Focus on Your Form and Let This Device Count Your Pull-Ups
Michael Pick's workout station keeps track of his reps with an ultrasonic sensor.
Today, with many gyms closed down, people are turning to exercising at home to stay in shape. While many routines can be done with out any sort of equipment, if you want to do a pull-up, you at least need a simple mounted bar. This lets you keep your biceps and back in shape, ready to hit the gym or beach… when that time eventually comes.
For his part, Michael Pick decided to make a pull-up station using mostly 2x4s and a length of pipe. Wood for the project is secured with screws and glue, and looks like it would hold up to a lot of use. The pipe is even pinned in place using screws, which themselves are held in place with glue. It’s a solid build that doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. Pick, however, decided to add something extra in the form of an electronic pull-up counter.
For this, he used an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor coupled to an Arduino Pro Micro to tally up his reps. The device shows the pull-up number and high score on a small LCD screen, which should help with motivation to keep progressing on home fitness goals. The sensor and display are mounted in a 3D-printed enclosure, while the Arduino and a reset button are mounted separately.
Code and a model of the station are both available for download.