Different Exercises With Beams That Are Attached to Walls

When you start getting creative, any number of surfaces or objects in your home could help you get in a good workout. Horizontal beams, for one, could be the ideal location for doing exercises that involve hanging or lifting your body weight against gravity. Be sure your surfaces are safe first, and then start exploring the various options available. In the best-case scenario, you'll be able use the beam to get a complete upper-body workout.

  1. Safety First

    • Since most of the exercises you can do with beams will require you to hang from the beam or otherwise put your weight on it, the first step in this process should be to check that the beam is load-bearing. In other words, you need to know that the beam can handle significant amounts of weight. Interior walls that are perpendicular to the floor joists -- or floor "beams" are often load-bearing, reminds Tim Carter of the Ask the Builder website. Beams that are along the exterior of the building and hold up the roof are also usually load-bearing, but if you're not sure, ask a builder or structural engineer to check it out. If you find that the beam is not load-bearing, it still might be able to hold your weight, so long as it's rated as such. Again, ask a professional if you're not sure.

    Pull Your Body Against Gravity

    • Perhaps the simplest exercise you can do with that beam is the pullup. It is incredibly efficient at training and toning the upper body. If the beam is below shoulder-height, you might be able to use it to do pullups with your feet still resting on the floor, resulting in an easier exercise. If the beam is near the ceiling -- as load-bearing beams typically are -- use a chair to elevate yourself high enough to reach the beams. Another option: loop your feet into the handles of resistance tubes and hold the other handles in your hands, and then get into pullup position. Some people also hang the bands over the bar or beam, and then put a foot or knee into both handles. This is a version of an assisted pullup that you can use while you're gaining the strength for "real" pullups.

    Working the Abs and Hips

    • The beam can also come in handy for doing various forms of leg raises, which target mostly the hip flexors, as well as the abs. This exercise involves hanging from a bar or beam and then raising and bending your legs until your knees meet your chest. If your beam has empty space below it, you'll be able to raise your legs without anything getting in the way. If the beam doesn't have space under it or it's really close to the wall, an alternative might be to actually install a wall-mounted pullup bar to the beam. That way you won't have to grip a wide beam, and you'll have more space to move around.

    TRX and Pulleys

    • Yet another option is to use your beam as a secure structure to which you'll attach a pulley system or weight-bearing exercise straps such as TRX. With TRX, you'll attach straps to the beam, and then use them to do pushups, one-leg squats, rows, and various stretching exercises. If the beam doesn't allow you to wrap straps all the way around it, you might be able to secure an eye bolt to the beam to accommodate the straps.