When exercising at home, having the right equipment makes all the difference.
There’s no need to deck pads with heavy benches, dumbbells and bundles of waytracks, but I have some weights on my hands teeth It’s quite convenient.
Here are nine ideas for homemade weights. This will help you support strength training with what you probably lie around your home.
1. Water bottle
Whether at home, at hotel or at Airbnb, the 16oz water bottle is a simple dumbbell replacement.
The plastic one weighs a handy pound, so grab a pair for your next bale workout and a pound will go a long way. Wait until your workout is complete to drink them!
Tip: The ridged bottle provides better grip.
2. Cans of food
Cans of beans, tomatoes and soup are solid exchangers when you don’t have dumbbells on hand. The weight is printed on the front, making it easy to choose the right weight for your workout.
Most soup cans weigh between 14.5 and 16 ounces (about 1 pound), while larger cans weigh 28 ounces (1.75 pounds).
Adding some rubber bands in the middle provides more grip and prevents your hands from slipping.
3. Quarterly Roles
If your living situation requires a quarter to wash, know that those quarters can also act as homemade weights.
The $10 quarter weighs around 8 ounces, so the two rolls equal one pound. Use rubber bands to secure multiple rolls if necessary.
Choosing a quarter of plastic instead of paper will not last in sweaty workouts.
4. Coffee bag
Coffee bags are probably the best mesher weights you can use, and they are bigger and softer than cans, so they are suitable for those who struggle to grab hard weights.
Depending on what you’re doing, you may need a 1 pound bag or a max 5 pound bag.
Make sure your bag is tightly closed before you begin. This way, don’t risk spilling valuable contents.
5. Seasoning bottle
The 16-ounce ketchup bottle makes the perfect 1 pound homemade weight, while the bulk container in the pantry can stand when you need heavier options.
A 2-liter bottle of olive oil weighs about 4 pounds.
6. Rice or grain bags
Rice and grain bags are great for use instead of weight. Easy to grip and comes in a variety of sizes.
Depending on your workout (and what you want to cook for dinner that week), you can use a two-pound bag of 1 pound rice, a two-pound bag of corn, or a five-pound bag of quinoa.
Grasp a small bag in the middle is the easiest. Hold them with both hands and use the larger one as a single weight.
7. Milk container
The gallon of milk weighs about 8.6 pounds, half gallons weighs about 4.3 pounds, and the quart is just over 2 pounds (Yay Math!).
It may be that the fridge has milk containers (plant-based or dairy products work), but only use it for weight if they are full and sealed.
Another thing to keep in mind when choosing this homemade weight: store these for short workouts in climate-controlled spaces to prevent the milk from getting too warm.
So, this idea works with a quick set of curls, but it’s not the best option for a backyard HIIT session on a hot day.
8. Laundry soap jar
If you’re one of those who always have extra supplies on hand, this hack is for you: grab a jug or two of laundry soaps and start lifting it.
The 1.5 liter bottle weighs about 3.75 pounds, and the bottle with the handle is easy to grip.
Make sure they are completely filled and sealed – in this way they will be their maximum weight and you will not spill anything.
9. Cast iron frying pan
This may seem a bit interesting, but a 12.5-inch cast iron skillet weighs around 8 pounds, with a larger weight of up to 10 pounds.
So these hefty frying pans are actually pretty great homemade weights for exercises like goblet squats.
Cast iron frying pan sizes can be difficult to hold safely with one hand, so make sure you hold it tightly with both hands.
