Homemade Gym Equipment

[wern]

I have always been interested in homemade Gym equipment. The idea of paying big money for a weight and a pipe seems like a rip off. I used to buy equipment such as dumbells, barbells and the weights that go with them.
Then one day I saw this product called the Ab Wheel, which is basically a while and a metal pipe. At the time (around 2001) the product had just come out and cost about $100.
http://www.beastskills.com/IMG_3194.JPG

And I thought, this is bullshit. Anyone, no matter how unskilled with their hands, can make one of these. So I went to the hardware store, spent $20 and made one in about 10 minutes. I still have it today and it works perfectly.

This crappy looking piece of equipment is actually REALLY REALLY good. And these days you can actually get them for about $20.

After posting in another thread on CC, I have started to think about creating cheap homemade gym equipment. And after thinking it through, I believe I can create gym equipment... FOR FREE, by using things that are just lying around at home.

And I can make this stuff in hardly any time, and it will last for ages. And if it breaks, it costs basically nothing to repair.

At the same time, you are helping the environment by recylcing.

Here is an example:
Dumbell with adjustable weights up to 6 kilograms (13 pounds)
Materials required:
Two sets of triple-bagged plastic/shopping bags (totalling 6 Plastic bags). Triple-bag means that you put one bag into another, and then put those two into a third bag (therefore the bag has triple the tstrength of a regular plastic bag)
Duct Tape
A used/unwanted thick magazine (or two thin ones)
A shoelace or short piece of thin rope.
Bottles filled with water. Since 1litre of pure water weighs about 1 kilogram, it is easy to use these bottles filled with water as the bottles already state how many litres are in them (1 gallon of pure water weighs about 10 pounds)http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/diyhomemadedumbell1.jpg


Steps
For each triple bag, use duct tape to join the tops of it's handles. To find where the top of the is, put one of the bottles into the bag and hold the bag up by your thumb. Top = where the thumb touches the handle
Align one magazine on top of the other, so that they both open on the same side. Then join the binding side (the side opposed the side that opens) using duct tape. No roll the magazine up and tape it tightly together. This "bar" is almost as strong as solid wood. It is unlikely to bend.
That's it. Your dumbell is ready.http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/diyhomemadedumbell2.jpg

To use the dumbell:
Load the bags with a more-or-less equal amount of weight. Ie, if you want to lift 5kg (kilograms) and each bottle holds 1.5 kg, each triple-bag should contain one completely filled bottle, and one bottle filled 2-thirds of the way. So each side will have 2.5 kgs. Together: 2.5 x 2 = 5kg (btw 5kg = 10.4 pounds)
Use the showlace/rope to tie ALL the handles together.
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/diyhomemadedumbell3.jpg
Feed "bar" through handles
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/diyhomemadedumbell4.jpg
And there you have it.
http://www.geocities.com/the_general.rm/diyhomemadedumbell5.jpgHigher weights. For safety's sake (the safety of your equipment), each triple bag should hold up to 3kg (6.5 pounds). So if you wanted to lift 12 kg (23pounds) you just need to attach a total of 4 triple-bags to the "bar".


Total cost: maybe $0.50 for the duct tape, if you didn't already have it lying around.

I will come up with some other ideas as well if anyone is interested.

[G-Spot19]

NOt bad. Not bad at all. How good does the workout with that feel. The magazines have any give or bend to them? Im interested to see more ideas.

[Valk]

Good post wernio.

But this idea seems only suited for curls. I think overhead presses and benchpresses would be really cumbersome with all that dangling plastic.

[zwmusic]

Very good post wern.

[Rum_Runner]

I can read it now....... Man dies from suffocation while bench pressing with plastic sacks full of frozen veggies.:P

[zwmusic]

They probably got hungry while doing their bench press and tried a bite. :lol:

[wern]

:lol::lol::lol:

Its suited for any exercise shown here: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html

except maybe the first exercise shown, but there are lots of exercises there. You'd need to make two of these dumbells though.

G:
The grip/bar/magazine doesn't bend at all.
It feels like you are lifting 6kg/13pounds. In order to get a good workout you need to exercise different parts of your muscle. If you just used a position/angle you are comfortable with all the time it would hold you back.

[G-Spot19]

Had i thought bout this before i bought my weights, i could saved a good deal of money. I've had weight sets and a bench here at home for a while and I love them. I just use them to do my routine and the bench worked better for the pull ups than my bed did. I always liked the Bowflex select tech(dumbells that you dial the weight) and may get some soon.

[wern]

I also have dumbells and a barbell and weights. I put together the homemade dumbell for when I have some time while on the move. So today after work, I was the only one at the office, so I used the homemade dumbell to have a quick workout.

[zwmusic]

wern, I've got one comment to make regarding your first post. Your shoes need polishing. :lol:

[Valk]

And his workout clothes are a little on the formal side.

[zwmusic]

I think he takes all that gear to the office and put it under his desk. If his boss catches him handling those bags, he says that it's the shopping the wife asked him to do on his way out.

[G-Spot19]

wern, I've got one comment to make regarding your first post. Your shoes need polishing. :lol:

And his workout clothes are a little on the formal side.

:lol::lol::lol:

[wern]

:lol::lol:
Good thing my face isn't visible. I don't thing I would survive the barrage of flattery :mrgreen

[Rum_Runner]

Good point Wern, good point:wink:

[wern]

Homemade industrial strength removable pullup bar

You can always build your own pull-up bar. I did it. It took about 10 minutes and cost about $20. And it can probably hold 400 pounds.

Here's what you need:

1. about 6 L Mending plates. In the pic, it is the one on the top left. Cost: about $8

http://www.chiphi-pi.org/b2b/pics/Hinge_Corners__Mending_Plate.jpg

2. A 1.5" thick metal pipe. (cost: about $10-15, or maybe even free. It is an off-cut/scrap after all) You get this from a metal manufacturer. They should have an offcuts section and you can get it from there. The pipes in these places are industrial strength. So this pipe, even though 1.5" thick will weigh at least 10 pounds. Get them to cut it to a little but less than the internal width of your door. The internal width means the width between your door's two frames (aka door jambs). My width was 700mm, so I got the pipe cut to 697mm. Which means that I had it cut about 0.1" less than the width between the door frames.

3. 1.5 - 2 " long wood screws
4. Duct tape

Creating the bar
The L-Plates support the bar. You put 3 on each side, one on top of the other, making a V with them, that sticks out about 1/2" (due to them being placed directly over each other).
Measure up properly to make sure they are the correct height over the ground. It is down by measuring from the top of the door frame to the L Plates (as it is much easier this way).
Duct tape the ends of the bar so that you cover any sharp edges caused from the metal-cutting. Now it won't damage the door frame if it scrapes against it.How it works:
When you perform a pullup, all the weight is placed on the bar itself. The only weight/pressure placed on the door frame is direct-downward pressure, so the L-plates can't possible bend, or be pulled out or warp the door frame. Even if you put a tonne of weight on the bar, the only thing that would happen is that the bar would bend or breack, but since it isn't attached to the door frame, the door frame would still be intact.

[wayoutwest]

Nice stuff Wern. I think I'll be pretty much building my own gym in the near future when I've settled down accomodation-wise, so this stuff is very useful (I've got some free weights and a bench already, I want a gym-ball and something to do pull-ups with and I think I'll be set).

You said "in the pic" - which pic?

Reputation headed your way (if I can give it)

[wern]

No probps.

You said "in the pic" - which pic?

http://www.chiphi-pi.org/b2b/pics/Hinge_Corners__Mending_Plate.jpg

[wayoutwest]

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /b2b/pics/Hinge_Corners__Mending_Plate.jpg on this server.

:(

Do you mean these things:

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/100171935/Mending_Plate.summ.jpg

(but Ls rather than Ts)

[G-Spot19]

Excellent! I will be making me a pull up bar soon. I feel i really need to do pull ups as they are one of the best upper body attacks out there. The table pull up works good, but damn its hard because the only table i can use wants to flip :lol:

[wern]

:(

Do you mean these things:

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/100171935/Mending_Plate.summ.jpg

(but Ls rather than Ts)

Exactly

Excellent! I will be making me a pull up bar soon. I feel i really need to do pull ups as they are one of the best upper body attacks out there. The table pull up works good, but damn its hard because the only table i can use wants to flip :lol:
Thats easily fixed:

Get a rope, create two loops (one loop on each end) that are 15-20" in diameter, using a not that won't close the loops if you pull on them. Then the rope goes over the table, with one loop hanging over the side where your head sticks out, and the other loop over the side where your feet stick out. Your legs go through one loop, your hands grip the other loop. Now the table wont flip.

[G-Spot19]

You are a genius

[wern]

So all those scientists were right :lol:

[alexykidman]

So all those scientists were right :lol:
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[Apollo]

Yeah,,, all these guys is right,,,,thanks for up dating the information.....


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