it from kinking and also strip it away from where the two or three little clamps are attached to the wire. Lastly, he is saying not to attach the two or three clamps too close to the little tear drop thing. Hope that helps you. The reason being is it will be slippery and hard to get a great clampdown. If its attached to bare wire it can bite in well.
@@pryme2013 Thank you! super helpful
I've had a home gym since I fell in love with weights at age 13. One thing I discovered by mistake last year. I had some spare cable laying around from God knows what. I made a triceps press down, put maybe 40 lbs on to test, and it felt like 90! The plastic protection on the cable was thick and that was biting down on the pulley... Absorbing the weight and not letting it roll. I had to go buy some with a very light coat of protection. Just wanted to make your viewers aware of this.
You can wrap black tape around the cable if it begins to fray.
Get a bigger pulley to mitigate that
You can build yourself a $25 pulley system, all you need is a $2000 rack
James Fukazawa you can make a power rack for 200$ lol
Or you attach it to your ceiling....
Hahaha
You can build a rack out of 4x4 post set them inside cemented buckets. Connect the upper cross members using framing hardware which has a very heavy weight rating. Drill holes through the upper and set a threaded hook through your holes and tighten everything down. Done. Materials should be around 100-150
Or a 25 dollar pull up bar...
Hey coop! Huge fan. Just a quick note on this project. Having the exposed rope clip on wire rope is kinda dangerous. You've got sharp bolts protruding. If somebody loses grip, they're going to shred any flesh they come into contact with if they're moving fast enough. I know people do this, but I've shied away from advising this. Like mom used to say, "it's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye." Hahaha!
It's not that I don't use them. I use wire rope for a lot of things like batting cages, etc. They have their place. It's just that you don't want them exposed in any application near a person's skin. I suppose you could grind them flat, maybe wrap them with cloth and then shrink wrap them. Something like that.
Here's a series I did on this. Maybe it can help with your frugal gym direction going forward. Life got in the way and I haven't done anything with this channel in a while. It was never monetized. I just wanted to help people. Also note: you were a huge help to me when I put my gym together back in the day. Thanks!
Cheers! Love the work you do and looking forward to your other videos on the topic.
Spud Inc Alternative:
ruclips.net/video/Pi7ghsKs7FI/видео.html
Making Cables:
ruclips.net/video/CpuILTNBo5A/видео.html
Pully system for racks:
ruclips.net/video/l770Zq59c2k/видео.html
Cable system ski erg:
ruclips.net/video/mvYw1OdGeJU/видео.html
Cable Cross:
ruclips.net/video/2dMsbYwAwac/видео.html
Chains for Cable Cross:
ruclips.net/video/s_nXxzRa4gU/видео.html
Loading Pins:
ruclips.net/video/tzuF1DLHWto/видео.html
Assisted Chin-Ups:
ruclips.net/video/6UgWi5k6X4w/видео.html
Jim in the Gym awesome! Thanks!
3 years later I see this. Thank you!!!
A DIY Cable Pulley System? You have my attention.
As someone who builds everything, I love stuff like this!
I'm surprised with some of the negative reviews. I was so impressed with the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMwYg0MOXR4M-oGeyBsNSYe1aPOUoRH6D cage that I got the lat pulldown attachment that goes with it. It is equally outstanding. I don't have one complaint other than putting it together is a job. The instructions and packaging of the parts are very well designed and organized. Also, I stripped and damaged the pull down cable the first day, admitting it was my stupid fault, and they quickly replaced it at no charge. I'm 6'5, 280lbs and fit in the cage just fine. Glenn B
I recently rigged up a pulley system in the rafters of my garage. If you don't want to pay alot of money for a lat pulldown bar, buy a set of mountain bike handle bars. There are many lengths and shapes to suit and you can even get lock on hand grips to extend the bar if you want to. I brought some dirtbike handlebars and they work great.
Hey Coop. Thanks for the advice. Went to Home Depot and everything worked out great! One thing I ended up doing a little differently was having the cable on a pulley a little shorter for standing tricep pushdowns. Then I created a cable extension a couple feet long that I could clip in for the lat pulldown on the floor. Thank you!
You can also use the Japanese rope instead of the metal wires. Less noise and it doesnt suffer from wear and tear so much.
Nylon is also cheap 1 dollar is 20 meters
Where can I buy the Japanese rope?
Any sex shop is where you can find that rope
@@NOWAlex Look up "amsteel blue dyneema". It is cord that is as strong as steel and very thin. It's what sailboats use. It would be perfect for this DIY cable pulley setup. You can even incorporate a "whoopie sling" for adjustable lengths. I'm going to give it a try.
I took my pulleys off of a Total Gym someone was throwing out. I workout in an unfinished part of my basement and have them connected to eye bolts screwed into the floor joists. You can cover the sharper ends of the wire and connectors with electrical or duct tape.
As a highschool custodian, who cleans a fitness room, yes, but the coated rope. The metal fibres clogged up my vacuum.
Already have a pulley setup, but cmon, you know I have to watch the vid still Coop!
Thanks for the support as always brother!
ruclips.net/video/ot44yjfYU-I/видео.html
Already built one of these. Was heating up and gave it a tiny bit of garage door lubrication spray and now it’s perfectly smooth.
The spray will also get rid of the squeak
Coop says "I make the rules" but all quiet like, so he doesn't get in trouble.
The high pitch squeaking noise was very pleasant, thank you for the migraine, .
I love the DIY projects and cheap projects.
Been using this for two years now, replacing the wire cable about every 6-9 months. This was due to the plastic cracking, followed by the steel wire cable beginning to fray. The first time I let it go until it completely snapped and dropped 50lbs flat on the ground, good thing I was only doing triceps and not a lat pull down. I believe the cracking occurs due to the angle the cable has to bend over the pulley. The larger the pulley the better. Will be trying aircraft cable which is what gyms use for their pulley machines.
Also invest in some silicone lubricant spray to have the pulley move smoothly and squeak free.
BadDriversNYC lithium grease works great for me!
I've been using a similar DIY pulley system for years now and here are some more details that might be useful to someone trying this out.
1. To do lat pulldowns better, get two pulleys instead of one: one should be on the front cross member of the rack, the other one on the back cross member (assuming your rack has two). That way you are a few feet away from the weight stack, able to pull straight down instead of at a weird angle, and there is less chance of weights crushing your legs if they start to swing and something goes wrong.
2. If someone is planning to do this with light weights (so probably less than 150lb or so), quality ropes are a viable alternative to steel cables. they clamp using the same accessories as the steel cable does. Just make sure it has double the load rating, and that it's not unnecessarily think (more internal rope friction, which means you have to pull harder than the weight to raise it, but it is significantly easier to let it go back down).
3. If you want to go ultra budget (pulleys are expensive in some regions) and are more experienced in DIY, you can buy platform wheels (like the ones that you would install to a shop table to move it around) and cut the rubber out. Almost always platform wheels have a channel that holds the rubber part that works great for rope or cables. Buy the one that rotates freely and you need to bolt it to the cross member. Usually they have a pin bearing inside so it's even smoother than some pulleys (although tracking the cable to the middle is not as great).
Back in the 80's and 90's I didn't have a lot of money, but I did have a rope, a homemade pull down bar (I built and welded myself), plastic coated (cement filled) Montgomery Wards weights, and 2 clothesline pulleys. Tied them up in the rafters in my garage with baling string, and it worked for years!😎👍
Yes i went and bought this setup. i added a second pulley it works great ! Thanks for the great idea
Richard Procter hey where did u put the second pully can I have a photo pls?
FYI coop the reason why spud inc's cables fray so fast is not necessarily that it is uncoated, but has to do with the size of the wire going over the small size of the pulley. The coated ones will last a little longer but with that small of pulley you are using the wire will break (fray on the inside) fairly quickly.
if you want the cable to last longer use a bigger pulley. The larger size wire diameter the larger size pulley you need a 1\4" cable (wire size) needs at least a 4" diameter pulley, with the bigger the longer it will last. 3/16 can go to a 3" pulley or so.
Good tips here. I would do this so that it works from the side of the cage vs the front. Then you can more easily add an extender to the top with an extra pulley so that the pull down movement is straight down and outside and away from the cage. Also allows you to keep it in place without as much take down and setup. Thanks Coop!
Diy plate storage! Build mine this weekend. Just some 2x6s, 1" floor flange, and 8" lengths of 1" pipe. Screw the 2x6 to a stud, screw the floor flanges to the 2x6 spaced according to your plates, and then screw the 8" pieces into the floor flanges. Super strong and only costs a few bucks each!
I built this for my homemade rack. It is really fun and my daughter enjoys being lifted on it as well
Sam Ivey so cool
Lol
@Pale Planter cost is good, but a 5 minute investment plus a 9 month and then 5 yr wait time... i dunno .... considering it tho
"I make the rules"
This reminds me of Ron Swanson when he is asked by a worker and his reply was "I know more than you"
🤣🤣
so accurate lmao
My fave part “ hey what do you think you’re doing?!” 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
i know this is old, but i did basically this years ago, with those exact same pulleys. be careful with the pulleys, you will burn right through the axles of them if you put much weight on them or use it much. they are okay for short term use, but when they get rough or noisy pull the pin and check out the axle.
I’ve built and rebuilt this system three times. The cable kept getting shredding after a few months. The issue is the small radius on that pulley. I ordered a 3” pulley from amazon and it’s so much smoother. The bigger radius will help keeping the cable from pinching on itself if that makes sense
yh i thought them cheap pulleys are far too small itll feel rough and pinch the cable too tightly ,thats why gym equipment have big even plastic pulley wheels
I went super short at the handle/attachment side of the pulley system and use a chain for extra slack to adjust handles for different exercises and tension. Overall this was a great video, Coop. I’m so glad I started a home gym before this Covid-19 shitstorm occurred. People are going crazy out there
Hey @Garage Gym Reviews! I went out and made this the weekend after you put this video out. This diy has been a life save for my home gym! Can’t thank you enough 🤘
Just made something very similar, but the only thing I had for a handle is an old towel. At first I thought it would limit me but honestly, it's amazing. Roll it up, thread it through, and you're good to go. If you need a single arm handle, tie the towel and grab the knot, single handle achieved.
Also, use garage door pulley's to stop that squeak. They're a little more expensive but still at Home Depot.
Seriously though, love your channel. You the shit, Coop!
Solid booger coming out of Home Depot. Thanks for the vid tho! Great information
Dude, the band tension or chains would kind of simulate the old Nautilus system in a funky way. Increased tension as you contract more. You wouldn't have to use other body movement to "cheat" to start your rep.
I really wish you could show how to use a second pully system you mentioned to pull straight down and how to securely attach a pully for low rows.
Great video!
I've honestly used 550 paracord instead of cable in a bind. Super sketchy lookin but it worked!
The upload date on this joint is majestic. St. Paddy's day is exactly when the quarantine started in my mind. Man up stairs wanted your video to blow up.
Made mine today! Works a treat thanks Coop! I also used a piece of galvanised pipe along with a flat piece that screws onto the bottom of it as a weight pin! Cheap weight pin from the hardware store too woohoo!
I’d love to see what this looks like! I have everything but that weight loading pin right now
I made one of these and still have it. Another RUclips showed a good way to make it with crimping instead of screw tightening. I did this because I didn’t want bolts so close to my face on certain movements. I also wrapped the crimped metal with electric tape Incase it slides near me head. I took out the plastic to make the cable crimp together metal on metal. Returned the crimper. Also can use gold balls drilling a hole through it before you lock them down.
Y'all should appreciate this guys don't put ads.
Sponsors instead
HOME DEPOT receipt. Just left HOME DEPOT. just got back from HOME DEPOT. There were plenty of ads man.
Loll
You should just get ad block & Stop appreciating people
His video is an ad
Who’s been on isolation and is here to learn???!! I MISS MY GYM 😞
That home gym is freakin insanee!!
I did this about 20 years ago and upgraded to a weight stack machine I mounted to the basement wall. I got it for free on Craigslist. I then found a 300lb Olympic set with bench , again for free! I removed the last pull down from that and mounted the uprights to another wall. I then found a dumbell Rack with 10-35lb dumbbells for $65 and added to that with dumbbell pairs I’d find at .50/lb.
"I make the rules." Classic.
So after watching this video made the exact same pulley system for my home gym. Craziest thing happened! I was using lat pull down and noticed the cable looked weird - looked at it closer....it MELTED and the pulley was very hot!!! 😳 no one else had this happen?!?!?
The cable is actually "wire rope", and when you flex it the internal wires rub against each other, which generates heat. If I were to guess, you have a pulley that is a much smaller diameter than it should be, and so bending the wire rope more than you're supposed to, and generating excess heat. Get a larger diameter pulley, and you're likely to solve the problem.
Still, I am a bit surprised you got hot enough to melt the coating. How much were you using it?
Thanks for the video. It really helped and I built my own. It was more expensive than $25 as the materials are more expensive in the UK but it all worked well. Also the loading pin and bar are pretty expensive too and needed to be purchased separately of course! Nevertheless the pulley system itself was a God send. Thanks
I'm going to build this to add onto my squat rack. Also going to sit the weight plates post with some black pipe and a floor flange. Thanks for the video!
So I made a pull up bar in that i could take apart and bring outside of my townhouse. Its around 7ft tall and made out of galvanized pipe (they put threads on them) and I think 2x8 lumber. I used a metal flange to connect them to the wood. It was around 100$ at home depot but its not really study enough for muscle-ups. Id like to see if you can make one that's easy to tear down that will support that!
Not asking for help in home depot is the real chad move 💪🏼
Well this really helped me… for 3 months… then one day it just snapped while i was doing some rows. 😂
That’s interesting I had mine snap on me too haha. After about 6 months I think.
What failed? The cable itself or the clamp/fastener?
What failed exactly?
people looking to do this DIY but then read this comment :O
but yeah what failed ?
@@MrGilly I had my cable snap. I’m still shocked about it. Not sure what went wrong.
Good video. I never understood why there were not a lot of quality, cheap cable machines that were offered since cable was so cheap and you wouldn't need as high quality of a metal frame as you would for a power rack. Cable machines are really popular at commercial gyms.
Should have gotten a bigger pulley! The tight turn is hard for the stiff cable, that's why it's skipping around on you
Wire rope will also last longer if you don't force it to a tight curve on a small pulley. It's fine for the thimble, because that's not moving, but the repeated flex as it runs across the pulley will cause it to wear out faster. Manufacturers will list minimum pulley sizes for each wire rope, depending on both diameter and construction. Ideally the groove in the pulley is also matched to the cable diameter you're using. Getting a properly sized pulley probably requires shopping somewhere other than Home Depot.
Does using 2 pulley's instead of 1 accomplish the same thing? Got a pulley you recommend?
@@bamafan1612 I don't understand your first question. Get a plastic pulley. Metal pulleys are made for ropes, like rock climbing. The vinyl coating will get torn up between the metal pulley and metal inner-cable.
@@populer208 Hey Scott, my first question was wondering if the angle being less drastic between two pulleys would allow for a better experience as opposed to a more acute angle with just one pulley. Thanks!!
@@bamafan1612 I doubt that would affect anything. 170° around a pulley is the same amount of "bend" as 135°. The size of the pulley would have a bigger impact. Think about driving, what's a sharper turn a right turn at an intersection that's sharper than 90° or turning 270° onto a highway? That sharp right is shorter, but still harder of a turn.
First time caller, long time listener. When I posted my first garage gym video I showed my DIY chain resistance. I took a pair of collars replaced the tightening lever with a bolt that would hold a four foot lead chain and then attached a large carabiner and then added two and a half foot lengths of chain that added up to about twenty five lbs. each You've got the subscribers if that was on your channel...
I have several of those style cables at home. Perfect, except for the swinging weights, lol. Makes for better form!
I got the Spud pulley because of the strap and heavy ring loading pin lol. I don't think most people know it's virtually identical to what you did here though.
Build quality value 10/10
Hey Coop, I have a Spud Inc Setup, and the newer ones do come with a coated cable. Not sure the actual diameter of the cable, but the cable is indeed coated.
Thank you, that's a nice upgrade. Surprised they didn't do that from the start.
I’ve used one like that with hooked to an eye bolt in the ceiling for over 20 years. I even had two across from each other to do flies for a while.
Coop: Here's how to build a pulley system for $25...
Also Coop: Here's Flex Wheeler's special lat pull down handle that costs $400.
Also Also Coop: Hey I modified this $1000 belt squat to be a pulley system .
Gotta love the variety! Much love.
I have a budget rack with a top and bottom pulley built it. We made an attachment so two cords came off of it. So we could do flys both arms at once 👍🏻
I used a pipe and flange to make a rouge pin that fits through plate holes
I did the same and added a cap which I drilled a hole through and put eye bolt and washers/nuts.
I just made this and total cost in cdn dollars was 94$ at Home Depot with 2 pulleys and hardware to make two cables since I made a low pulley also. My pro tip is do not buy these crapy Home Depot pulleys and buy some good quality ones on Amazon or elsewhere with bearings in them because these cheap ones have a lot of friction and are crap, I took theme apart and added bearing grease everywhere inside and quite messy to do but helped a lot, using light oil will not last long and I added silicone spay and wipe the vinyl cable with that. If you use them without adding grease they will chew up the vinyle on the cable and sometimes they will jam up and stop rotating. Let your cable length stop at the top close to the top pulley that way you get full range of motion, then sit on a bench or chair to do lat pull downs, i made my load pin and do not need anything to keep it from swinging, it’s motion is pretty straight. I know he tried to make it cheap but sometimes pay the extra 20$ and once to try good pulleys you will throw this junk in the garbage
I just made this and it's great, thank you so much for the idea.
Stumbled across this while in quarantine and I put this together...works great! Thanks a lot!! I am a new subscriber
Nope! I do not recommend using that metal pulley! I've built this some years ago, and what happens over a short period of use is the pulley heats up and plastic coating begins to melt after doing many repetitions of pulling and then the friction of the cable to the metal pulley weakens metal to metal and the cable will frey and break!, Find a strong pulley with rubber coating that won't wear out the cable! Trust me!
I am ecstatic I decided to watch this. Gonna get my home pull down game strong now
How’s about a DIY cable crossover pulley system?🤔
Use one arm at a time! It works great- that's all I ever do anyway when I have access to a X-over machine! :)
Bands also work great
2 of these setups, about 5, 6 feet away from each other . I used the main beam in my basement to carry the load. Instead of drilling into the wood, I used heavy duty nylon straps with hooks on both ends to wrap around the beam to create my hook for the pulley.
I've been thinking of doing this since before but it seems to complicated the first parts seem easy but then it gets complicated and so far this is the best explanation video I've seen on this you even show what cable and with plastic and the prices and how it looks and the weight capacity which is really important
I'm in love with your gym and I want to train at yours more than at my local gym 😂
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you
www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
you could also add 2 foot of light chain for the end with the handle attachment. This would allow you to have adjustable lengths for tri pressdowns and other various cable movements. Would only add a few more bucks.
Hey Coop really appreciate this video. Quick question though if I wanted to do lying Cable chest flys flat or incline would I need to make an additional whole new one with the low pulley cables. Do you think you could please make a video on how to set one up for that and would it work?
This looks like a WAY better deal than those sixty dollar kits I was looking at on Amazon! Plus it's more fun this way!
Hey Coop, speaking of cable systems...how about a review of the Rep Fitness Functional Trainers?
I've been watching your videos since you had 5k subs and like how everyone is saying, your channel is about to blow up. Well deserved.
2:17 "Hey, what do you think you're doin' ?"
That brings back memories. lol
That's exactly how I built my first lat machine when I was about twenty, over 40 years ago.
It used to get a big swing up which made it impractical after a few reps. Never thought about chains or anything, that would have helped.
Lmao I suggested you do something like this in the comments of your last video, best home gym for the cheapest!
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you
www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
“I make the rules” best part about this video. 😂
Two pulleys. One in front and one in back. That way the cable goes straight up, straight across, and then straight down like a proper lat pulldown machine.
And you can put a third pulley on the floor and have another rope to add on to the top rope to do seated rows, etc.
Did this same thing, but glad you addressed some of the issues I have have, like weight swaying and squeaky pulley. I also like the way you attached it, I don’t have a rack so have been just lag bolting the pulley to the open rafters in my garage
AND it removes the need to have a cage full of dying birds in your gym!!!
Thanks for explaining the proper way to use cable clamps.
Literally just bought a loading pin because it was 30% off. Amazing timing!
Should have just used chain
Coop! Love your channel. I'd love to see some Leg Extensions or Leg curls using a pulley system
"it's very smooth" he says. As the pulley is squeaking
@Simz Zxy
Meh tbh you should buy pulleys with ball bearings instead of these junk wheel on spindle pulleys.
Your channel helped us find some creative ways to save space in our gym!
Everyone: why didn't I think of this before 🤔
I built one of these about a year ago, and I would highly recommend getting some different pulleys. I used the exact ones Coop used here, and my cable repeatedly frays. I get that it's not expensive, but still a waste. Switched to some rock climbing pulleys from Amazon, never had an issue since.
Richard Rechtien do you happen to have a link for the one you purchased?
Agreed with the doctors prognosis above.
www.amazon.com/dp/B008KECI8K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Works great for a little while then the plastic wears out and it starts to drag. Also with heavy weight they tend to get warm
I just found a product that was very good for my home gym I am posting this here just so i can also help you
www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLF9934?ref=myi_title_dp
For the squeek.... at my local hardware store I found some WD-40 but could not find WD-42 like you recomended at 12:47. Is WD-42 a specialty product that is hard to find?
"420lb... your not going to pull more than that"
...
...
Hold my Beer
...Hold my bear
I enjoying using myself as weight and fly up and down! Amazing physics!
Ryan Humiston would have built this is 4 mins.
Since I started watching his channel, I have no patience for long drawn out videos that waste a ton of time. Thanks for the idea tho
Put a pulley system at the bottom with a chain to control the swing.
400lb working weight "youre not gonna be pulling that" me: hold my beer.. I now have a broken back
in modern terms thats around 180
This was the most detailed explanation for DIY Garage Gym equipment. I liked all the extra tips with chains and bands to decrease the swinging effect.
How about a video on how you do DIY Hardware Store Chains. The basics for this are kinda obvious but the devil is in the details.