Well      03/05/2020

What can a barbell be made from? How to make home gym equipment with your own hands. Making pancakes for our barbell at home

How to make a barbell?

The barbell is the most basic sports equipment in almost any gym. However, such a useful projectile can be made at home: let’s look at the main methods.

What can a barbell be made from?

Depending on where you live (in a private house or apartment), you can use bottles of sand, round timber or car rims to make a barbell. The bar for the barbell can be made from the handle of a shovel or a piece of pipe. Now let’s talk in more detail about the process of assembling a rod from each of the materials mentioned.

Barbell made from bottles of sand or water

In order to make a barbell with your own hands from plastic bottles to water or sand, we will need:

  • plastic bottles - 8 pieces;
  • wide stationery tape;
  • 4 - 5 meters of aluminum or iron wire;
  • 2 buckets of dry sand or water (for all bottles);
  • a shovel handle or a piece of pipe.

Before starting assembly, you need to decide on the weight of the bar. Based on this, we need to calculate the number of bottles we will need. Calculations must be made based on the fact that liter bottle fits about two kilograms of dry sand and, respectively, one kilogram of water.

The sand must be poured only dry so that its mass does not change in the future. We also need to consider the weight of our bar. To ensure precise balance between the two ends of the rod, each bottle must be weighed after filling.

So, when all the bottles are filled, you can start assembling. First, you need to place 4 bottles side by side and wrap them very tightly with tape. The more tightly the bottles are wrapped, the longer the bar will last, so there is no need to skimp on tape.

We provide additional rigidity to this design with wire, which we once again wrap around the bottles. After this, it is time to install the neck. As a rule, plastic bottles have a narrowing at the neck; This is what allows you to thread the handle between 4 bottles so that there are no gaps left and the bottles tightly grip the handle. In the case of a pipe, this action is performed similarly.

Hemp round bar

If you have the opportunity to cut round logs from hemp, it will be very easy for you to even make a collapsible bar yourself. Trees such as oak are dense and therefore quite heavy. To assemble the “wooden” rod we will need:

For the bar, you need to cut disks 20 - 30 cm thick. Since making a hole 20 - 30 cm deep is quite problematic, it is necessary to attach the “pancakes” to the bar using a slightly different method. We will not put the weight on the bar, but hang it. To do this, you need to make loops from metal plates on the walls of the “pancakes” closer to the ends. The size of the loop must exactly match the diameter of the neck to ensure a tight connection. The plates are attached to the “pancakes” using self-tapping screws.

This type of bar design has a drawback: the wood can dry out over time, which will noticeably affect the weight.

How to make a barbell from car rims

If you have unnecessary car rims and tires, you can make a bar out of them. It will turn out to be very impressive in mass, and it is very easy to assemble. There are already holes in the “pancakes”, so all that remains is to choose a strong bar (for example, a crowbar or a pipe).

  • make holes in the neck near the disk from the end of the handle;
  • pass one end of the wire there and the other through the holes in the disk;
  • Weave the two ends of the wire tightly together.

This way, the disc will be firmly fixed to the bar and will allow you to exercise comfortably.

Men or guys want to look good, but this requires spending time and money. Spending time to improve your physical fitness is completely normal, and you can avoid spending money on it if you make sports equipment with your own hands.

Barbell for sports

A sports barbell is one of the most important items that is useful for a variety of exercises. The barbell is also the main object that makes it possible to exercise with heavy weight, and this, in turn, will give results from sports activities. And this result will be much better than from other sports equipment, although other sports items are also very important.

If a person wants to exercise at home, but does not have the equipment for this, then you can make a barbell at home with your own hands and start exercising with barbell exercises.

Making a rod

If the decision to make a barbell has been made, you need to decide on the material that will be the basis for the barbell - this is the most important point. The base for the bar must be strong; you can use metal or wood.

A metal bar will add extra weight; if this is not desired, a wooden bar base can be used. It is important that the diameter of the bar is at least 4 centimeters, otherwise it will be difficult to grasp the barbell.


Material options for a homemade barbell

There are two most simple options materials for the neck, it is iron or wood. WITH wooden base for the bar it is easy to determine, since you can use, for example, an old wooden rake. Advantage this option, there is something that the tree won't add excess weight barbell if not needed.

To turn a rake into a suitable form for a projectile, you need to remove its handle with any in a suitable way, the main thing is that there is one stick left from them, which will be used as a basis for pancakes. We’ll look at what else you can use to make a barbell and weight plates below.

Another option for the bar could be, for example, a metal rod if you are planning classes with a weight of more than 50 kilograms.

The length of the rod should be 2 meters, and the cross-sectional diameter should be 35 millimeters; these are the optimal requirements for comfortable playing sports. You can also use metal pipe with a diameter of 4 centimeters, but it does not fit well with the large weight of pancakes.

Making weight plates

Making pancakes for the bar is not difficult, since even ordinary plastic bottles are suitable for pancakes. These bottles need to be filled with something heavy, it can be cement, sand and stones, and even plain water. What the bottles will be filled with depends only on how much weight is needed, large or not.

You can use 1.5 liter bottles, as well as 2 liter bottles, it all depends on the desired weight. To make such pancakes, just fill them with the desired contents, and then put them on the ends of the bar and securely attach them with tape.

Cement pancakes

Here you need more time and patience, you need to find a large container where the cement will be poured, then pour it there and insert the bar at one end. It is advisable to use paint cans. True, the weight of such a barbell is difficult to predict, so this option is suitable only for those who are confident in their abilities and can lift a lot of weight.


When the cement is poured into the container and the bar is inserted into it, you need to create a support for the bar and wait for the cement to completely harden. The optimal waiting time is four days. Everything that was written above was best ideas how to make a barbell, as well as these options are easy to implement.

An important element are the racks for the barbell. They are needed to make it more convenient to use. How to make a barbell and a barbell rack with your own hands will be described below point by point.

Materials for making rods and stands

  • Wooden or iron base for the fingerboard.
  • Plastic bottles for making pancakes.
  • Any bottle filler.
  • Cement if you need a lot of weight.

To specifically see a homemade barbell, you need to go to any website and look at photos of homemade barbells, this will help you better understand the process of working on the design.

Bar racks

Racks are needed to make it easier to use the barbell, easier to pick it up and put it in place. You can use drawings and dimensions for the bar to understand how much space the entire structure, including the bar racks, can take up.

Note!

Conclusion

You can find many options for materials for the bar and barbell, as well as many options for how to make weight plates, but there are the most simple ways make it happen.


To understand how to do this, just read the instructions on how to make a barbell with your own hands and start working on the design.

It is important to decide on the desires and goals that are set, since this will determine your approach to work. And what materials may be useful.

Photo of a barbell with your own hands

Note!

Note!

Homemade T-Bar

T-bar exercises help increase the size and thickness of the mid-back by primarily targeting the latissimus, rhomboids, trapezius, and teres major muscles.

Homemade T-bar exercise machine

A factory-made T-bar trainer is quite expensive (from $300 - $1100 and up) and takes up a lot of space. But you can quite simply make a homemade similar simulator, which will cost you a much smaller amount. Often I have seen many athletes simply rest the end of the bar of a regular Olympic barbell in a corner and perform their sets that way. And I was also thinking about how to somehow attach a barbell in the same way, but in my house the corners are made of carved wood, and I really didn’t want to strip this beauty with a barbell.

The main problem with this way of doing exercises is that when you increase the weight on one end of the bar, the free end of the bar begins to rise after the loaded one, unless it is pressed down with a 20-pound plate.

One solution to this problem may be a special bracket that is attached to the base of the load frame:

Exercise machine "T-Bar"

This was what I needed, but after learning that the device costs $55, including shipping, I decided that I could do just as well myself, for a much lower price.

Going to the nearest Home Depot, I bought the following parts and assembled a similar bracket myself.

What I needed:

1 piece of pipe, pipe 2″ x 6″ $5
1 1/2″ x 12″ 8″ threaded rod $3
Kit 4-1/2″ nuts with washers; 1 - 1/2″ lock nut $2
Total $10

After removing one of the bolts from the load frame, I replaced it with a rod.

Then I drilled a hole in the pipe. Starting with a 3/16" drill bit, I gradually drilled the hole out to 1/2". The 1/2" drill bit was the largest my drill could grip, so I had to enlarge the hole with a circular motion of the drill to get the rod to fit into the hole freely enough.

Having assembled the entire structure, I placed the washers and tightened the nuts. From the opposite end of the rod I fastened the entire structure with a lock nut. This is what happened:


The pipe rotates around the axis of the rod, and the end of the bar, inserted into the pipe, rests against the rod, preventing the bar from falling through. At first, the bar is inserted into the pipe with sufficient force, but over time the pipe develops, and the bar fits in easily and freely.


To make it easier to add weights to the barbell, I bought a stand for $10.97 at Wal-Mart:


D-handles can be used to operate the T-bar. At one time I used an EZ bar for this purpose, but then I decided to buy a Body Solid Lat Blaster Bar, since it fits well with any standard and Olympic bars.


So, the total cost of my homemade T-trainer was only about $67. If you don't intend to buy a Lat Blaster Bar and decide to use a bar you already have, the total cost drops to $20.

Important: When you load the T-bar with serious weights, the power frame, if it is not secured, can move back. To prevent the frame from moving, I usually just rest it against the pancake drains:


Support for the T-bar exercise machine

Tips for using the T-bar

Keeping your abdominal muscles tense, lift the barbell and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Use small pancakes to load the projectile. Pancakes large diameter limit range of motion.

When performing the exercise, keep your back straight and your stomach pulled in. This position will protect your lower back from injury.

Try to keep your elbows closer to your body. Pulling your elbows out to the sides reduces the effectiveness of T-bar exercises.

Information from the site: home-gym-bodybuilding.com

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You can use common household items to make a barbell to improve your fitness and exercise. Milk bottles, canned goods and other everyday items will help you stay in shape. This way you'll save money and stay in good shape!

Steps

Make easy homemade barbells

    Use a milk bottle. Fill a clean plastic 3-liter bottle with water, sand, rocks or concrete. The bottle must have a handle; you will need it to perform the exercises. Use the handles to lift and lower the bottle like a hand barbell or dumbbell.

    • Using hand barbells made from milk bottles, you can work out your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
  1. Pick up cans. Canning jars that fit in your hand are a great substitute for hand dumbbells. This is especially good if you are just starting to build muscles. Use large tin cans as heavy weights or medicine balls.

    Make dumbbells from plastic water bottles. Instead of recycling water or soda bottles, fill them with water or add sand or pebbles. When filling, you should make sure that they weigh the same. Lift bottles like dumbbells.

    Make hand bars from water bottles. Instead of using water bottles to make hand weights, you can attach several bottles to your arms as hand weights. Before attaching the bottles to your arms, fill them with sand. If you want to increase the weight, add water after filling them with sand.

    • Filled plastic bottles should be taped to your forearm. Do not wrap the tape around your skin; it must hold the bottles together to keep them together. You can also use duct tape, just don't stick it to your skin. Place the bottles closer to each other so that they do not slip off your hands.
  2. Make a weighted medicine ball (medicine ball) from a basketball. Take an old basketball and drill a hole in one of the black strips. The hole should be large enough to allow weighted material to be placed inside through the funnel. Place a funnel over the hole and add sand or pebbles until the desired weight is reached. Use a bicycle tire repair patch to cover the hole. If you don't have a tire vulcanizing patch kit, you can also use duct tape. The modified ball can now be used as a medicine ball.

    Make hand weights from socks. Fill a clean sock with dry beans. Pebbles or small stones are also suitable for adding weight. Sew or tape the open end of the sock. Then sew the ends together or add Velcro to them to make it easier to lift the sock up.

    • Use a scale to adjust your weight. Fill the sock based on your desired weight and then cut off the excess fabric. If you want to make the dumbbells heavier but the material won't fit inside, use a larger sock.
    • When choosing a sock, you should make sure that it is long enough to fit around your wrist. If the sock is too long, fill it until it goes around your wrist, then cut off the excess fabric before sewing the end closed.
  3. Use packages of rice or beans. Packages like these are perfect as mini barbells if you are a beginner. You can start using them now to perform biceps curls and other light weight exercises.

    Cut bicycle tire tubes into hand dumbbells. Take the tire inner tube and cut it into equal parts. Secure one end of the chamber with duct tape, then fill the chamber with sand. Cover the other end with duct tape. You can leave them flat or bend them and tape both ends together.

    • This is a great way to make barbells of various sizes. Start with 500 grams - 1.5 kilograms. You can also try making barbells that weigh 2.5 or even 3.5 kilograms. Weigh the rods before taping them.
  4. Make a weight vest. Get a fishing vest or one with lots of small pockets. Fill plastic bags sand or concrete and place them in your pockets. Run, do pull-ups, do push-ups, or walk while wearing a weight vest.

    Use cans of paint. Hold the paint cans in your hands by the handles. Most paint cans are a little heavier than plastic bottles or food cans, so you can use them to build muscles. Since they have handles, cans are virtually no different from dumbbells.

    • You can also try using paint cans instead of weights.
  5. Do water pipe. Water pipes are long plastic pipes, filled with water in a volume of about 10 liters. The benefit of training is the squish and flow of water, and by trying to maintain balance as the water passes from one end of the pipe to the other, you use muscles. You can also make your own water pipe using resin pipe. The pipe should be about 10 centimeters in diameter and 2.5-3 meters long. Place the cap on one end and fill the pipe halfway with water. Place the cap on the other end.

    Use a duffel bag to make a sandbag. Sandbags are similar to water tubes in that they are unstable and will shift weight, requiring you to use more muscles. To make a sandbag, fill 18-20 quart freezer bags with sand. Your bag should weigh approximately 20-30 kilograms. Use two bags at a time to prevent them from tearing, then seal the end. Place the bags in the duffel bag. Zip up your duffel bag and get to work!

Make homemade weights

    Use a milk or juice can. Fill a clean, plastic 4 liter jar or 2 liter bottle with water or sand. Make sure the jar has a handle; it is needed to perform exercises with a kettlebell.

  1. Use rope weights. Another method for making weights at home is to tie a string at each end of the dumbbell handle. The thicker the rope, the easier it will be for you to hold on to. Grasp the rope in the middle so that the dumbbell hangs evenly at a level below your hands. Now you can do swings and presses, and the weight will be practically the same as a kettlebell. If you need to adjust the weight, simply use a different size dumbbell.

    • Be careful when performing dumbbell swings. It swings and flies further than a regular weight. Try not to hit yourself with the dumbbell.
  2. Make a weight from a bag of potatoes. Buy a bag of potatoes, rice or sugar, which can be found in almost all grocery stores. Fill the bag with sand until the desired weight is reached. Tie a loop at the top of the bag for gripping. Use string or duct tape to secure the loop so it doesn't fall off. You can reinforce the bottom and sides of the bag with duct tape.

    • You can use this method to make many different sized weights. Use a scale to measure how many pounds you put in the bags before you tie them.
  3. Use resin pipe and old basketballs to make weights. Buy a 2.5/61 centimeter polymer pipe, cover one end with duct tape and fill it with sand. Seal the other end of the pipe. Place the resin pipe in an oven heated to 450 degrees for 10 minutes. The plastic should become soft and not melt. Now you need to shape the plastic into the shape of a kettlebell handle. Watch the pipe carefully.

    • Remove the pipe from the oven and thread it through the handle, connecting both ends. Secure the ends with duct tape. Immerse the pipe in cold water so that it does not lose its shape.
    • Cut a slot with two holes for the handles in the basketball. Place the handle on the ball to ensure that the holes for the handle are the correct width and will be at the correct height.
    • Quickly mix the concrete in a separate container, then scoop it out and fill the basketball with it. Attach handles. Allow the concrete to cure for two or three days before use.

Many people want to keep themselves in good physical shape. To perform basic physical exercises, sports equipment is required. A poor financial situation, as well as a lack of free time to visit the gym, does not allow me to take care of myself. However, you can train using home sports equipment, for example, homemade dumbbells.

DIY sports equipment: basic rules

You can make almost any sports equipment yourself, from simple weights to sports complexes.

The most common strength exercises can be performed at home with dumbbells.

The best, of course, are metal dumbbells, but they are much more difficult to manufacture than other designs. It is necessary not only to make the disks, but to choose the correct width of the pancakes, and to make the locking locks in a quality manner according to the calculations. You can make several heavy and several small pancakes.

The diameter of the bar (handle) must be within 3 cm; this condition must be taken into account when manufacturing dumbbells and barbells. Weights allow you to perform exercises of varying loads.

Before you start practicing at home, carefully check your equipment for the integrity of both collapsible and permanent products.

What can be used from improvised means

People often stop playing sports due to lack of sports equipment. There is always a way out: any projectile can be replaced with a heavy object that is at hand. Some physical exercises do not require special equipment.

The most common equipment is an ordinary plastic bottle, from which I make dumbbells. To weigh them down they are used various fillers: water, crushed stone, sand, cement, small metal parts, etc.

Making dumbbells with your own hands

At home, you can make both small and large dumbbells.

The first step in manufacturing is to decide what they will be made of.

From plastic bottles

To make plastic dumbbells from plastic bottles, you will need the following materials:

  • bottles (2 pcs. of the same volume);
  • handle 30-40 cm long (wooden stick or metal rod);
  • scotch tape (insulating tape);
  • filler (sand, crushed stone, small metal parts).

After all the material has been prepared, you must:

  • take bottles and fill them with filler;
  • wrap the handle with electrical tape in the middle (10-15 cm);
  • insert one end of the handle into the neck of the first bottle until there is no movement;
  • to prevent the filler from seeping through, coat the joint of the handle with silicone or glue;
  • connect the second bottle to the handle, then process the joint;
  • wrap assembled structure in the handle area, strengthening the connection.

From cement

Heavier dumbbells are made using a cement base. The disadvantage of concrete dumbbells is that it is difficult to evenly adjust the weight of the weighted plates, and this design is not dismountable. If a different weight is required for sports, a new apparatus will need to be made.

In order to make dumbbells at home, you will need the following materials:

  • metal pipe (neck);
  • cement mortar;
  • bolts, screws;
  • form for casting pancakes.

Then you need to:

  1. At the ends of the neck, make four holes evenly for 4 bolts around the perimeter.
  2. Install bolts into the holes, which are holding elements for the pancakes.
  3. Place the bar in a vertical position in the casting mold. Pour in cement mortar and leave in this position until the mortar is completely dry.
  4. For the second side, repeat the previous step.

You can eliminate the flowability of cement dumbbells by adding PVA glue or paint to the solution, and to increase the weight - crushed stone, gravel or small hardware.

Metal

Shells made of metal are considered the most reliable and practical.

To make dumbbells you need:

  1. Prepare a metal rod with a diameter of 3 cm (bar).
  2. Take a thin-walled pipe 15 cm long. The internal diameter should be slightly larger diameter vulture.
  3. Place the pipe on the bar, then fix it in the middle.
  4. Make required amount burdening discs. This will require sheet steel.
  5. Use rings or a 2-3 cm long pipe as locking locks. Drill a hole in them and cut a thread for screwing in a screw. As a result, the screw that is screwed in will hold the plates by pressing them against the bar.

Pay special attention to high-quality pressing of the screw to avoid play. Collapsible metal dumbbells allow you to adjust the weight. It is also possible to make non-separable dumbbells, for this purpose welding is used as locking locks.

How to make dumbbells from plastic bottles on video

The best sports equipment is metal products, but such equipment is much more difficult to manufacture compared to other types. For greater attractiveness, homemade products for sports are additionally painted and sanded.

While assembling dumbbells Special attention Pay attention to the fastening of burdensome elements. Make equipment so that you feel comfortable practicing.

Alternative to dumbbells at home

The most common substitute is equipment made from bottles. It is easy to make yourself, and water is used to weigh it down. Other homemade shells will require more time and additional parts to manufacture.

How to make a barbell from improvised materials

You can make a barbell using available materials. Its design is practically no different in complexity from a dumbbell.

The main element is the bar; without it it is impossible to make a barbell. There are many options to make a barbell at home.

Plastic bottles

Design homemade barbell identical to a dumbbell, and for weighting you can use bottles of water or other material. But for more serious weight loads, pancakes are made not from two bottles, but from 8 (4 on each side). The bottles are filled with filler, then 4 pieces are tightly fastened together, forming a square. After which the bar is installed in the space between the bottles and secured.

Wheels

Another easy way to make a barbell is to use car wheel as pancakes. As a rule, assembled wheels are used. This type of sports equipment allows you to throw the barbell onto the floor after performing an exercise, without fear of damaging both the barbell itself and the floor.

For such a rod, a plate with bolts is installed at the end in accordance with the bolt pattern of the disk.

Concrete pancakes

To make pancakes from concrete, you must first make a mold for pouring the solution. Place a cylindrical object in the center of the mold. The diameter of the cylinder should be slightly larger than the diameter of the neck. Then gets divorced cement mortar, which is poured into the mold until completely dry.

In order to make the rod more stable, when pouring it is necessary to install metal sheets(inserts). All concrete weights for barbells must be made in pairs and have the same weight.

The bar must have a locking element that will prevent the plates from moving to the center. Additionally, locking locks must be made.

Instructions for assembling a homemade rod

The bar is the most important part, thanks to which the barbell is able to withstand heavy weight loads. The safety of performing exercises depends on the quality of the bar.

When making the neck, it is necessary to use durable materials. In order to make the neck, you will need steel reinforcement, iron pipe or scrap. When choosing a material, pay attention to the thickness, as it should be comfortable for a clenched palm.

The entire process of making a barbell at home can be seen in the video

Self-made sports equipment is the most optimal and economical option for playing sports without going to the gym.

You can make almost any equipment with your own hands - from a homemade weights to a full-fledged sports complex.

Before performing exercises, it is necessary to inspect the equipment for structural integrity. And follow basic safety rules.