How to make a compact, cheap DIY suspension trainer that is perfect for travel

[u/ABrotherAbroad]

When I travel I like to stay fit and exercise, but I hate dealing with the hassle of a gym. For years, my go to has been suspension training. If you know how to use a suspension trainer correctly, nearly every upper body exercise imaginable is possible (pull ups, chest press, dips, horizontal rows, high pulls, overhead presses, triceps extensions, biceps curls, etc.) and with enough resistance to gain strength and muscle, so I advocate for carrying a suspension trainer.

I recently reviewed the Monkii Bars 2 and really liked it, but I know the price point is a turnoff for some people, especially those on a budget. But I still think suspension trainers are THE solution for travelers that like resistance and strength workouts on the road, so, below are instructions for how to make a suspension trainer I call "the Minimus". Its compact, insanely durable, cheap, and stays well organized in your bag. Also, the anchor you’ll make is tiny (fits in your pocket) and can be easily used indoors or outdoors, unlike the TRX door anchor which is bulky and only works indoors, or the bulky extra equipment of other trainers.

All of the instructions you'd need are below but if they're confusing I've linked to a post with detailed pics and instructions. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts or questions.

How to make a compact, travel ready suspension trainer for cheap

List of Materials

Suspension Trainer - * 1” Tubular Nylon webbing, at least 9 meters (3 meters per suspension trainer) * Heavy duty Nylon thread (plus heavy duty needles or sewing machine) * 2 pieces of 7” long pvc pipe suited for your grip * 2 climbing grade buckles * Velcro strap

Anchor - * 2 Meters of ½” tubular nylon webbing * Climbing grad carabiner

Instructions

1. Arrange your materials 1a. 2 pieces of 1” tubular nylon webbing 1b. 2 heavy duty climbing grade metal buckles 1c. 2 pieces of ~7” PVC pipe 1d Heavy Duty Nylon thread
2. Assemble pieces (webbing, buckle, pvc pipe) into the first strap and handle and stitch webbing 2a. Run one piece of the ~3 meter webbing through one of the pieces of PVC pipe 2.b Run one end of the webbing around the lower portion of the buckle and stitch the webbing onto itself creating a loop securing the buckle. Note that most heavy-duty nylon thread has a tensile strength of between 8lbs and 15lbs, and each stitch adds a fraction of that 8lb-15lbs tensile strength to your suspension trainer. As such, I made sure to use size 92 nylon thread, which has a 15lb tensile strength, with at least 50 stiches. In a perfect world, those 50 stitches would give me 750lbs of strength. The world is far from perfect, but I know that this rig can at least handle 500lbs because I tested it. Make sure you add enough stitches (based on your thread) to be safe 2c. Run the opposite end of the webbing around the sliding mechanism within the buckle such that when tension is applied, the friction locks the buckle (and strap) into place. 2d. Roll the free tail of the webbing onto itself 2 or 3 times and stitch the roll into place creating a stopper – preventing the webbing from sliding through
3. Repeat process with the remaining webbing, pvc pipe, and buckle to create that second handle and strap
4. Use the Velcro tape to roll up and pack your new Minims suspension trainer
5. Setup the suspension trainer using the runner as an anchor. 5a. For outdoors setup, use a "pipe hitch" knot tie the runner to a sturdy point (tree, light pole, playground equipment, etc.), clip the carabiner through the free loop, and clip both straps in...and you're ready to rock 5b. For indoors setup, take your runner and tie a knot in one end (I recommend a "figure 8" knot) and throw that end over a door. Close the door and pull the runner tight. Clip your carabiner into the end of your runner and your suspension trainer into the carabiner. To raise the height of the anchor, just tie a knot in the runner (again, I suggest a "Figure 8") and clip the carabiner above that point.

Instructions for setting up the minimalist suspension trainer anchor indoors and outdoors

Instructions with pictures for making a compact suspension trainer-

Good luck! I hope this helps someone!

[u/agins]

Awesome, this is great. This post goes under the save for a rainy day project ;).

[u/zoopalot]

Man! Great post. I'm in the airport in Uganda now getting ready to leave, and I used your travel fitness routine throughout my trip to great success. I wish I'd made the resistance band deadlift gear in time though.

The post is super helpful and I'm definitely going to try putting it together soon. I've never learned to sew (non-alive things) but I'll give it a shot.

This is quality OC that should be recognized.

Edit: you should also post this to r/onebag now that there's been a change of leadership. This definitely fits the ethos of keeping fit in one bag!

[u/ABrotherAbroad → u/zoopalot]

Oh man! Awesome to hear! Thanks a ton! I appreciate the thoughts. Definitely give the trainer a shot. And if you’re not comfortable sewing you can always tie a figure 8 knot to keep the cinch buckle in place.

And I can’t recommend the resistance bands enough - totally changed the way I stay fit when I travel. I’ll also put up another post in the next two days on how to combine the suspension trainer straps with resistance bands to do a normal racked “back squat” so that you engage the lower back and core. It’s a game changer. I’ll update you when it’s up.

In better stuff, how was Uganda? Any recommendations? I’m going to Africa in a couple months and narrowing my itinerary so any recommendations (or warnings) would be great!

[u/pelicularities]

Nice setup! Looks like a solid piece of gear.

A couple suggestions for people who are interested in a low-cost suspension trainer but don't have the handiness to put this kit together:

• Decathlon has a suspension training system for way cheap. The price varies by country — I'm in Singapore and it's S$20 (US$15) here. In the UK it's £15, or about US$20: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/training-100-strap-id_8360619.html

• You can try your luck on Aliexpress by searching for "suspension trainer". Off-brand systems run from US$15 to US$30 and up.

[u/frogstomp19]

Hey thanks! Would one of the inexpensive solutions on Amazon (like this) work as well if I only want to use it indoors? I've never used a suspension trainer before.

[u/ABrotherAbroad → u/frogstomp19]

Yup, as long as it’s durable that would definitely work. And the price point makes it pretty low commitment. I would recommend getting it. Plus with it being Amazon just use it a ton in the first 30 days and make sure it’s worth it! I say jump on it.

[u/Lolor-arros]

All of these exercises are possible with resistance that nearly equals your bodyweight – so ~150lbs for me

Can these also be used for low-resistance exercise? You talk about doubling it by going one-handed, but I need low resistance & high reps.

[u/ABrotherAbroad → u/Lolor-arros]

Our commander in chief (u/loopholetravel) is spot on. To make the exercise easier generally you’ll first make sure your feet are in contact with the ground and then for each exercise you can adjust the length of the straps and height of the anchor to adjust difficulty from nearly 0 up to full bodyweight.

Check out this post on How to do the Essential Upper Body Exercises with a Suspension Trainer

This post details how to do all of the upper body movements/exercises (pull ups, chest press, dips, horizontal rows, high pulls, overhead press, biceps curls, triceps extensions) and how to adjust the difficulty. If you want these movements with low resistance, a suspension trainer is perfect for you.

[u/LoopholeTravel → u/Lolor-arros]

Generally if you change the angle, you can adjust the resistance.

[u/ahultgren]

Great post! I'm putting one together as we speak and i got one question, in the spirit of minimalism: how long does each strap actually need to be? As in what's the longest distance needed from the anchoring point to the handles to be able to do all common exercises? Should the handles reach the floor when fastened above head-high, for example?

[u/ABrotherAbroad → u/ahultgren]

I can’t remember off the top of my head and I gave mine away last week to a guy who wanted to get in shape on the road - I’m now using my Monkii Bars exclusively

But if I remember right, 6feet (so 12 foot long looped strap) was perfect. But go longer than you expect you’ll need, because the strap is only $.25 a foot and you can easily cut off the excess later if they’re too long.

Also, if you make them too short you can always make up for it with a longer anchor strap - that’s what I did with the first set that I made too short.

Let me know how it turns out!

[u/ahultgren → u/ABrotherAbroad]

This is what i ended up with: https://imgur.com/a/qixMRs1

I chose to go with a single "layer" (rather than a big loop) of non-tubular webbing to save weight and space. I'm honestly not sure if it will hold up though, but i plan to use it at home for a month and see how it feels.

[u/ABrotherAbroad → u/ahultgren]

Love it!! The removable handles are an excellent idea. Great space saver. I might incorporate that into the next one I make. How are the exercises coming?

For the stitching, did you check the tensile strength of your thread? Just make sure you have enough stitches to support the loads and you should be good. The single layer webbing is insanely strong and as long as your D rings are equally strong, that thing will last forever

I used 15lbs tensile strength nylon thread on my trainer, so i made sure to have at least 40 stitches at each stress point. I assume 40x15lbs gives me safety up to ~600lbs loads...or my weight and a lot of margin for error. I just really didn’t want to end up laid up on my back broken in a hotel room.