How to Make a Lat Tower

Making your own exercise equipment is a relatively inexpensive way to add variety and versatility to your home gym. A homemade lat tower allows you to target a majority of the muscles in your upper back and is relatively easy to make. The device allows you to perform the lat pulldown exercise which involves pulling two handles toward your body while your arms start from an overhead extended position. In addition to lat pulldowns, a lat tower setup enables you to perform an assortment of exercises such as triceps extensions and standing rows. Your homemade tower will be very similar to many of the commercial door-mount exercise equipment featured on television.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 U-shaped mounting brackets
  • 12-inch rectangular piece of sheet metal with holes on each end
  • 2 wing nuts
  • 2 bolt
  • 2 threaded pulleys with hook attachments
  • 2 hand grips
  • Chair
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a 2-inch U-shaped mounting bracket against the flat piece of steel so that the holes line up. Screw together with a wing nut. Repeat the mounting procedure with the other bracket on the other end of the flat piece of steel.

    • 2

      Place the mounted brackets and steel bar on top of the door.

    • 3

      Place the hooked end of one threaded double pulley through the hole attachment on the U-shaped mounting bracket. Repeat for the other side.

    • 4

      Wrap each inside facing pulley rope around the weight you intend to lift. Tie and knot each rope to the weight.

    • 5

      Pull the other end of the pulley rope through the circle opening of one hand grip. Cross the rope over itself and then pull it under and through so that the end of the pulley rope is fastened to the hand attachment. Repeat with the other hand attachment and pulley.

    • 6

      Place a chair 2 to 3 inches in front of the door.

    • 7

      Place a set of books or some other heavy weights in your lap to act as a counterbalance to the weight being lifted. Standard lat towers have a stationary bar that is pressed against your thighs.