Hitting the gym is a healthy habit, but it can be costly for many. That’s why many people are now opting for home gyms. They help fitness enthusiasts meet their goals right from the comfort of their houses and at a lower cost.
Home gyms can help you save time as well. They provide the convenience busy people need, helping them never to miss their workout routine and stay on track. Additionally, they can give you privacy, so you can work out at your own pace, making your training more effective.
Still and all, gym equipment and accessories aren’t always affordable. The good news is that you can always make your gear at home, so you can still break a sweat without breaking the bank. Hence, here are a few DIY equipment for your home gym.
Towels as Sliders
When working on your abdominals, towels can always come in handy. They can be like Megaformer machines in your next home gym. They can help improve stability, core strength, and overall body awareness.
Specifically, towels as sliders are both high-intensity and low-impact. The gliding motion can intensify the workout when you use towels as sliders for your abs exercises. It can put tension on your core muscles, consequently challenging your balance and stability.
Milk Jug as Kettlebell
Reusing your milk jugs as kettlebells is arguably among the least expensive DIY home weight training equipment you can make. You only need your old milk bottles and sand (or water). What’s more, it won’t take much time to make.
However, using milk jugs as kettlebells can only be limited to one-handed kettlebell exercises. They also have a lighter weight, so they’re great for beginners. If you want something more physically taxing, use water instead of sand. When water sloshes around, it tends to create a unique challenge, especially for those new to kettlebells. Just be careful with the jug’s handles. They may have rough edges that could hurt your hands.
Chairs as Workout Bench
One of the simplest and inexpensive ways to get swole-worthy at-home training is through cs. It can help you build muscles as long as you follow basic exercise principles. These include increasing reps, decreasing rest times, performing variations, training to failure, increasing time under tension, and implementing mechanical drop sets.
Maximize your bodyweight exercise by using your living room sofas or dining chairs as a workout bench. Use them to round out your routine with intense ab workouts, tricep dips, and shoulder drills.
Backpack as Weighted Vest
Regardless of the exercise, working out with a weighted vest forces your muscles to work together. Since it can be a full-body workout, it can strengthen your muscles, improve the rate of muscle gain, and enhance bone strength. The thing is, a weighted vest is quite pricey.
Instead of buying a $75-worth lightweight weighted vest, opt for an empty backpack in your house as an alternative. Then, throw a few water bottles or soup cans into it, and get to work. Be sure to weigh it to know how much you’re working with. Start with a load of 10% of your body weight and slowly increase as you build strength.
Recreational Bike as Stationary Cycle
One of the most efficient and effective ways to burn the body and calories is through cycling. It can also strengthen your muscles, lungs, and heart. Besides that, compared to other cardio equipment, bikes can give better aerobic workouts while putting less stress on your joints.
If you have a recreational bike, it’s cheaper to invest in a bike trainer or bike roller instead of buying a stationary bike. Both give incredible workouts indoors. But trainers are for serious power, while rollers are for long and steady efforts. You may be able to DIY them, especially the trainers. However, doing so may require more effort.
Rope as Suspension Trainer
Use the ropes that are just lying around in your garage as suspension trainers. They’ll enable you to use your body weight against gravity to put up resistance. As a result, you can improve your core strength, stability, and muscular endurance.
To use ropes as suspension trainers, tie a knot at each of the rope’s ends. Then, look for a strong tree branch in your yard or something equivalent to it before slinging one end of the rope over it. You can use it to execute moves, such as squats or inverted rows. Besides that, you may use it to perform lunges or TRX-style planks. Just make two loops at the ends, so you can be able to place your two feet in.
Final Thoughts
Convenience, freedom, privacy, time efficiency, and cost efficiency are the main advantages of home gyms. Saving even more is possible if you make use of household items as your easy DIY workout equipment swaps.