How to Build a DIY Lat Pulldown for $20 (or less)
I hadn’t done Lat Pulldowns in my garage gym… until yesterday. Yesterday, utilizing some materials I already had in my gym, I was able to build myself a Lat Pulldown “attachment” for my Titan T3 rack.
It was incredibly easy to put together, works great, and ended up costing me less than $20.
In this guide, I’ll show you step-by-step how I built my DIY Lat Pulldown including the materials I used to make it happen. Let’s get started.
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Equipment Used
- 1 1/2″ Fixed Pulley from Lowe’s*
- Carabiner (Spring Clip) from Lowe’s
- Ozark Trail 1100 Paracord from Wal-Mart
- Spud Inc 1″ Closed Loop Lifting Strap**
- Serious Steel Figure 8 Lifting Strap***
*Hindsight 20/20 I should have bought the Swivel Pulley and I could have eliminated one of the Carabiners from the build.
**I used my Spud 1″ Closed Loop strap because it’s narrower, making it easier for the carabiner to clip onto it. However, any closed-loop lifting strap would work.
***My Figure 8 strap works perfectly as a handle, but you could also use a towel instead. I’m guessing (but HAVE NOT TRIED) that a thick piece of PVC pipe could work here as well.
Instructions
The Idea
The build for this was extremely simple and quick to do. The key to the whole process is the closed-loop lifting strap.
I wanted to be able to use the front pull-up bar of my rack so I could avoid hitting the bumper plates on the lower support beams on each side of the rack. After a bit of thinking and surveying what I had at my disposal, it finally hit me – lifting straps!
Quality lifting straps are incredibly strong and incredibly durable. And, by looping a closed-loop strap around my pull-up bar, I could utilize the front of my rack and stay away from the support beams.
Setting Up the Pulley
After a quick trip to pick up a few supplies, I was ready to get started.
I wrapped the closed-loop strap around the front pull-up bar and used a carabiner to secure it in place.
I used a second carabiner so the fixed pulley would be facing forward and to allow a bit of flexibility. (A swivel pulley would have fixed this problem and cost me the same amount of money.)
Next, I attached the fixed pulley to the second carabiner.
Two minutes in and we’re almost done. Not bad!
Preparing the Paracord
For my cable, I bought Paracord which is rated at 1100 pounds.
I cut my piece of Paracord to nine feet.
For context, my Titan T3 rack is 91″ tall. I also needed enough length to be able to wrap through and around the thick bumper plates I would be using for Lat Pulldowns.
When I measured everything out, I arrived at 9 feet. If you’re unsure what is going to work best for you I would highly suggest starting at the longest length you think you might need. It’s way easier to cut down later than it is to add on.
Also, you can adjust your slip knot to shorten the cord down some if needed.
Cutting the Paracord
When you cut a piece of paracord, the ends are going to pretty quickly start unraveling.
To keep this from happening wrap a piece of gorilla tape around the cord where you plan on cutting it. This will keep the cord from fraying and unraveling after it’s cut.
If you want to go one step further, you can use a lighter to singe the end of the cord which will also help hold the cord together.
Slip Knots
In my opinion, a slip knot is the best type of knot to use here for your DIY Lat Pulldown.
A slip knot will hold and tighten very well, but still gives you some flexibility to adjust the opening loop if you decide you want to switch out handles.
If you’re not familiar with how to tie a slip knot, go to the 6:00 minute mark in the video above and I walk you through exactly how to tie one.
The Handle
For the “handle” of the Lat Pulldown, I used another lifting strap – specifically I used my Figure 8 lifting strap from Serious Steel. It’s actually pretty incredible how well this strap has worked as a handle.
If you don’t have a Figure 8 Strap, a towel works great as well. Using a towel (just like with Towel Pull-ups) is also great for improving your grip as well.
If you don’t want to DIY your handle, you could always spend a few bucks to get the handle you want. They’re sold separately all over the place online.
Adding Weight
On the opposite end of my paracord from the handle I tied another carabiner.
Now, all I have to do to add weight is loop the cord through the center hole of a weight plate and then attach the carabiner back to the paracord.
And that’s it! You now have a fully functioning DIY Lat Pulldown that costs next to nothing and is quick and easy to set up.
Final Thoughts
Having a garage gym can easily put a dent into your checking account. Equipment is expensive and there always seems to be that “one more piece” that will make your gym “complete”.
So, finding a way to DIY some pieces here and there can really make your budget stretch and help you get maximum value out of your home gym.
For me, building my own DIY Lat Pulldown did exactly this. Now I’m able to add Lat Pulldowns (and Tricep Pushdowns) into my workouts and I didn’t have to spend a few hundred bucks to make it happen.
