NOHrD strength accessories

Why choose NOHrD strength accessories?

This brand builds strength equipment from solid wood, starting from the principle that a machine should be allowed to hang in a living room without the room looking like a gym. The SlimBeam is its cable trainer: a slim wooden beam against the wall, with the weight and the pulleys built into the frame. This accessory line follows exactly that thinking. A handle here is not a piece of coated steel with a rubber sleeve, but a turned wooden grip finished in the same wood as your machine. That is why handles and chin-up bars do not lead with a size but with a wood type: oak, vintage oak, cherry, ash, walnut, black or club sport. You choose them the way you choose a piece of furniture, and that is precisely why they do not stand out in a furnished room.

The second characteristic matters more for your order and is the one most often overlooked. With most brands, loose cable handles are universal: there is an eye or a carabiner on them, which means they fit almost any cable system. Here that is not the case. This entire line is model-bound and belongs to the SlimBeam: the mounting, the cable path and the dimensions are drawn around that frame. So you do not hang a wooden handle from this line on the cable of any random strength station, and a ceiling support or a transmission even less so. That is not a shortcoming but the consequence of a machine designed as a whole. It simply means you have to check what is on your wall first, and that you should not buy accessories here for a steel machine of another make.

And now the honest part about wood: it asks for attention now and then. Wood that hangs in a living room dries out along with the heating and turns slightly dull over the years where your hands go, and pulleys and cable guides simply run more smoothly with a little lubrication. That is why a maintenance set and a lubricant belong in this line. Count on a short maintenance session a few times a year rather than a biannual service call on technology. That is a different kind of maintenance than with steel, not more maintenance. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from NOHrD.

The NOHrD strength accessories range

The items fall into six groups: two about finish, three about technology and one about maintenance. This is how it is put together.

• Handle sets per wood type: the individual grips you pull and press with on the cable, available in oak, vintage oak, cherry, ash, walnut, black and the club sport version. You choose the version that matches the wood of your machine, or a contrasting one if you prefer that look. Functionally they are equal; the difference is in the finish and in how the whole thing looks on your wall.
• Chin-up bars in five versions: in oak, cherry, ash, black and club sport, adding pull-ups to your setup. Here too the wood type decides which one you take. A wooden bar feels different in the hand than a steel tube: less cold and slightly thicker, which makes your grip work harder.
• Cable transmissions 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1: these change the ratio between the weight in the machine and the force you feel at the handle. At 1:1 you feel the full weight; with 2:1 or 3:1 that ratio shifts and the cable travel changes along with it. That way you make the same machine lighter or heavier without buying extra weight.
• Ceiling supports in three length ranges: roughly 232 to 243 cm, 241 to 259 cm and 258 to 276 cm. The support bridges the distance from the frame to your ceiling and braces the top, which noticeably steadies the machine during heavy pulling. You choose on the measured floor to ceiling height at the spot where the machine will hang.
• Lat pulley, monitor and adapter: a lat pulley bar with its matching pulley kit brings the cable high above your head, so you can do real lat pulldowns. The monitor shows your training data, and the accessory adapter is the connecting piece between cable and handle, letting you make more combinations than the standard mounting alone allows.
• Straps and maintenance: a foot strap and an ankle strap for leg, glute and core work on the low cable, plus a maintenance set for the wood and a lubricant for the moving parts. Those last two are not extras: they belong with a machine that is largely made of wood and has to last for years.

Which NOHrD strength accessories suit you?

What you need almost always follows from your own machine: which wood type, which ceiling and which exercise you are missing.

You have just mounted a SlimBeam: start with a handle set in the wood type of your machine and with the ceiling support that matches your ceiling height. Those two decide whether your setup feels complete straight away and stands firm; the rest you can add piece by piece later.

You want to do pull-ups without a second machine: pick a chin-up bar in oak, cherry, ash, black or club sport. That adds the heaviest upper body exercise to what is already on the wall. If you prefer a free-standing solution with dip handles included, look at the power racks and dip stations.

The weight feels too easy or too heavy: then a different cable transmission is the logical step, not another handle. With 2:1 or 3:1 the resistance ratio changes, which puts the same stack in a different range. It is the cheapest way to set your machine to your own level.

Your ceiling is lower or higher than average: measure from floor to ceiling at the exact spot where the machine will go, then pick the range that your measurement falls into. Together the three versions cover roughly 232 to 276 cm. If your measurement lands in the overlap between two ranges, either one will work.

Lat pulldowns are missing from your programme: the lat pulley bar with pulley kit moves the cable point above your head, so you can pull vertically instead of only horizontally. For a wide back that is the exercise you really want to add.

Your wood is going dull and the cable runs less smoothly: reach for the maintenance set and the lubricant. Half an hour per season keeps the wood fed and the pulleys quiet, and that is exactly the difference between a machine that still passes as furniture after five years and one you put away.

What to look out for when buying NOHrD strength accessories?

Only for the SlimBeam, not for cable systems in general

This is the most important check and it takes two seconds: is there a SlimBeam on your wall? If not, this line is of no use to you, not even the individual handles. Where a handle with a carabiner fits any cable at other brands, these handles, bars, transmissions and supports are drawn around that one frame. So order from your machine, not from the exercise you have in mind.

Getting the wood type and finish right

Handles and chin-up bars come in oak, vintage oak, cherry, ash, walnut, black and club sport, and that is not a price difference in disguise but a finish choice. Look at the wood of your machine rather than at an invoice from years ago, because vintage oak and plain oak look far more alike on paper than in reality. If in doubt, compare in daylight: wood darkens with age, so a handle you buy later is always slightly fresher in tone than the beam that has been hanging for years. Most of that evens out within a year.

Which transmission fits your goal

A cable transmission determines the ratio between the weight in the machine and the force you feel at the handle. At 1:1 you lift the full weight and keep the shortest cable travel, which is pleasant for heavy pulling exercises. At 2:1 and 3:1 the ratio shifts and the cable runs further per movement, which gives you more range for lighter exercises and for rehabilitation work. So first decide whether you are after a heavier peak or a more finely adjustable range; that determines which transmission makes sense.

Measure your ceiling height beforehand

Ceiling supports come in three ranges, roughly 232 to 243 cm, 241 to 259 cm and 258 to 276 cm, and that is the only measurement that really matters here. Measure from floor to ceiling at the exact spot where the machine will hang, because old floors and ceilings slope more often than you would think. If your measurement sits right on a boundary, choose the range in which it falls comfortably in the middle rather than at the edge. Also check what is above your ceiling: a support has to push against a solid ceiling and not against a suspended panel.

Maintenance is part of the deal

A wooden machine is not a maintenance free machine, and that is something to know before you buy rather than after. Wood in a heated room loses oil where your hands go, and pulleys and cable guides run more smoothly with some lubrication. The maintenance set and the lubricant in this line are meant for that, and the work itself is limited: a few wipe downs a year and a check of the moving parts. For anyone unwilling to spend time on that, powder coated steel is the more logical choice.

Our advice: approach your purchase in two steps. First sort out what concerns the build of your machine, so the ceiling support in the right length and the transmission that matches your strength, because those two determine how your machine trains and how quietly it hangs. Only then add finish and exercises: handles in your wood type, a chin-up bar, the lat pulley kit and an ankle strap. Take the maintenance set along straight away, because it is the one item in this line you will regret skipping five years from now.

Who are NOHrD strength accessories suitable for?

• The SlimBeam owner who wants to expand: the machine is already on the wall and you want handles, a chin-up bar or a lat pulley to go with it. This is the only line that fits without modification, which makes the choice easy.
• Anyone training in the living room: if your machine hangs in a furnished room, you do not want black rubber and loud logos next to the sofa. Handles and bars in the same wood keep the whole thing calm, and that is the entire point here.
• The home trainer short on floor space: a wall setup costs hardly any square metres, and the accessories stay on the frame instead of on the floor. With a ceiling support added, the whole thing also stays properly still during heavy pulling.
• Anyone who wants to adjust without extra weight: a different cable transmission changes the resistance ratio, so you shift your training range with a part instead of with kilos. At home that is practical and it takes up no space.
• Rehabilitation and light work under guidance: with a 2:1 or 3:1 transmission, an ankle strap and a foot strap you train in a controlled, low range. That also makes the machine usable for exercises given to you by a physiotherapist.
• The wood lover who does not mind the upkeep: if you also treat a wooden table now and then, this machine suits you. The maintenance set and the lubricant are then simply part of it.

Less suitable if you do not own a SlimBeam: you would be buying parts that fit nothing, and you are better off with universal cable handles that hang on any machine with a carabiner. It is also the wrong corner if you are after a heavy, wide compound setup with a rack and loose plates; this is a slim wall machine and not a free weights floor, in which case weight plates and a rack are a more logical starting point. And if maintenance free tops your list, wood is not the material that will make you happy: the maintenance set is in this line for a reason.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy NOHrD strength accessories but are you not quite sure which handle, which attachment or which upgrade fits your machine? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about NOHrD strength accessories

Do these accessories also fit a strength station from another brand?

No, and that is the most important exception to the rule here. With most brands, loose cable handles are universal, because they have an eye or carabiner that fits any common cable system. This line works differently: the wooden handles, the chin-up bars, the transmissions and the ceiling supports belong to the SlimBeam and are made for the mounting and the dimensions of that frame. If you have a different cable machine, go for universal handles and bars. If you do have a SlimBeam, this is conversely the line in which everything falls into place without modification.

What does a cable transmission of 2:1 or 3:1 do?

A transmission changes the ratio between the weight in the machine and the force you feel at the handle. At 1:1 the cable runs directly and you feel the full weight. Put a 2:1 or 3:1 transmission in between and that ratio shifts, while the cable covers a longer or shorter distance per movement. In practice that means you can make the same machine lighter or heavier without buying extra weight, which helps if several people train on one machine or if you do exercises where the full weight is too coarse a step. You swap the transmission, not the machine.

Which ceiling support do I need?

That depends only on your ceiling height. The three versions cover roughly 232 to 243 cm, 241 to 259 cm and 258 to 276 cm, so measure from floor to ceiling at the exact spot where the machine will hang. Do not measure in the middle of the room, because floors and ceilings in older houses often slope slightly and a few centimetres decide which version fits here. If your measurement falls in the overlap between two ranges, both will work and you can take the one in which your measurement sits more comfortably in the middle. Also check that your ceiling is solid and not a suspended panel, because the support has to push against it.

Why do I choose handles by wood type and not by function?

Because the function is already fixed here and the finish is not. The handle sets all do the same job on the cable; what differs is the wood: oak, vintage oak, cherry, ash, walnut, black or club sport. Since this machine hangs in a living room and not in a basement, that choice is exactly what decides whether your setup looks finished. So look at the wood of your own machine and take the same version, or deliberately go for contrast. Do bear in mind that wood darkens, so a new handle will be slightly lighter in tone than your beam at first.

How much maintenance does a wooden machine really need?

Less than people fear, but it is not zero. The wood needs a treatment a few times a year in the places where your hands go, because that is where the oil disappears fastest, and you do that with the maintenance set from this line. The moving parts, so the pulleys and the cable guide, run more smoothly with a little lubricant and you check those in the same session. Count on half an hour per season in total. If you would rather not spend time on that, a coated steel machine is a more honest choice than wood.