Improvised At-Home Exercise Equipment

How to MacGyver Your Way into having a home-gym without having to BUY a home-gym

The four essential pieces of equipment for a home-gym set up are dumbbells, barbells/kettlebells, a platform, and a bench. These four groups basically boil down to little weights, big weights, a hard surface to step up on, and a cushy surface to sit or lie on. If you’re missing one or more of these items, here are suggestions for how to improvise:

Dumbbells

Weights of items above: 14.5 oz Black beans = 1 lb; 28 oz diced tomatoes = 2 lbs; Nalgene w/water = 2.5 lbs; bottle of vodka = 3 lbs; Costco-sized bottle of honey = 5 lbs.

You can pull anywhere from a 1 lb weight to a 8 lb weight out of your kitchen cabinets, depending on where you look. A small can of food will be about a pound, while a gallon milk jug weighs in at around 8.5 lbs. If you want to venture into the laundry room, a jug of laundry detergent usually has a nice handle, and is somewhere around 5–10 lbs depending on the size.

Kettlebells

Weight of books in this picture: 27 lbs.

It’s difficult to find items in your home to approximate a barbell, but a kettlebell on the other hand, is much easier. Pull out a cloth shopping bag or a backpack, and fill them with books until you’re satisfied. Other options: sacks of flour or rice; pillaging the garden for bricks or…