You aren’t the first to ask this question and you certainly won’t be the last. If you’ve seen the P90X workouts first-hand, or just watched the infomercial, you know that a pull up bar is used in several of the workouts. But, not many people have a pull up bar in their home. Does this mean you shouldn’t even try P90X? No—that’s a little extreme. As a matter of fact, a chin-up bar is not required for this workout program. Sure, it would be nice and it might even boost your results a little, but you don’t have to use one.

Pull Up Bar Substitutions

There are a few different ways to get a pull up workout without the pull up bar. The one we recommend is using resistance bands with a door attachment. Check out the video on our product page to see just how this works. You can work the same muscles without doing a pull up. Simply attaching the resistance band to a sturdy door frame and sitting on the floor while you work will mimic the workouts you get with a regular pull up bar. When you watch the P90X workouts, you’ll even see members of the crew using this method to prove how effective it actually is.

The Benefit of a Pull Up Bar

The resistance band alternative is easy and affordable. And while you don’t have to use a pull up bar to get great results with P90X, they do ultimately provide the best workout option. How, you ask. Well, when you use a P90X Chin Up Bar, for example, you are lifting your entire body weight. There is no substitution for this. Using a method like this will get you the best results, plain and simple. There are substitutions and we do recommend you use them if you aren’t interested in a pull up bar or it isn’t in your budget. But, if you can, then you should buy a chin up bar for your home.

The Best In-Home Pull Up Bar

The best in-home pull up bar is one that’s easily installed and can be easily removed when not in use. In other words—it doesn’t take up much space. Also, the best chin up bar is one that’s safe. The problem with many tension-mounted pull up bars is that they are easily dislodged. With the P90X Chin Up Bar, you actually mount the hardware to the door frame. It’s designed to accommodate up to 300 pounds and is known to be super safe.