Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

Actually found this for sale in a local Rite Aid for under $30 and bought it on impulse having seen the TV adverts. Cheaper than paying postage, although it doesn't include the ab straps. There is a form in the box to get them "free", the catch being a $7.99 shipping fee. For straps. Still undecided on that one..

The manual is basic but has some nice (albeit brief) tips on diet and workout schedules.

The product itself is reassuringly sturdy, with the sole exception of the plastic ring that goes between the 2 horizontal pole sections. That cracked during assembly. Its function is just to prevent vibration / rattling and I still managed to use it but that was annoying.

When everything is tightly bolted together (try not to over-tighten), it's pretty much rock solid. I weigh 165 lbs and there's a barely perceptible flex when using the inner-grip positions. One of my brother-in-laws hung on it holding the inner-grips and there was a more noticeable flex but he weighs over 200 lbs.

I like the narrow grip perpendicular bars and the narrow grip chin-up positions. The "wide" grip position usually results in my forearms touching the door frame, which feels wrong but I'm new to pull-ups and may just be my form.

Regardless, if you're a fan of wide-grip pull-ups then this might not be the bar for you, unless you have a wider door frame (mine's less than 30" measured inside, the wooden frame itself is 1.5" wide).

One caveat with having a wider door frame is that the Iron Gym is designed for door frames under 34" (measured inside, under 33" to be safer); for frames 34-38" wide you need the extension kit, which is $9.99 + $6.99 S&H if you order direct.

Looking at the product's other functions, it is great for push-ups but weak for dips. The two push-up positions give variety and excellent depth. Sadly, depth is lacking for dips. I tried raising my feet up using a low wooden coffee table (17" high) but my form felt weird and after a few reps my right shoulder was unhappy. I'll stick to dipping at floor level for now!

Haven't tried using it for sit-ups yet as the one door frame narrow enough for pull-ups isn't suitable for sit ups (the bathroom is too small). My other door frames are too wide for either pull-up or sit-up use. For reference, those frames are a little under 36" (measuring the interior distance).

The little metal clip that goes on top of the door frame is not essential but recommended. It's not hard to fit, it's not THAT noticeable, and it can be easily removed at a later date without leaving any damage. I took the Iron Gym to another apartment to show my brother-in-law (minus clip) and nearly shat myself when he literally jumped at it (forward and up) to start his motion. It rattled scarily but luckily held firm, so the basic design without the clip is sound but not fool proof!

Based on my needs the standard Iron Gym is fine and easily worth the $30 paid in-store. If I needed the extension kit and was paying the inflated S&H charges I'd be knocking another half-star off.

no hassle to assemble,stays in place and feels solid during workout. i never even take mine down.

I bought this for my husband and I because it is so hard to get to the gym everyday. It really is convenient to have in the house, because when you see it you think to use it. I tend to use it at random times, if I am just passing by I will do a couple of pull ups just for the heck of it. I think it encourages you to do that - so it can only be a good thing!

The handles are comfortable, and the cushion on the bars is nice and gripy. For average people the hand grip spacing was a little too wide if you use the outer grips, and a little too narrow if you use the inner grips. For me it feels pretty solid, and I am not afraid that it will collapse or give way (I only weigh in at 125 lbs). For my husband, he uses it and likes it, however I do see it flexing under his weight. He weighs in at 185 lbs, so it's not like he is hefty or anything! But, he says it feels fairly solid for him too. Our buddy tried it, and he weighs in at about 200 lbs, he was worried that our door frame might give out, not that the bar would give out. Since our house was built in the 1950's, he could be right! It did hold him, and he did several pull ups on it and was impressed. My only suggestion is that I would like to see it a little heftier in the tubing portion, so it would be a bit more solid. But being able to just put it up in pretty much any doorway without damage or permanent installation is a great feature and I think worth it.

We haven't used it for it's other uses, such as sit ups yet. But I would imagine it would be handy for that too. Definitely not a waste of money, well - only if you don't use it I guess!

A great, versatile piece of equipment that is easy to use. I love it!

nice bar for both my sons and myself. Easy up and dpes not mar paint