I started looking for this sort of equipment last year as one of the many odds and ends I put on my Xmas wish list. Like a lot of guys, I realize that the infamous wish list is really my personal shopping list for the coming year as almost nothing on it is going to wind up under the tree, so I approached it in that light. Being a person with a home gym in a house I don't plan to keep forever, I am always on the lookout for equipment that I can use which doesn't require me to perform any permanent alterations to the place I live. We don't often see equipment that is both stable and able to take the abuse of a serious workout, but after one good back and biceps day, the Everlast Multifunction Chinning Bar seems to fit the bill nicely.

I ordered it from karatedepot.com, and online martial arts and fitness supplier that has good prices on the stuff I look for. Since the bar itself had a recognizable label, I took a closer look at it than I did several of the competitive products I've found around the net. It helped that all of the product reviews were very helpful in describing the use and users who purchased it. (I may add a review myself shortly as well.)

The product itself was very easy to assemble, requiring just a 10mm and 11mm wrench. The construction is very solid, but with enough margin in the engineering that it doesn't require an extremely precise and snug fit to go together. If this was a vehicle I would probably gripe about this point, but the fact that it is a strong piece of fitness equipment that is designed to be assembled by amateurs, I think it's good as-is.

Hanging it in the doorway is an easy, one-handed evolution that doesn't require much effort at all. The wooden piece fits snuggly against the wall and the long main bar rests on the very plush padded material against the user side of the doorway. The same plush pad covers all of the gripping surfaces and is very comfortable even after prolonged routines. As one of the reviews on the product site said, the abrasive strip on the wooden bar does contact above the door jam, but the only thing I have seen is a modest amount of abrasive material left on the paint that wipes off with a light swipe of the hand.

The verdict: For about $35, this is a great investment so long as it gets used. For a normal workout like mine where I will only use this mayhap 2 days per week, I believe it will have paid for itself by the end of the month. Also, the shipping and service from the retailer were great.

Product: Recommended
Retailer: Recommended