Paralletes = Humbling
http://www.american-gymnast.com/tt/paralletteguide/index.html
Listen buddy, you aren’t allowed to do any more activities until you gain 10lbs.
RIT Jared
http://www.celtickane.com/projects/parallettes.php
Make your own. Now that you’ve brought the idea to my attention, I think I will too. They look like loads of fun.
DI
From the description of the parallettes for sale on the American gymnastics site, I made this shopping list:
2 bars - 23" (58.5 cm)
2 bars - 7" (17.8 cm)
4 bars - 5" (12.8 cm)
2 elbow joints
2 “T” joints
4 end caps
I’m excited about the project and hope to have my set done tomorrow.
HAHAHAHA Thank you Jared.
I had been discussing the parallette idea with a friend of mine (i was a gymnast till about 13-14).
I definitely wanted that strength back… he surprised me with a pair of parallettes. So I’m definitely not any specific program for the paralletes I just fuck around on them for now.
I’ll gain weight.
Then focus on regaining/improving strength.
I needed to realize that you can’t do everything at once.
This stuff was a little less than $40 total, including rubber cement, tape, and enough extra PVC to adjust the height later.
Very neat project, and way too much fun.
DI
KnightRT,
Did you have to use any filler inside the paralettes? Or are they hollow?
Yours,
Beev
They’re heavy-wall PVC, 2" width, no filler. A second type of thin-wall PVC exists for use in low pressure applications (drains), but that stuff wasn’t quite strong enough.
For most, the minimum width for heavy-wall will be about 1".
Best,
DI
I tried some of those handstand pushups, holy crap, I thought I could just bang out 3 sets of 10 no problem, I could hardly do 1, that’s right 1. My brain has a hard time figuring out what to do, I’m upside down, and I want to push myself up? Huh?
I’ve wanted to get a set of these for a while, but American Gymnast doesn’t recommend the PVC ones for people over 180 lbs, and I’m around 200. Anyone who made their set approach my weight, and if so how did they hold up.
rappan
I weigh 195. I can jump one-footed on either of my parallettes and it won’t flex, creak, or give the slightest indication of strain.
Based on this incredibly unscientific testing, I’d wager my set is good for over 450 lbs, and a 1.5" set (standard width) to north of 300.
AG’s version is 1" piping, and somewhat longer than necessary for most maneuvers. Trim an inch off the length and you can boost the maximum weight to 215 for that design.
DI
I got all the stuff for my set for about $4.25. So cheap. I went with about a 1" width for the PVC. They flex a bit, but I think that imitates the gymnast bars better. Plus, I’m pretty light.
Knight,
Do you know about how much in length you bought?
rappan
my buddy bout 10 feet and had some left over… says he could make a 3rd one…maybe even another pair.
I personally requested that he added 2 inches onto each of their measurements… so that may be a factor.
ACE Hardware sells it in 10 foot sections for $7 (2"), and $5 (1.5"). I used about seven feet of what I bought.
The ‘expensive’ bits were the T-connectors and various other little pieces. The endcaps may only be a dollar apiece, but when you have to buy eight of 'em, you’ve spent more on that alone than the whole pipe section.
Altogether, for 1.5" pieces at a bulk reseller like Home Depot, you could probably get by on about $25.
DI
talking about home made equipment
i stopped by this gym and the owner made parallel bars and a chin bar from home depot
parallel bars: he had 4 pieces of pressure treated wood into the ground - then, he used some pipes (iron perhaps) and drileld them onto the pieces of wood, side by side it made a long set of parallel bars - - i just had a plumber install new pipes at my house, he used the same stuff
the pull up bar was two pieces of pressure treated wood in the ground, and one bar at the top
looked like the pull up bar from back in the day at muscle beach
the wood was pressure treated and was the size of rail road ties
check out home depot and the pipes/plumbing section
wish i had a pic, sorry though 
–zach–