On one of the sites I read about making concrete decorations for the site. This gave me the idea to make dumbbells for my grandson. After all, playing sports strengthens the body, which is important for a child.
I used four empty tin cans, d 84 mm, 57 mm high, and two pieces of water pipe (for handles) d 21 mm, 160 mm long.
I processed the sides of the cans with a file. To place the handle strictly in the center in both jars filled with solution, I threaded the lids from these jars onto it. I pre-drilled a hole of the required diameter in each cover.
I placed three pieces of wire d 5 mm and length 200 mm inside the handle pipe. bent the ends protruding from both sides at an angle of 90 degrees. This is necessary to securely fix the handle in the solution. Prepared the second handle in the same way.
I made a clamp-stop for the tube from a wooden block (see photo below). so that you can fix it in the solution at the required level (for me it is 16 mm from the top of the jar).
I prepared a solution (2:1) from dry river sand and cement, filled one container with it and installed a pipe with a lid in it using a clamp. When the solution hardened, the container at the other end of the handle was similarly concreted. I also made a second dumbbell. The weight of the finished structure is 1.5 kg - a little heavy for a grandson, so I decided to make dumbbells in plastic containers (sour cream cups) using the same system. Their weight is 1 kg.
Note: The length of the pen tube should be selected based on the size of the palm (plus immersion in the solution).
Many people want to keep themselves in good physical shape. To perform basic physical exercises, sports equipment is required. A poor financial situation, as well as a lack of free time to visit the gym, does not allow me to take care of myself. However, you can train using home sports equipment, for example, homemade dumbbells.
DIY sports equipment: basic rules
You can make almost any sports equipment yourself, from simple weights to sports complexes.
The most common strength exercises can be performed at home with dumbbells.
The best, of course, are metal dumbbells, but they are much more difficult to manufacture than other designs. It is necessary not only to make the disks, but to choose the correct width of the pancakes, and to make the locking locks in a quality manner according to the calculations. You can make several heavy and several small pancakes.
The diameter of the bar (handle) must be within 3 cm; this condition must be taken into account when manufacturing dumbbells and barbells. Weights allow you to perform exercises of varying loads.
Before you start practicing at home, carefully check your equipment for the integrity of both collapsible and permanent products.
How can I replace a squat bar at home?
The weight of homemade dumbbells can be a maximum of 10 kg, so it is more rational to make a barbell, which is also used to train the biceps.
You need to have the same set of tools and raw materials, only instead of a handle you need to use a neck
.
This type of sports equipment is perfect for doing squats and bench presses at home. The main thing is not to overload the bar, because homemade equipment can burst during exercises and cause serious injury.
Making dumbbells with your own hands
At home, you can make both small and large dumbbells.
The first step in manufacturing is to decide what they will be made of.
From plastic bottles
To make plastic dumbbells from plastic bottles, you will need the following materials:
- bottles (2 pcs. of the same volume);
- handle 30-40 cm long (wooden stick or metal rod);
- scotch tape (insulating tape);
- filler (sand, crushed stone, small metal parts).
After all the material has been prepared, you must:
- take bottles and fill them with filler;
- wrap the handle with electrical tape in the middle (10-15 cm);
- insert one end of the handle into the neck of the first bottle until there is no movement;
- to prevent the filler from seeping through, coat the joint of the handle with silicone or glue;
- connect the second bottle to the handle, then process the joint;
- wrap the assembled structure around the handle, strengthening the connection.
From cement
Heavier dumbbells are made using a cement base. The disadvantage of concrete dumbbells is that it is difficult to evenly adjust the weight of the weighted plates, and this design is not dismountable. If a different weight is required for sports, a new apparatus will need to be made.
In order to make dumbbells at home, you will need the following materials:
- metal pipe (neck);
- cement mortar;
- bolts, screws;
- form for casting pancakes.
Then you need to:
- At the ends of the neck, make four holes evenly for 4 bolts around the perimeter.
- Install bolts into the holes, which are holding elements for the pancakes.
- Place the bar in a vertical position in the casting mold. Pour in cement mortar and leave in this position until the mortar is completely dry.
- For the second side, repeat the previous step.
You can eliminate the flowability of cement dumbbells by adding PVA glue or paint to the solution, and to increase the weight - crushed stone, gravel or small metal products.
Metal
Shells made of metal are considered the most reliable and practical.
To make dumbbells you need:
- Prepare a metal rod with a diameter of 3 cm (bar).
- Take a thin-walled pipe 15 cm long. The internal diameter should be slightly larger than the diameter of the neck.
- Place the pipe on the bar, then fix it in the middle.
- Make the required number of weight discs. This will require sheet steel.
- Use rings or a 2-3 cm long pipe as locking locks. Drill a hole in them and cut a thread for screwing in a screw. As a result, the screw that is screwed in will hold the plates by pressing them against the bar.
Pay special attention to high-quality pressing of the screw to avoid play. Collapsible metal dumbbells allow you to adjust the weight. It is also possible to make non-separable dumbbells, for this purpose welding is used as locking locks.
Option three, unusual
And who said that ordinary dumbbells need to be replaced with dumbbells made from scrap materials? In fitness, the main role of dumbbells is to load your arms, to add weight to them. This same weight can be added using weights, which are easy to sew yourself. At the same time, you will also be able to regulate their weight.
I think that craftswomen who master the art of sewing will easily understand the structure of weights and will be able to make similar ones for themselves. As a piece of advice: when you fill them with sand, it’s better to put it in bags first, it will be much more practical, otherwise over time the sand may start to spill out. And, by the way, in the pockets of such weights you can put not only sand, but also all kinds of “weights” - small metal things that will help increase the weight of the weights.
Pros:
comfortable and unusual
Minuses:
Need sewing skills, quite unusual option
How to make a barbell from improvised materials
You can make a barbell using available materials. Its design is practically no different in complexity from a dumbbell.
The main element is the bar; without it it is impossible to make a barbell. There are many options to make a barbell at home.
Plastic bottles
The design of a homemade barbell is identical to a dumbbell, and you can use bottles of water or other material for weighting. But for more serious weight loads, pancakes are made not from two bottles, but from 8 (4 on each side). The bottles are filled with filler, then 4 pieces are tightly fastened together, forming a square. After which the bar is installed in the space between the bottles and secured.
Wheels
Another easy way to make a barbell is to use car wheels as weights. As a rule, assembled wheels are used. This type of sports equipment allows you to throw the barbell onto the floor after performing an exercise, without fear of damaging both the barbell itself and the floor.
For such a rod, a plate with bolts is installed at the end in accordance with the bolt pattern of the disk.
Concrete pancakes
To make pancakes from concrete, you must first make a mold for pouring the solution. Place a cylindrical object in the center of the mold. The diameter of the cylinder should be slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Then the cement mortar is diluted, which is poured into the mold until completely dry.
In order to make the rod more stable, it is necessary to install metal sheets (inserts) when pouring. All concrete weights for barbells must be made in pairs and have the same weight.
The bar must have a locking element that will prevent the plates from moving to the center. Additionally, locking locks must be made.
What to make a fingerboard from
First of all, you need to decide what the bar itself will be made of. It definitely needs to be a very durable material. Either some object will serve as a bar, or a wooden one. In addition, the diameter of the bar should not be less than 4 cm, otherwise the grip will be painful.
It is much easier to decide on a wooden object, and it will not add as much additional weight to the projectile as an iron one. The most ideal option would be an old mop from your pantry or a rake from the shed. If their stalk seems too long for you, don’t worry - this space will be useful to you in the future. You will string improvised “pancakes” onto it. All that remains is to separate the cuttings using any suitable method.
Finding an iron counterpart for a homemade barbell is not easy, but for some reason you may want just such a bar. For example, if you plan to work with a weight of more than 50 kg. Then go to the construction market and buy an all-metal rod there. Its length should be approximately 2 m, and its cross-sectional diameter should be about 35 mm. You can also take a pipe with a diameter of about 4 cm, but it is not suitable for heavy weight.
Instructions for assembling a homemade rod
The bar is the most important part, thanks to which the barbell is able to withstand heavy weight loads. The safety of performing exercises depends on the quality of the bar.
When making the neck, it is necessary to use durable materials. In order to make a fingerboard, you will need steel reinforcement, an iron pipe or a crowbar. When choosing a material, pay attention to the thickness, as it should be comfortable for a clenched palm.
The entire process of making a barbell at home can be seen in the video
Self-made sports equipment is the most optimal and economical option for playing sports without going to the gym.
You can make almost any equipment with your own hands - from a homemade weights to a full-fledged sports complex.
Before performing exercises, it is necessary to inspect the equipment for structural integrity. And follow basic safety rules.
Conditions are good dumbbells...
In my last “homemade project” - “” I told you how you can make dumbbells using bottles and sand... But these are quite primitive dumbbells, although they are very easy to make, but if you still set a goal for yourself more or less seriously to go in for sports, then you need to make good dumbbells... If, of course, you have the opportunity and means to exercise in a gym with professional equipment, then this article is not suitable for you, but if you are still “self-taught” and decided, like me, to make your own small gym - then this article is perfect for you!!!
So, let's begin…
To make dumbbells we will need:
— 2 bottles of 2 l; - cement; - sand; - water; - pipe or fittings; - drill; - drill; - screws or nails.
We start by cutting the bottles as shown in the photo...
The cut bottles need to be washed, cleaned and dried well...
Also, you need to clean the pipe (or fittings) and use a drill to make 5-7 holes on each side of the pipe as shown in the photo...
After this, you need to insert screws or nails into the holes in the pipe (this is done so that the pipe in the finished dumbbell does not rotate)... Well, all the components are ready!!! Now let’s prepare the cement mortar... I diluted cement with sand in a ratio of 1:2... Instead of sand, you can also use granular screenings... After the mortar is ready, we put a pipe in the center of the bottle with pre-made holes and screws or nails inserted there, and pour solution... That's all... One side is ready, now you need to leave it until the solution dries completely and hardens... After one side has hardened, proceed to the other side... We do the same operation, wait for it to completely dry and harden... That's it!!! The dumbbell is ready... Now you can use it... Good luck!
Everyone wants to have a beautiful and pumped up body. To achieve the desired effect, you need to train long and hard and go to the gym. Often, a person living a modern life simply does not have enough time to go to the gym at least several times a week. A person who really wants to achieve a goal can study at home. The first question that immediately arises is: where can I get the sports equipment needed for sports?
Where can I get sports equipment?
If the decision has already been made that you need to study at home, then the first step is to purchase all the equipment. Let's start with the simplest thing - dumbbells. It’s strange, but in all sports stores these pieces of ordinary iron are so expensive that not every athlete can afford to spend that amount. It will cost you a pretty penny to buy dismountable dumbbells with a set of discs. Such luxury is certainly not available to everyone. What to do? Shouldn't you give up all training? You can make dumbbells with your own hands - this is a way out of this situation. This simple homemade inventory will help you save money.
DIY dumbbells from plastic bottles
Oddly enough, most often homemade dumbbells are made from ordinary plastic bottles. There is more than enough material to create them. There are several two-liter bottles in each apartment.
Before making dumbbells with your own hands, you need to decide on the filler. For the laziest, there is a simple way - just pour water. These DIY dumbbells are made from bottles very quickly and easily. Pouring water into bottles is very simple, but ineffective. The dumbbells will be too light. Sand is another matter. One liter of sand weighs two kilograms - still more than water. If you need heavier dumbbells, then you can safely send all sorts of nails, small fittings, nuts, bearing balls and any other metal rubbish inside.
Option two, with fiction
It also requires bottles, water and/or sand. But now, in order to be comfortable to hold, you need to work a little.
On the Internet you can find a variety of ideas for achieving your goal. We tried to collect them for you.
1. Connecting whole bottles using cap connection:
You need to take two bottles and connect their caps together with any fasteners available at home. The photo shows the rivets, but you can press the covers together properly using bolts and nuts.
2. More elegant dumbbells made from bottles, electrical tape and wooden or plastic sticks. What needs to be done can be seen in the picture:
3. Changing the shape of the bottle using fire. We heat the plastic over the fire in the place where you want to change the shape. Be sure to constantly rotate the bottle to ensure uniform deflection on all sides.
How this is done can be clearly seen in the video:
4. Not enough weight? Then the option is for the most desperate. Dumbbells made from plastic buckets and cement!
You will need 4 mayonnaise buckets, 2 metal/strong plastic pipes or wooden sticks, cement, sand, water (for the solution) and alabaster if you want to speed up the drying process of cement, which takes almost a month to dry in its pure form. And you will get this beauty for about 7 kg:
Pros:
quite convenient options
Minuses:
you'll have to work hard
How to make dumbbells from eggplants
The manufacturing technology is very simple. Just to do this you need to stock up on adhesive tape or insulating tape. Let's start production. To do this, you will need two plastic two-liter bottles, a stationery knife, wire, tape and filler (sand, cement or something similar).
First, use a utility knife to cut off the top and bottom of the bottle. It is important to cut carefully so that the edges are even. This removes the middle part. The bottom and top are glued back together using a large number of turns of tape. It should be noted that the smaller the middle part is cut, the heavier the dumbbell will be. The same must be done with the second bottle.
After this, pre-prepared filler is poured into each half of the dumbbell through the neck hole. Then the lid is screwed on. Once the two halves are ready, they can be joined. Having placed the neck against the neck, you need to wrap these parts with tape so that they are connected. After several fixing turns, we begin to make a handle. To make the handle strong, it needs to be well wrapped with wire, which will also add weight. You need to make something like a wire winding. Thus, these two parts will be firmly connected. After adding a couple more layers of tape and insulating tape, you can start training.
How to make dumbbells from concrete
The first step is to drill four holes in each pipe on both sides at the ends with a drill from all sides. Nails or screws are inserted into these holes. They should stick out like a cross. Nails perform the same function as when creating reinforced concrete. They will hold the concrete weight so that it does not move during training. When all the manipulations have been done on both sides, you can start making a dumbbell.
You need to make a dumbbell in parts - first one side, and then the other. After the cement or concrete has been mixed, it must be poured into a bucket. After this, simply insert the iron pipe with nails at one end into the solution. The load must dry for several days, only then can it be removed.
The next step is more difficult: you need to do the same with the second side. But what if there is a load hanging there? To do this, you need to tie a load to something so that the stick stands vertically. After this side has dried, you need to keep the concrete in water for a couple of days. This is done to make it durable. After all this, the dumbbell can be considered ready. The larger the bucket, the heavier the dumbbell itself will be.
How to make a homemade barbell
A good addition to dumbbells would be a homemade barbell. Making a barbell with your own hands is also very simple. As a rule, a barbell involves heavy weight, so you need a lot of eggplants to create it.
To create a homemade rod, you will need a piece of reinforcement or iron pipe, adhesive tape and the plastic container itself. You should immediately choose for yourself what weight you need to exercise with. The structure will consist of two blocks placed at different ends of the reinforcement. Each of them consists of four eggplants tightly connected to each other. If you choose two-liter bottles, then the weight of the entire barbell (without the bar) will be only eighteen kilograms. For a heavy barbell, it is best to take five-liter bottles. Then the weight of the barbell will be at least forty kilograms, and this is already a normal weight.
To make such a block, you just need to pour water into the bottles and secure them all with a good roll of tape. After the two blocks are ready, you can place them on a bar made of reinforcement or pipe. You can place pieces of reinforcement between the bottles, gradually adding weight to the bar.
Making a barbell or dumbbells with your own hands is very simple. You just need to apply a little perseverance and imagination when creating this sports equipment.
Many people want to keep fit and exercise, but not everyone has the opportunity to visit professional fitness centers for a number of reasons. Don't be upset, because this problem can be easily resolved. In one of our articles we described, taking into account all the technical nuances. But to start classes, you need to have at least a minimum set of sports equipment.
Modern sporting goods stores offer a wide variety of exercise equipment, but their prices are very high. Therefore, many began to be interested in how to make equipment for a home gym with their own hands without spending a lot of money. This is exactly what this article will discuss.
What to make “pancakes” from
The easiest way to load our bar is with plastic bottles. They need to be filled with something heavy. Sand, small stones, cement, even plain water will do. You can take 1.5 liter bottles, or 2 liter bottles. It all depends on your requirements, what weight you need. The weight of one such bottle can reach 4 kg. Simply place them around the ends of the bar and tape them tightly.
Another option is to make “pancakes” from cement. To do this, you will have to tinker a little, and the weight of such a burden can be predicted very approximately. Find a suitable shape, such as a large paint can. Pour cement there, place the bar of your future barbell and wait for complete hardening. Complete hardening will occur in at least a day, but it is better to wait four. Only then can you start making the second “pancake”. When it dries, securely support the entire structure.
If you don’t have cement at hand, use all your imagination. Check out the warehouse and... Use old car tires, car engine parts, cans filled with scrap iron. Whatever you want, just remember that this is not the most convenient option. It’s best to turn to cement - this is the kind of homemade barbell that will allow you to fully engage in sports!
Quite often in comments to workouts the question is asked: “What can replace dumbbells?” Everyone has their own reasons, some simply cannot allocate funds from the budget for sports equipment, while others are still not sure that in a week the dumbbells will not go to the mezzanine to gather dust. Be that as it may, we tried to help both of them solve this issue and selected a variety of options for those interested.
We take plastic bottles of the required volume (0.5 l, 1 l, 1.5 l, 2 l) and fill them with water and/or sand. Water bottles will be lighter than sand bottles. Bottles with wet sand will be even heavier.
One of the interesting ideas seemed to be filling bottles with colored salt. Sport should be fun!
