There’s a wide variety of DIY weights here including what you can use in place of dumbells, how to make your own sandbag, put together a barbell, DIY a medicine ball, make ankle weights, and find alternatives to kettlebells. They are all simple and quick projects that will have you working out in no time.
Water bottlesCanned foodJarred foodWater or milk gallonsLaundry detergent
The smaller dumbbell alternatives should be able to easily fit in your hand. The larger items should have a sturdy handle that you can hold on to. Before you use any of these as weights, make sure that they are all sealed properly or you might have quite a mess on your hands. After you’ve selected your liner bag, it’s time to fill it up with sand. Make sure that you allow some room at the top for air so that the sand can move around. Use duct tape to secure any openings or seams. Double-check that all seams and openings are securely closed. Now that you’ve got your lining filled, it’s time to get it in the outer bag. The outer bag simply holds the liner bag. This can be just about any bag that you have on hand. You can use a duffel bag, military surplus bag, or any heavy-duty bag. Feel free to further secure this with more duct tape so the sand has no way of escpaing.
Laundry detergent jugsMilk or water jugsPaint cansGas cans
There’s another easy solution to making your own kettlebell, and you have everything you need right at home. You can get a backpack or gym bag and fill it with heavy items to make it the desired weight. Shorten the straps and tie them together if you want to create one short handle. Use it just as you would a kettlebell. If you know how to sew, you can easily sew your own ankle or wrist weights.
