Category: Case Studies

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Bespoke Pull Up Bar and Parallel Bar Gym

Case Study : Ivan – Callisthenics Athlete and Personal Trainer in Kent

·        Product Purchased : Separate Pull Up Bar and Parallel Bars

·        Tallest Bar Height : 2.5m

·        Added Extras: None

·        Who is using : Adults / Calisthenics Athletes

·        Age : 18+

About the Customer

Ivan is a keen and accomplished calisthenics athlete and personal trainer.  After moving out of London to Canterbury he was frustrated with the lack of good quality calisthenics equipment in the local parks and the local area.  He approached the local council but had no luck in convincing them of the merits of installing calisthenics equipment. 

Designing the Perfect Outdoor Gym

This is where Xorbars came to his rescue.  Ivan contacted us and specifically wanted a standalone high Pull Up Bar and separate Parallel Bars for his training and for the development of calisthenics training videos which he and his team are working on. 

Under normal circumstances, we generally prefer that Pull Up Bars are NOT separate i.e. we like to attach multiple posts and bars for greater stability and maximum life span.  It is not a ‘must’ but our general advice is ‘the more posts and bars connected the stronger and longer the equipment will last’.  That said, we agreed with Ivan to put the posts 1 meter into the ground with a solid concrete base and footings in order to give the greatest support possible.   

Ivan chose our longest length bars to optimise his gym and opted for 3 x 6.5ft (2 meters) Bars.  This is the longest length of pull up bar in the Xorbars range.  He also opted for a high height of 2.5m from the ground.  As standard we put pull up bars in at 2.35m.

The Parallel Bars were installed at a height of 1.2m.   We often put a bar in between the posts of our parallel bars.  This is called our 16inch bar.  This can be added to the Parallels as a step-up bar for performing exercises like negative dips if needed and/or for children to use more easily.

On the Day of Installation 

​The location for Ivan’s Pull Up and Parallel Bars were in a back field a fair distance from the property. This vital information came through on our Pre-Installation Survey, it was pre-arranged that Water and Electricity would be run up to the site, so installation was straight forward.

Due to the exceptionally hot Summer the UK had experienced, the ground for all installations had been baked which made this Summer’s installs a challenge. On several installs our installer arrived the evening prior to install day to measure out and dig pilot holes and get water into the ground, this approach helped digging the footings the next day.

What Did the Customer Say About Us?

Another five-star review and very happy Xorbars customer !

Very good quality bars and a great service. I have used a few times in the past as have my friends. I would definitely use again. As a professional athlete I’m very pleased.

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Which garden gym is great for training and kids play…?

 

  • Case Study : Ben – Kent
  • Product Purchased : Bespoke Assault Gym with Pegboard
  • Tallest Bar Height : 2.35m
  •  Added Extras: Pegboard, Grab Hold / Foot Up, Rope
  • Who is using : Adults for training / Kids for playing
  • Age : 8+

About The Customer

Ben is a keen runner but wanted to add some at home resistance training to his exercise repertoire. He was also looking for something he and his three girls could use together. Xorbars has the ideal solution, in this Case Study we’ll go through all aspects of the Assault gym.

Designing For Training and Play

What’s a great gym to suit training and family play…? The Assault Gym is a great starting point for both of these. Ben ordered the Assault gym online and then got in touch to discuss adding some extras such as the addition of a Pegboard.

Can Pegboards be added to any gym? Yes, Pegboards add that next level of training to Xorbars and can replace a 5ft or 3.5ft Pull Up Bar or can be added on to any gym with an extra post.

On this Assault gym, we replaced a 5ft Pull Up Bar at one end of the gym to give another element of difficulty and skill to conquer, the length of the Pegboard then determines the length of the Pull Up Bar and Parallel Bars that run parallel on this gym. 

Xorbars Birch Pegboards come in 3.5ft or 5ft widths and provide years of calisthenics training to help you sculpt the perfect athletic body. We supply two Ash pegs to go with your Pegboard and upon installation it is treated with a wood preservative to keep protected from the elements. Pegs need to be stored indoors, in a dry environment and not left in the Pegboard outside, where they can swell.

What length are the Xorbars Monkey Bars? One set of Monkey Bars measures just over two metres and the great thing with the Assault Gym, it has two sets with a mini bar in the middle connecting them – this gives over four metres of hang time! 

The Assault is our largest Monkey Bar Gym and Monkey Bars were a must for the girls aged 8, 10 and 11. 

What height are Monkey Bars? The bars can be installed at a height of up to 2.35 metres which is a great height for the girls’ ages, providing a challenge for them but at a safe height for jumping down from. 

As with any of our Monkey Bar gyms , you will find that children will love to climb all over them, hang upside down and crawl along the top, amongst using the bars in the traditional way. Ben wanted a pull up bar to be able to train whilst the girls played on the monkey bar, so the Assault gym was perfect.

Did you know? The Assault Gym was used by Nike in their 2019 TV Advertising and uses 2 x monkey bars at different heights with a connecting bar for transitions. With 3 x pull up bars at varying heights and parallel bars, this garden gym is ideal for all the family or any calisthenics enthusiast. 

What else can i add to my Xorbars Gym? The girls wanted a set of Gymnastic rings which can go on either the pull up bar or the monkey bars (these are readily available from various online retailers). They are also great for dad too as there are a massive array of exercises that can incorporate into his training. 

Ropes Swings are a great addition to all our gyms too, Ben opted for our Premium Handmade Premium Rope Swing to hang from the Monkey Bars. This is made to measure by specialist craftsmen in Norfolk. 

Once your garden gym has been installed, our installer James confirms the length and then they get to work splicing together your rope and sending it directly to you. Because the ropes are made to your exact height requirements it means that you wont have lots of unsightly rope laying on the floor underneath the pull up bar – the maximum drop is 3 meters. There is a splice at the top of the rope (a bit like a noose) so all you have to do is throw the rope over the bar, thread it through the noose and pull.  You can also tie knots in as desired to make it easier for children to climb or leave it as is for a more challenging element on your garden gym. The rope will NOT damage the paintwork on your bars.

As above, Pegboards can be incorporated too, on this Assault gym we added in at one end of the gym to give an extra skill for the kids to learn and a real challenge for Ben to master. 

The Parallel Bars were installed at 1.2m which is the standard height, this allows plenty of height even for our taller customers to use for negative dips. 

On Installation Day

The gym was placed in an area of the garden that wasn’t currently used. It was tucked away close to trees and will have bark laid around the whole area, so it also acts as a great base for the kids.  Access for this gym was a dream with James being able to drive right onto the site of installation.

What Did the Customer Say About Us…?

Ben and the children were delighted with their new Assault Garden Gym and gave Xorbars a five-star review!

Ben

Excellent service. Design and installation is top quality. Very pleased

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Bespoke Pull Up Bar and Parallel Bar Gym

·        Case Study : Ivan – Callisthenics Athlete and Personal Trainer in Kent

·        Product Purchased : Separate Pull Up Bar and Parallel Bars

·        Tallest Bar Height : 2.5m

·        Added Extras: None

·        Who is using : Adults / Calisthenics Athletes

·        Age : 18+

About the Customer

Ivan is a keen and accomplished callisthenics athlete and personal trainer.  After moving out of London to Canterbury he was frustrated with the lack of good quality callisthenics equipment in the local parks and the local area.  He approached the local council but had no luck in convincing them of the merits of installing callisthenics equipment. 

Designing the Perfect Outdoor Gym

This is where Xorbars came to his rescue.  Ivan contacted us and specifically wanted a standalone high Pull Up Bar and separate Parallel Bars for his training and for the development of callisthenics training videos which he and his team are working on. 

Under normal circumstances, we generally prefer that Pull Up Bars are NOT separate i.e. we like to attached multiple posts and bars for greater stability and maximum life span.  It is not a ‘must’ but our general advice is ‘the more posts and bars connected the stronger and longer the equipment will last’.  That said, we agreed with Ivan to put the posts 1 meter into the ground with a solid concrete base and footings in order to give the greatest support possible.   

Ivan chose our longest length bars to optimise his gym and opted for 3 x 6.5ft (2 meters) Bars.  This is the longest length of pull up bar in the Xorbars range.  He also opted for a high height of 2.5m from the ground.  As standard we put pull up bars in at 2.35m.

The Parallel Bars were installed at a height of 1.2m.   We often put a bar in between the posts of our parallel bars.  This is called our 16inch bar.  This can be added to the Parallels as a step-up bar for performing exercises like negative dips if needed and/or for children to use more easily.

On the Day of Installation 

​The location for Ivan’s Pull Up and Parallel Bars were in a back field a fair distance from the property. This vital information came through on our Pre-Installation Survey,  it was pre-arranged that Water and Electricity would be run up to the site so installation was straight forward.

Due to the exceptionally hot Summer the UK had experienced, the ground for all installations had been baked which made this Summer’s installs a challenge. On several installs our installer arrived the evening prior to install day to measure out and dig pilot holes and get water into the ground, this approach helped digging the footings the next day.

What Did the Customer Say About Us?

Another five-star review and very happy Xorbars customer !

Ivan

Very good quality bars and a great service. I have used a few times in the past as have my friends. I would definitely use again. As a professional athlete I’m very pleased.

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Case Study: Odysseus Platform Gym for Adventure & Play

  • Product Purchased : Odysseus Platform Gym
  • Tallest Bar Height : 2.4m
  • Added Extras : Pegboard, TRX Bracket, 4 x Ladder bars for accessing Monkey Bars, Boxing Bag Bracket, Foot Up/Grab Bars… this gym really does have all the bells and whistles
  • Who is using : Adults and children (recreational fun and family exercise)
  • Age : 4+
  • Customer Case Study : Chris – Staffordshire

Synopsis – The following post is by Project Manager Amy. It takes a look into all the options for a Platform Gym.

What Gym Design was our Customer Looking for?

Chris initially emailed and got in touch with Xorbars because he was just outside our usual installation zone.  He had already been researching our family friendly Zeus and Odysseus Platform gyms and thought they would be the perfect addition to his garden.  On this occasion due to the property / garden’s great access and only being a stone’s throw outside an installation zone, our installer James was willing to go the extra mile. 

With an initial design in mind, we got to work with sketching out various options, discussing what were essentials for this family’s Xorbars’s gym.  A Pegboard was on the wish list which was easily incorporated in place of a 5ft bar.  This adds a next level of difficulty to exercise and an addictive skill, great to keep the kids and adults coming back for another go! 

Xorbars Odysseus design was confirmed; one of our largest gyms, this really does have it all… a Monkey Bar section – a kids favourite pastime, a 5ft square hand cut Platform – great for den building underneath and hanging out, this sits at a height of 1.5 metres but can be lowered or lifted, parallel bars for a dip station – or for children to hang upside down, a winner in our house! and also, two 6.5ft pull up bars for the adults to really get to grips with. 

With our Odysseus gym being a large twelve post set up, we were also able to incorporate a Boxing Bag Bracket, a TRX bracket, Foot Up/Grab Hold bar for accessing the Pegboard and a second set of ladders for accessing the platform too. 

In The Future… 

The customer is also interested in adding a swing to the Monkey Bars / Pull Up Bars.  But the additions don’t stop there… This layout also goes hand in hand with the more restful addition of a Hammock, easily added to the Pull Up bars or even a Slide can be added to the platform which will keep the kids entertained for hours.

There is something to keep the whole family busy!

Three Day Build… in the rain.

Access to the site of the Gym wasn’t an issue at all with a huge private driveway leading up to the open plan garden with the site for the Odysseus being only 20 yards from the parking area.  Unloading the van and setting all materials out was simple and straight forward, water easily accessible which makes installing much easier. 

We ask a lot of questions in our Pre Installation survey’s due to not be able to visit the property prior to installation, we like to determine an straight forward plan of action and ensure we have got everything covered.  To have an area to disperse soil within a reasonable distance for our installers, makes building your Xorbars much more straight forward and knowing all the information ahead of time.

After a quick chat about the gym’s location, installer James got to work measuring out and digging the holes for the posts.  The British weather wasn’t on our side for this installation, but it didn’t dampen the fantastic Odysseus Platform Gym . Incase you were wondering… The cute dog did not help James with this installation.

And the end result…?

Adventure, Play and Exercise all in one place – Designed to combine all the benefits of our calisthenic gyms with the fun of both playing and Parkour (Jumping). There is plenty of room for adults and children to play, jump off and create.

Please get in touch if you would like my help designing your outdoor garden gym.

AMY SERCOME – XORBARS PROJECT MANAGER
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Designing a Monkey Bar Gym in Your Garden

  • Product Purchased : Monkey Bars with 2 x Pull Up Bars
  • Tallest Bar Height : 2.4m
  • Added Extras : Swing, 4 x Ladder bars for accessing Monkey Bars
  • Who is using : Adults and children (recreational fun and family exercise)
  • Age : 4+
  • Customer Case Study : David – North London

Synopsis – The following post is by Project Manager Amy. It looks at how we designed an outdoor gym for a customer and what happened when we had to change it on the installation day…

What Gym Design was our Customer Looking for?

David got in touch with Xorbars, already a design in mind for a Monkey Bar installation and two separate Pull Up Bars which he had provided a sketch of.  The design had one low pull up bar for the kids to roll over and hang upside down on (a kids favourite pastime!) and a high pull up bar with the intention of pull ups for the adults. Based on his design I suggested our hugely popular Cube Gym as it was the difference of adding one bar, it would add strength and stability to have all bars joined together and another bar for even more exercise and fun.

The Cube Outdoor Gym didn’t work with the Garden Design!

After discussion about the space/location the gym was being installed into, it was decided that for useability, the Cube Gym wasn’t going to be the best option this time. The garden was a narrow rectangular shape with the gym required to fit lengthways, it would mean one bar of the Cube would be unusable. 

A Monkey Bar it was to be, running parallel down the garden in line with the boundary fence and two 5ft Bars in an L shape off the corner of the Monkey bars. 

4 x Ladder bars were added to the gym for the children to access the Monkey bars, we always recommend having three bars at one end to climb up and then one bar positioned mid height at the opposite end for jumping down or perching on for a return journey.

The Cube Outdoor Gym from Xorbars

How far should the monkey bars be from a fence?

The plan was to install the monkey bars along the fence.  In small gardens we generally recommend a minimum distance of 500mm away from a fence or boundary, 800mm in an ideal world just so you have full usability round the gym.

On the day of the monkey bar installation we made some changes

Access to the site of the Gym wasn’t an issue at all with a private access leading up to the back gate, unloading the van and setting all materials out was simple and straight forward, water easily accessible which makes installing much easier. 

Upon seeing the layout of the garden and having a quick chat with our customer David,  installer James made the suggestion to have the Monkey Bars run across the garden width, this enabled the full length of the garden to be useable access, it also created the perfect football goal area underneath ! 

The pull up bars were separated and located either end of the monkey bars creating a Z shaped gym. David wanted to add a swing on the high bar also, so this gave the space between the bars meaning both could be used simultaneously.

Design really doesn’t stop in the office! We always try and be as flexible and adaptive as possible.

And What did the customer say about us?

Another happy Xorbars customer with this feedback ” The Xorbars are a big success, all 3 of our children love playing on them and my wife and I have been trying some ‘assisted’ pull-ups and other exercises. “

The Cube Outdoor Gym from Xorbars

Please get in touch if you would like my help designing your outdoor garden gym.

Amy Sercome – Xorbars project manager