How to Make a Homemade Weight Set
Use a milk jug., Lift canned goods., Make dumbbells from plastic water bottles., Make arm weights with water bottles., Make a weighted medicine ball from a basketball., Make wrist weights from socks., Use packets of rice or beans., Cut bicycle tire...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use a milk jug.
Fill a clean, plastic gallon jug with water, sand, rocks, or concrete.
Make sure that the jug has a handle; you will use this to complete your exercise reps.
Use the handles to lift and lower the jug like you would any hand weight or dumbbell.With milk jug hand weights, you can do bicep curls, tricep exercises, and shoulder raises. -
Step 2: Lift canned goods.
Canned goods that fit into your hands work well as simple hand weights.
This is especially good if you are starting out and trying to build muscles slowly.
Use larger canned goods as heavier weights or medicine balls. , Instead of recycling your plastic water and soda bottles, refill them with water, or put pebbles or sand in them instead.
When filling them, make sure to weigh them so the weights are the same for both hands.
Lift the bottles like you would any dumbbell., Instead of using the water bottles for hand weights, this method attaches multiple bottles to your arms like wrist weights.
Before you put them on your arms, fill them with sand.
For heavier weights, add water after you fill them completely with sand.
When they are filled, scotch tape the plastic bottles all the way around your forearm.
The tape does not touch your skin; it only touches the bottles to hold them together.
You can also use duct tape, just don't attach it to your skin.
Place the bottles just tight enough so they do not slide off your arms. , Take an old basketball and drill a hole into one of the black stripes.
The hole should be big enough to funnel in the weighted material.
Place a funnel in the hole and fill with sand or pebbles until you have achieved the desired weight.
Use a bike tire patch kit to fill the hole.
You can also use duct tape if you don't have a tire patch kit.The repurposed ball can now be used just like a medicine ball. , Fill a clean sock with dry beans.
Alternately, use pebbles or small craft rocks for a heavier weight.
Sew or glue the open end of the sock closed.
Then, sew the ends together, or sew Velcro onto the ends so you can remove it easily.
Use a scale to adjust the weight.
Fill the sock as full as you want based on weight and then cut the excess fabric.
If you want to make heavier weights but the inside material won't fit, use a larger sock.
When choosing a sock, make sure to choose one long enough to wrap around your waist.
If the sock is too long, fill it until it will wrap around your wrist, then cut the excess fabric before closing the end. , These packages are great for mini-weights if you are a beginner.
You can use them right from the cabinet for bicep curls and other small weight-lifting moves. , Take a bicycle inner tube and cut it into equal lengths.
Secure one end of the tube with duct tape, then fill the tube with sand.
Close the other end with duct tape.
You can either leave them flat or bend them into circles until the two ends are touching and secure the ends together with duct tape.This is a great method for making weights of different sizes.
Start with 1 or 3 pounds.
You can also try 5 or even 8 pound weights.
Use a scale to weight out the weights before you close them. , Get a fishing vest or a vest with multiple small pockets.
Fill plastic bags with sand or concrete and place in all the pockets.
Run, do pull ups, push ups, or go walking while wearing the weighted vest., Hold paint cans in your hands by their handles.
Most paint cans are a little heavier than plastic bottles or cans of food, so you can use them as you build muscle.
The handles allow you to use the cans like dumbbells.
You can also try using paint cans as a kettlebell. -
Step 3: Make dumbbells from plastic water bottles.
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Step 4: Make arm weights with water bottles.
-
Step 5: Make a weighted medicine ball from a basketball.
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Step 6: Make wrist weights from socks.
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Step 7: Use packets of rice or beans.
-
Step 8: Cut bicycle tire tubes into hand weights.
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Step 9: Make a weighted vest.
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Step 10: Use paint cans.
Detailed Guide
Fill a clean, plastic gallon jug with water, sand, rocks, or concrete.
Make sure that the jug has a handle; you will use this to complete your exercise reps.
Use the handles to lift and lower the jug like you would any hand weight or dumbbell.With milk jug hand weights, you can do bicep curls, tricep exercises, and shoulder raises.
Canned goods that fit into your hands work well as simple hand weights.
This is especially good if you are starting out and trying to build muscles slowly.
Use larger canned goods as heavier weights or medicine balls. , Instead of recycling your plastic water and soda bottles, refill them with water, or put pebbles or sand in them instead.
When filling them, make sure to weigh them so the weights are the same for both hands.
Lift the bottles like you would any dumbbell., Instead of using the water bottles for hand weights, this method attaches multiple bottles to your arms like wrist weights.
Before you put them on your arms, fill them with sand.
For heavier weights, add water after you fill them completely with sand.
When they are filled, scotch tape the plastic bottles all the way around your forearm.
The tape does not touch your skin; it only touches the bottles to hold them together.
You can also use duct tape, just don't attach it to your skin.
Place the bottles just tight enough so they do not slide off your arms. , Take an old basketball and drill a hole into one of the black stripes.
The hole should be big enough to funnel in the weighted material.
Place a funnel in the hole and fill with sand or pebbles until you have achieved the desired weight.
Use a bike tire patch kit to fill the hole.
You can also use duct tape if you don't have a tire patch kit.The repurposed ball can now be used just like a medicine ball. , Fill a clean sock with dry beans.
Alternately, use pebbles or small craft rocks for a heavier weight.
Sew or glue the open end of the sock closed.
Then, sew the ends together, or sew Velcro onto the ends so you can remove it easily.
Use a scale to adjust the weight.
Fill the sock as full as you want based on weight and then cut the excess fabric.
If you want to make heavier weights but the inside material won't fit, use a larger sock.
When choosing a sock, make sure to choose one long enough to wrap around your waist.
If the sock is too long, fill it until it will wrap around your wrist, then cut the excess fabric before closing the end. , These packages are great for mini-weights if you are a beginner.
You can use them right from the cabinet for bicep curls and other small weight-lifting moves. , Take a bicycle inner tube and cut it into equal lengths.
Secure one end of the tube with duct tape, then fill the tube with sand.
Close the other end with duct tape.
You can either leave them flat or bend them into circles until the two ends are touching and secure the ends together with duct tape.This is a great method for making weights of different sizes.
Start with 1 or 3 pounds.
You can also try 5 or even 8 pound weights.
Use a scale to weight out the weights before you close them. , Get a fishing vest or a vest with multiple small pockets.
Fill plastic bags with sand or concrete and place in all the pockets.
Run, do pull ups, push ups, or go walking while wearing the weighted vest., Hold paint cans in your hands by their handles.
Most paint cans are a little heavier than plastic bottles or cans of food, so you can use them as you build muscle.
The handles allow you to use the cans like dumbbells.
You can also try using paint cans as a kettlebell.
About the Author
Jeffrey Kelly
Experienced content creator specializing in pet care guides and tutorials.
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