How to DIY a Pegboard for Ninja and OCR Training
6 simple steps, 4 ways to mount it, and a shopping list
We’ve all been there.
You’re hanging onto the roof of a moving car with one hand, and trying to open the door with the other. The driver swerves and your grip gives out, sending you tumbling to the side of the road.
Bruised but otherwise unharmed, you wonder, “How can I improve my ability to grip with one hand while performing precision action with the other?”
Okay, maybe no one’s actually been there — that might just be all the 80’s action movies I grew up on.
Regardless, hanging one-handed while making a precision catch or placement with the other is a key skill for ninja warriors and obstacle course racers alike. Developing this skill brings massive benefits in speed and efficiency through upper body obstacles.
But how to train it?
Make Your Own Peg Board
And I don’t mean the decorative kind where you pin shopping lists, bills, and your kids’ artistic aspirations.
As an obstacle, the peg board tests your grip and precision with brutal directness. There are few challenges quite like it.
That’s why everyone, from competitive athlete to weekend warrior, should have one at home.
The Video
The video below covers how I made my peg board, and is pretty thorough. If you just need the basics, there it is.
If you want extra tips, tricks, or plan to mount your board differently, read on!
Here are the lists of supplies and tools you need to make this happen. I suggest printing them off to take to the store with you. Please note, deviating from what I have here may yield different results than I got.
Shopping List
- 2"x8"x8' Interior Wood
- 1–1/4" to 1-3/8"" Oak Dowel
- 1-3/8" Spade Bit / Forstner Bit (may be cheaper in store)
- Optional: Wood Sealant and Paint brush
- Mounting Equipment:
— Nylon straps rated to 3x+ your bodyweight (and somewhere to hang them)
OR
— 6'+ of 3/4 plywood (and at least a 10' high ceiling)
Tools & Equipment
- Drill / Drill Press
- 3/32 Drill Bit
- Handsaw / Jigsaw / Table saw / other saw
- Sandpaper
- Measuring Tape
- Pencil
- Stud Finder (if mounting on wall)
- 5'+ step ladder (if mounting on wall)
Affiliate Link Disclaimer: This article contains a number of affiliate links, from which I may receive financial compensation. This money goes to support my family. You can generally find all of these supplies at any quality hardware store. Where the price is notably different, I have linked those options instead.
6 Simple Steps
Step 0: Cut the 2x8x8 in half
The good news: Lowes will do this for you!
I assume Home Depot will as well. Worst case, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to cut through by hand.
The reason I recommend doing this is simple: It’s much easier to handle and work with a 4 foot board than an 8 foot one. You can skip this step if you disagree.
Step 1: Measure and Mark Each Hole
Always, always, always measure and mark before you drill.
If you ignore this advice and skip this step, well — you’ve been warned.
I left 11 inches horizontally between the holes and drilled three rows. I put one along each edge lengthwise, approximately one inch in, and one down the middle.
The middle row I offset so those holes are diagonally between 5–6 inches from the holes in the outside rows. Here’s a quick illustration:
This put the holes in a zigzag pattern, which I like.
If you want to get more creative, go for it — but I do recommend leaving at least a few inches between each hole.
I would also not drill closer than an inch to the edge of the board, just for safety’s sake.
If you want to be really efficient, you can use the first board to mark the holes on the second board. If you’re doing something creative with your arrangement of holes, this might not work for you.
Step 2: Drill Holes with Your Spade Bit
Or your forstner bit — whatever. Drilling by hand took me about an hour and a half spread over two work sessions. With a drill press, you can get it done MUCH faster.
Important Note: If you’re planning to mount this on a wall, DO NOT drill peg holes in the corners — you need to leave room to screw it into the wall.
Step 3: Cut Your Pegs
I recommend 8" pegs.
If you already have some floating monkey bars, you can reuse those pegs.
I tried smaller 6" pegs, but ultimately they were just too hard to use. Eight inches leaves you plenty of room to hang on even if the peg is sticking out the other side of the board.
Step 4: Sand the Board and Pegs
Splinters suck — always sand down rough edges carefully and thoroughly. It’s worth it.
Optional Step 5: Seal Your Peg Board
I like to seal my wood projects even if they’ll never leave the garage. I do this because they do still get some exposure to heat, cold, and moisture in the air.
Over time, even mild exposure can cause warping or decay.
Overzealous? Maybe. But my peg board is going to last, darn it!
That said, if you’re planning to mount this outside, you definitely need to seal it.
Step 6.A: Hanging Your Peg Board
This last step is the most complicated. I did promise 4 options, after all.
Essentially, there are two ways you can do this: hanging boards, or wall-mounted boards. While there are a million possible variations, these are the simplest for a DIY Garage Gym setup.
I’ll cover hanging the board first, as that’s what I did. See 6.B below for steps to mount the boards to a wall.
Hanging Boards will move as you move and dangle you at an angle, making the grip and placement uniquely challenging. However, they also make it MUCH easier to see the next hole when you’re trying to move the pegs.
Here‘s how to hang your peg board:
Option 1: Horizontally Hanging Peg Board
The simplest option if you’re already hanging ninja things in your garage or tree. They’re also not uncommon at ninja warrior competitions.
Run a nylon strap through the top holes of each board on each end and hang it at a height where you can just barely reach (or even a bit out of reach if you plan to use a stool or plyo box to start from.
Option 2: Vertically Hanging Peg Board
Also simple if you’ve got a rig area setup. You’ll want a bit more height, unless you plan to start in an L-Sit, but this option still works great.
Run nylon straps through the two holes on one end and hang the board per usual. I recommend putting the bottom holes no lower than shoulder height — higher will make starting easier, so long as they’re in reach.
Even with thick, expensive crash pads, 12 feet is a long fall.
I do not recommend putting both boards vertically unless you put them side by side so you can race your training partner. Stacking them might seem cool, but it also puts you very high off the ground. Even with thick, expensive crash pads, 12 feet is a long way for an unplanned fall.
And without those pads? Incredibly dangerous.
I recommend most people hang one board vertically and one horizontally. If you have the space, this gives you a great combination of challenges.
Standard Disclaimer: My peg board has been up and in use for 6 months with no real signs of wear or tear. Use thinner, cheaper wood or skip steps, and your mileage may vary. In addition, I built and use this board at my own risk. This article and video are for informational and entertainment purposes only — whatever you do at home, you do at your own risk.
Step 6.B: Mounting Your Peg Board on a Wall
Wall-mounted boards will keep the pegs sticking straight out and you hanging straight down — I think this make hanging on easier. However, visibility to the next peg placement is limited if you can’t hold a lock-off.
This method doubles the amount of work it takes to finish this project, but also leaves you with a permanent piece of quality workout equipment.
Option 3: Horizontal Wall-Mounted Peg Boards
I did not do this, for space and organizational reasons, but see below for how to do it safely.
A horizontally mounted peg board is what you are most likely to see in an obstacle course race, and at some ninja warrior competitions.
If you want to up the challenge, you can also mount these at a slight angle up or down.
Option 4: Vertical Wall-Mounted Peg Board
Vertically mounted peg boards are a staple at ninja warrior and crossfit gyms. They’re extremely challenging, and a great workout.
If you mount one board vertically and one horizontally, you have a chance to provide some very different challenges to yourself based on how you arrange them.
You could make a L board, a sideways T, or an upright T. You could also make a up arrow, with one board starting lower and leading diagonally up to the other board, which descends back down.
The possibilities with wall mounted boards are endless.
Here’s how to mount a peg board on the wall:
Step 1: Locate and Mark Studs
Use your pencil and stud finder to do this along the length of the wall where you want to mount your peg board.
Step 2: Cut Plywood into Mounting Boards
Remember that plywood I had you buy? We’re making it into mounting boards — I did the same thing when I installed a Metolius Climbing project board over my office door.
Cut the plywood into 8 inch tall sections, each wide enough to span the gap between two of your wall studs. That should be either 16 inches or 24 inches wide, depending on the house.
Measure twice, cut once.
Step 3: Measure and mark pilot holes
Measure and mark these holes into either end of the mounting boards so that you can attach each board to two different studs in your wall.
You can measure and mark the holes into the wall now, or wait until after you’ve drilled the holes in the boards. Once you have the holes in the boards, you can use them as a template to mark matching holes in your wall.
Step 4: Drill pilot holes using your 3/32 bit
Drill the marked holes in the boards and the wall. These holes are for your wood screws, not pegs, so they should be really small.
When you drill into the wall, check your bit. You should see wood — if not, you’ve missed the studs and need to go back to step 1.
Check your drill bit to make sure you’re drilling into a stud.
It’s important that you hit the center of each stud, or your peg board might rip its way out of the wall and into your face. Take your time and do this right.
Step 5: Attach the Mounting Boards
Now is when you make the final decision about how to arrange your Peg Boards.
Using your Drill and Wood Screws, attach the mounting boards to the wall, screwing each into two different studs. This provides an excessive and comforting amount of support for your peg board.
Note that now is when you make the final decision about how to arrange your Peg Boards. Once you have the mounting boards up, you’re fully committed.
Hopefully you’ve thought it through.
Step 6: Drill Pilot Holes in Your Peg Boards
Again, use the 3/32 bit to prep the board for your wood screws. Make sure that the holes you drill line up with and will hit your mounting boards.
So long as they bite into the mounting boards, they don’t have to hit the stud. But if they do, bonus!
I recommend hitting each mounting board with 4–6 screws.
That means 8–12 pilot holes split between the ends of each peg board.
I’d put one in each corner, on in the center on the end, and a few more a little further in on the board, between holes.
Step 7: Mount the Peg Board
If you’ve done this whole project solo so far, kudos.
Now it’s time to ask for help. You need someone to help hold the peg board in place while you attach it to the mounting boards.
I strongly encourage you to ask someone for help with this part.
And that’s it — you’ve successfully built and mounted a peg board. Now all you have to do is train!
Did you complete this build? I’d love to see your pictures or videos!
