Would you mount a pull-up bar to your garage ceiling joists?

[Red Barchetta]

Thought I'd see what my fellow PUX'ers think about this.

A section of our garage is a home gym and I've got a free-standing power station that is bulky and not very useful for our needs.  Not to mention that the pull-up bar is like an old school bike's handlebars so you can't do close grip pull-ups on it.  I'm going to sell it and the only excercise on it that I want to keep is the pull-up.

By design we didn't sheetrock our ceiling years ago so I have clear access to the ceiling joists.
Other than garage door openers there isn't anything hanging from them (bikes are stored at/in a floor rack).  Some boxes of junk, er mementos and holiday stuff are also stored in a few places sitting on plywood.

My question(s);
Would you mount a pull up bar to a joist?  My hesitation isn't the weight (I'm 170 lbs.), but rather that pull-ups can be a bit violent especially the last 2 or 3 as you struggle to knock them out.  Don't want to twist, torque, crack, loosen, ... a joist over time.
Would an additional 4' 2x4 be a good idea to add so that the bolts go through two 2x4's?
Or are joists stronger than I'm am thinking they are for this type of action?

Here's one that I'm thinking of getting;
http://www.pacillo.com/detail.asp?product=779

[JP campers]

I wouldn't have any issue using that set-up. If it makes you feel more secure, by all means add a doubler and run bolts all the way through both and secure with lock  nuts. I think the lag bolts are fine.
Make sure you drill the correct size pilot hole to avoid splitting the joist.

[Bama Rambler]

Assuming you have truss and not joist & rafter construction I wouldn't hesitate at all mounting that pull-up bar to the joist. Even if you have joists & rafters construction you should have 2X6 joists and they would be fine to mount it to.

[Red Barchetta]

Oops, I meant (& have) truss'.   

Thank you both for your thoughts on this.   

If you look at this picture (bottom center is where I would mount the bar);
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Pratt_truss.png
*In my garage the bottom board is actually 2 boards that meet at that point with all 5 boards (2 horizontal, 2 diagonal, & 1 vertical) secured by a wire mesh type bracket on either side.

I think I'll add a "doubler" (thanks for the lingo Jim  ) 4' long 2x8 so that I can secure it to each of the 5 2x4's that all meet at that point.  Then bolt the pull-up bar through the 2x8 & the existing 2 horizontal 2x4's.

What do you think?

[blw2]

Way back when, I used to do tons of pullups in my old garrage, but I nevcer went to the trouble to install a bar.  I just jumped up and grabbed onto one of the truss stringers.

[iggy]

Before you posted the diagram of your truss, I was going to make another suggestion. You could attach a horizontal 2x6 perpendicular across 3 joists, using 2 lag screws at each joist (6 total). Then you could hang the pullup bar from the 2x6 with through bolts. This way, any stress would be spread across 3 joists rather than just one.

I always over-build waaay too much, and my gut feeling tells me you could just hang the bar from one joist with no other reinforcement. But your idea of doubling up and connecting across the joist and the truss triangles should certainly be plenty strong enough. And, of course, you're not going to invite Shaq, or C.C. Sabathia over, are you?

[Red Barchetta]

No, there won't be anyone Shaq's size using the bar.   

I am also an over-thinker/builder/cleaner/etc..., but so far haven't broken anything yet.   

I like to think it is why our 8+ year old PU is still in mint condition despite year 'round camping every 6 weeks on average.   

I've got the 2x8 mounted and am now waiting for the pull-up bar (great reviews at Amazon btw) to arrive later this week (coming from Buffalo).

Side note - Pacillo's seems like a great company.  A guy answered the phone on the 2nd ring, took my info., & said he'd drop the bar off at UPS on his way home as they had already stopped by the warehouse today.   

[Between Trips]

I had a round bar mounted between two joists in the basement of a past house for doing pull ups. For what you are considering, I think I'd add a doubler to the joist.

[Red Barchetta]

I done did a doubler during the day.