DIY Parallettes

Parallettes are a great tool to have in your home gym equipment tool box.  They allow you to do things such as dips, L-holds, swing throughs and handstand pushups to name a few.

To me, it was surprising to see how much such a simple device can cost.  A quick Google search called up all sorts of parallettes ranging from $50 to $150!  I say, “crazy”!  Let’s make ‘em ourselves and save a chunk of cash.  (Plus, going the DIY route gives you something that’s exactly in the parameters you are looking for.

When making mine, I wanted something that would allow me enough room to try some of the gymnastic swing though type moves ending in a L-hold, and I wanted them to hold me high enough to be able to try to do some deep handstand push ups.  If you are more interested in ones that will just be used for deep regular push-ups, for example, maybe you’ll want to make yours a little shorter than what I going to go through now.

First thing to know… this is a pretty simple and fun DIY.  The toughest part is all the sawing… you’re going to give your arm a nice little workout.  But really, you can probably bang this project out in less than a half hour, and it will only cost you about $30 bucks!

So let’s get started.  Hopefully you had a chance to watch the video above.  This will cover all that plus give you a few extra nuggets.

First off, your supplies.  I’ve seen people make these with 1 1/4” and 1 1/2” PVC pipe.  For me, the 1 1/4 inch pipe was plenty strong enough… but I’d say I’m towards the smaller end of the average sized guy… if you think you’ll need a little more support, go for the 1 1/2 inch.

I used:

10 foot long PVC pipe - $4.78

8 End Caps - $7.84

4 Tee’s - $10.08

4 Elbows - $5.28

After tax, this got me to just over 30 bucks.

Some optional items would be getting PVC primer and cement (about $9.00).  My pipes fit very snug, so I didn’t use this.  If after some use things start seeming loose, I may go back and glue everything.  You also might want to paint yours like I ended up doing.  It gives them a slightly nicer, less PVC pipe feel.  Just make sure you get the spray paint made for bonding with plastic.

First step, cut up that long pipe.  A 10 foot pipe is just the right length to give you all the material you’ll need for making two parallettes.  You’ll need to cut it into the following lengths:

• 20 inches (x2)
• 10 inches (x4)
• 5 inches (x8) 

I actually went about 18 inches for my two longer pieces of pipe… I really didn’t need all that space, plus the shorter that piece, the stronger.

Also, your pipes will be very rough on the ends once you cut them up.  I cleaned up the ends with a very fine grit sandpaper.  This will also help you connect all the PVC peaces having them cleaned up.

Then just put them all together!  Attach the elbows to either side of the long pieces.  Then connect the 10 inch pipes to the other end of the elbows.  Next, the Tee’s will connect to the bottom of the 10 inch lengths.  Then the 5 inch pieces will come out of each side of the Tee’s and then cap them off with the eight caps.  (If this all seems confusing, just watch the video… it’s short and it paints a pretty clear picture.

Boom!  You’re done.  If you want to take your parallettes to the next level and give them a little spice and style, break out the spray paint and grip tape.  I found the grip tape did add a little home gym bling, plus it is actually very functional too.  If you added some sweet customization, I’d love to see it!  Share them in the comments section.

Good luck!  And have fun with your journey to fitness… I know I am.

Supplies 

PVC Pipe: https://amzn.to/3QsjDjy

Spay Paint: https://amzn.to/47w5loL

Grip Tape (Black):  https://amzn.to/3QAdTV5

Grip Tape (Red): https://amzn.to/47obXpX