As some of you know I'm moving right now to start a new job.  I'm moving into a pretty small condo I'm renting for at least a year until I get settled.  Any of you fitness buffs have any suggestions for a piece of home gym equipment for doing pullups?  Mounting a bracket in the doorway isn't an option, not because I lack the skill to drill a few holes, but because the landlord will have a fit.  I considered buying a squat rack, but thats bigger than I really have room for.  Any thoughts? I've seen a few towers designed for this purpose on ebay and from exercise equipment dealers, but none that collapse and fold away easily or that have a straight bar. I can't mount anything to the walls, so it will have to be free standing. Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks.

B.S.

Bigshooter, I've had one of those pull-up towers for years and it was "just" strong enough for me to use without it shaking too much.   The tower I had was a non-folding type.  I don't think there is a folding type of tower on the market made strong enough for a person of average weight to use without it falling apart prematurely.  Maybe there is one on the market you could fold up.  I just haven't seen one yet at any retail store.  Maybe you can locate a good one on the web somewhere.  

Not having the privilege to do a wall or doorway mount may have exhausted all your options unless there is a non-folding tower made that makes a smaller footprint.  

-RoadDog

i used to have a bar that fit in between the door and it worked ok

cyrax777, I also had one of those bars that you could mount between the door without drilling holes.  It was the kind that would increase in width when you turn each side in the direction opposite of the other side.  Each side had thick rubber suction cups that made contact with the door frame.  I remember it could never stay in place as soon as I applied my full weight.  So I ended up improvising the darn thing by using it as a ankle holder during sit-ups.  

-RoadDog

Yea, that was what I was afraid of...RoadDog,  I was looking at this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1141802402

Does it look sturdier than yours?  I'm about 200 lbs.  Its not ideal but its better than nothing.  Thank you very much for your advice.

That's one of the stupider questions I've heard on here - How about a membership down at the gym?

Bigshooter, I couldn't tell if that is the same one I had.  I wasn't able to click on your link so I entered it manually and ebay says it no longer is there.  

I don't recall the brand I had, but I do recall my was the most common of the towers on the market.  I think Gold's Gym makes their model just like the one I had.  

I'm more average in weight so that says alot regarding weight
tolerance with these towers.  

-RoadDog

hehehe. That's the obvious answer, join a gym. lol

If not, why not just do push ups instead?

Thanks for trying RoadDog.  And as far as the "stupid" remarks:

One: the nearest gym is about 20 minutes down the road from my job in the opposite direstion of my place, which is 20 minutes from my place. It is a condo type place, but its not exactly close to any realy town of any size. I can't take my work vehicle there, so I'd have to go home, swap rigs, and then go back. Not practical.

Two: I'm a tightwad.  Don't want to have to pay $350 a year to do pullups when I can do them at home.  

bigger apartment?

Lease is signed.  Nice housing is tough to find. Didn't want to live in a sheethole next to the pier. Only had a couple of weeks to find something.

Bigshooter--

I had a bar like Road Dog did (not that I used it much), but what works is to tension it as much as possible, then take a small 1" x 3" x X" piece of wood (X = the width of the door frame under the bar) slide it up hard under the bar and put a couple of nails into it to hold it into place.  It keeps the bar from sliding down the frame (which is how most of them give out). A small notch cut in the top of the wood makes sure the bar doesn't slip out to either side rather than straight down.  And, all you have is a couple of small, easily patched and painted over nail holes when you remove the wood.

Assuming you are not so large that you will pull the door frame to pieces.

AFARR

Do you have a balcony. Drill two holes in the floor joist above you.Put in two heavy bolt hooks.Two pieces of chain connected to the bar.
Just tell them it was for your hanging plants.Remove when you leave and use wood filler.

Thanks guys,

Wilson, I'm about 6'1, so it might be tight.

BTW. I'm moving from Idaho to the southwest coast of Washington, right near the mouth of the Columbia river.  Its sad to have to leave Idaho, but I was just offered a job over there that was hard to turn down. My apartment is about $400 a month. Nothing special but the location is nice. I can hear the surf from my porch. I absolutely detest cities, lived in one for 8 months and almost lost my mind.

I think you ought to start a thread entitled something like "where should I move to?"  Tell us what kind of environment you want (urban/rural, hot/cold, wet/dry, coastal/mountains/plains, conservative/liberal, etc). I trust the advice of people on this board more than that of a lot of other people I've met.  I think most people here would stumble over themselves to help you find a place to your liking or tell you where to avoid.  I've lived in or traveled to several regions of the country.  So far the northwest coast (excluding Seattle and Portland) and most places in the Rockies away from urban areas are my fovorates.  Never been to Alaska, but hope to make the trip in a year or two. You can have the east coast (except maybe Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) as far as I'm concerned.  Forget California. The south is awesome in many ways (great attitudes, friendly people, great barbecue) but too hot for me.

AFARR, great idea.  I just might do that.  I have to look into that one when I finish moving in.