Cheap Weights

One thing that I’ve become disheartened about is the price of exercise equipment. One could easily spend over a hundred dollars on a decent set of dumbbells. What are you to do when you want to get in shape but the rising costs of fuel and food mean you have to pinch your pennies even harder every day? Make your own weights I say. Don’t waste money on weights that are useless once your strength levels moves beyond them. A little ingenuity and some planning we can put together a set of workout equipment that will remain useful and challenging for as long as your average set of weights for a fraction of the price.

(While researching this project I found that weight can vary anywhere from 10 lbs to 20 lbs depending upon what material you used as the filler. Take home message on this project…consider very carefully what you will be using for filler before you fill up the ball.)

DIY Medicine Ball

There are numerous step by step instructions on creating your own medicine ball from a basketball located throughout the internet. This is how I created my first medicine ball.

Step 1: Pick out a good, cheap Basket Ball

$8.00 USD

Step 2: Pick out your Filler

Extra Bag from Sand Box

Step 3: Prep the Ball
Deflate the ball to equalize the pressure.

Make a cut just big enough for a funnel to be inserted.

Utility knife works best here.

Step 4: Fill the ball

Using a Funnel fill the ball with your choice of filler.

Step 5: Close up the incision
A good super glue works great, and a strip of Duct tape over the incision will provide a small bit of extra protection from accidental opening while the glue cures properly.

That Glue is KRAZY!!

It has a Light Side, a Dark Side, and it holds the Universe together.

Step 6: Weight it.
This is where you will either bed happy or not about your filler choice.

25.8 Pounds

Although surprised by the sheer amount of weight I got out of my ball, I’m not upset about it. In fact I can hardly wait to use it in a full Medicine ball routine. I expected to be around 20 pounds before I began this process, but the extra weight will mean that I will be working harder and pushing myself further. I’m ecstatic about the prospects of wearing myself out with this new piece of equipment.

(So a quick update, I have done a few preliminary movements with my new Medicine Ball and I have to say that it feels heavier than I expected. I will definitely get my $10 worth out of it. Much better than the $40+ I’ve seen them going for in the stores around here.)