I know there's loads of people who are good at researching and studying on here so I thought I'd ask for help (again) because I'm rubbish at internet searching.
Basically I've started working with a new partner at work who knows I'm into a bit of home brew engineering and the like and inbetween jobs, sitting in a broken down van and singing reggae songs from the 90's (yes its been a busy week!) He's been asking about building a large free standing pull up frame with monkey bars in it. He's plenty of designs and pictures but I was trying to explain how it's important to gauge sizes and material strength based on an average person size.
Anyway as a result I'm trying to search for data on average grip sizes. The most comfortable and ideal bar diameters based on the average male and female British person but I'm not sure what to search for. I've tried anthropometrical data and grip circumference but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Can anyone point me in the right direction or at least tell me the correct words for what I should be looking at?

Can't tell you where to search but I can tell you that motorcycle and pushbike handlebars are pretty much all 22mm or 7/8". That should tell you something?

Yeah. I have been looking around and found a site by some Americans who built a large multi person pull up system and their research was based on going around steel places and 'feeling steel' and they came up with 33.4mm to 42.2mm. Now this is just as important because IMO I think that Americans tend on the whole in comparison to the British to be bigger people and so it'll highlight nicely to my mate that there are differences.
In reality I suppose I could just go slightly smaller and stick to the same wall thickness as if it holds an American it should easily hold a Brit, broadly speaking mind

Must be people here with home gym type setups.

Maybe get someone to measure the diameter of the bars?

HTH,
James

was playing in a kids play park yesterday the monkey bars were about 1" i think, and that was for kinds. i couldn't really grip on them though, think thats more down to me though...

Ergonomics and more specifically Anthropometry is a huge subject but there is lots of information on the web for free.

http://www.ergonomics4schools.com/lzone/tools.htm
Suggests a diameter of 40-45mm for a power grip which is what I think you're aiming for.

Given the other information you've gathered I'd say 40mm diameter would be a good guess.

What about looking at weightlifting barbells?

These tend to have knurled grips but will still give some indication of diameter

iank thats just what I wa after. A table like that. I did look on that site but didn't get past kids toys and measurements of their hands.
That'll do me nicely thanks.

I'm sure there is a British Standard for ergonomics with information on the average person - used for all sorts of things, like car design...etc. I've no idea what the number BSI is though or whether it has grip dimensions. I don't know whether I'm BSI compliant either.

Seriously though, if he wants to market something then he should check the standards. I it's just for person use, just use what's comfortable for him.

No its not for marketing but I've a feeling he's going to want me to weld him up a large one so he could possibly run some small groups with it 5-7 people absolute tops I'd guess. Where he'll find the time I dunno.

My olympic weightlifting bar is a proper olympic spec barbell and has a 28mm diameter. Womens olympic spec is 25mm diameter (i think). I have done an enormous amount of strength training in the past and have been an international shot putter. I can safely say that almost no strength athlete will struggle with a 25mm bar unless you have unusually small hands. At 25mm grip strength isn't usually the limiting factor when lifting a weight.

Some one mentioned 45mm diameter!!!!! it is much more difficult to hang on to than a 25mm. 50mm is considered a "thick bar" and is a popular grip strength event in strongman comps.

I would think olympic specification barbells would be a good start



[Edited on 22/2/10 by liam.mccaffrey]