Hanging something heavy from joists?

[AdamW]

I am thinking about getting an inversion table (hangs you upside down by your ankles and stretches your back out), but reckon I could build something to do the job myself. You can get the boots separately (basically strappy things that go round your ankles, each with a big hook that hangs over a bar).

So, what I was thinking was to install a sturdy metal bar, hung at either end from an attachment screwed firmly into a ceiling joist with coachbolts. Think of something you could do chin-ups on, it would be like that.

But then alarm bells started ringing: ceiling joists aren't strong enough to hang a 110kg weight from (55kg each joist), are they? I haven't gone up to the loft to measure them yet (although I should have done before posting)

If a ceiling joist isn't suitable, would a roof joist be strong enough? By this I mean one of the sturdier joists just above the ceiling, that the roof structure is attached to with plates.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Tom.]

Why don't you get a long piece of 2x4 (say 10 feet), screw it across several joists (above them, not below!), and screw your coach bolts into that? Spread the load so to speak.