Article & Images by Reuben Graff
Route Setter & Team Rock Spot: MA Assistant Coach, Rock Spot Climbing

I live in an apartment where I can’t drill into the walls or make any major modifications. I really wanted to install a hangboard in order to train so I threw together a set up to make it happen. There are plenty of ways to do it, but this one used the most materials I already owned, so for me it was the cheapest and easiest. I don’t think this is the only one way to go about installing your hangboard, but I would like to offer this as a helpful resource.

Materials Needed:

  • Hangboard
  • Short screws preferred 
  • Pull up bar
  • Prusik cord, or similar cordelette
  • Drill
  • Appropriate bits for screws/pre-drilling
  • Bit of equal or greater size as cordalet
  • Measuring tape
  • Wood board (¾” thick recommended)

Instructions

  • Measure your door’s width and the height of your hangboard. When purchasing your wood, make sure that it is longer than the width of your door, and 3 – 4” taller than your hangboard. This way you won’t swing when weighting the board, and you will have plenty of solid wood above to hold your cord.
  • Construct your pull up bar per the instructions.
  • Lay out your hangboard in the middle of your plank. Make sure you have an extra 3-4” of space above the top of your hangboard.
  • Pre-drill each hole and screw the board into place.
  • Lay your pull up bar on the section of wood above the hangboard. Make sure there’s at least 2” of wood above. Mark where the two forward facing prongs contact the wood.
  • Now with your larger bit, bore a hole on either side of the marks.
  • Optional: Using sandpaper or a file, bevel the edges of the hole. This way your cord isn’t resting on a sharp edge.
  • Tie a stopper knot in your cord and thread it through all four holes. Adjust so the hangboard can hang comfortably on the two prongs.
  • Adjust where you tie the other end to get the perfect height for your door, and you should be all set!

If you’re interested in a power endurance workout:

  • Hang 7 Seconds On, Release 3 Seconds. Repeat 6x.
  • Rest 1 Min between sets. Repeat 4-5x
  • Rest 10 min before switching grip positions.

Repeat the process until you’re totally pumped out and have trained all desired grip positions.

Happy hanging!