Most people would benefit from increased physical activity. However, not everyone can make the time to hit the gym three to four days a week, which results in a sedentary lifestyle and a bulging waistline. Many folks spend at least 30 minutes daily traveling to and from the gym, time they could have otherwise used to complete a workout at home. A study by Healthy Psychology found that exercising for 30 minutes daily can improve an individual’s overall health and fitness levels. Building a home gym is the best solution for your sedentary lifestyle. Having the exercise equipment in close proximity increases your likelihood of working out. That said, commercial training equipment is expensive and unfeasible for most people. Although building a DIY home gym might sound intimidating, you could build a multi-equipment DIY home gym in a couple of hours for less than $200. This article will help you build a DIY home gym from scratch and cover cardiovascular, strength training, functional, and CrossFit equipment.
15 Best Homemade Gym Equipment
These are the best 15 DIY equipment for your home gym:
DIY Pull-Up Bar
Pull-ups symbolize upper body strength. Unlike other bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups, most beginners cannot perform pull-ups on their first attempt. Pull-ups can help build overall upper-body strength and muscle mass. The great thing about pull-ups is that you need minimal equipment for this exercise. A pull-up bar is one of the easiest DIY gym projects. Plus, you don’t even need a dedicated home gym to hoist a pull-up bar; you could do it in a doorway. You can build a do-it-yourself pull-up bar using a couple of ceiling fan hangers and a metal rod. Begin by drilling the two ceiling fan hangers into a door frame. Pre-drill the holes before adding the screws to prevent the door frame from cracking. Then, slide a metal rod through the fan hangers. The metal rod should be long enough to extend three to four inches beyond the hangers on each side. This will ensure the rod doesn’t slide out during an intense training session. Also, the thicker the rod, the better. It will prevent the rod from bending under your weight. Plus, a thicker rod won’t rotate as much inside the hangers. Although the ceiling fan hanger DIY pull-up bar might work fine for people who want to install it in their garage or basement, it is not the most sophisticated setup for people who want a pull-up bar for their bedroom doorway. People who want a more aesthetically appealing pull-up bar should opt for the threaded galvanized pipe variant that uses elbows, wall anchors, and flanges. Learn more about this DIY pull-up bar and three other variants in our detailed DIY pull-up bar article.
Common Issues While Building a DIY Pull-Up Bar
I’ve seen people not check the bar’s level before finalizing the drill. A crooked pull-up bar can lead to strength and muscle imbalances, which can take a long time to fix. Check the bar’s angle using a carpenter’s level before drilling the other end into the doorway. Also, you must avoid using a hollow bar like a curtain hanger rod to ensure the bar doesn’t break during a set. Although this is a DIY project, you must make it as sturdy as possible. Quality materials might cost a little extra but will significantly increase your equipment’s longevity.
Who Should Build a DIY Pull-Up Bar?
– Strength training enthusiasts.
– People who want an aesthetically appealing physique. Pull-ups will get you the coveted V-taper.
– Those who want to workout in their home but don’t want to invest in an elaborate home gym setup.
Who Should Not Build a DIY Pull-Up Bar?
– People who already have a power rack in their home gym. Most power racks offer a pull-up bar attachment.
DIY Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are the ultimate humbling exercise. They look super easy, but you start questioning your life choices the moment you hold those darn things and start swinging. Battling ropes are a full-body exercise that will smoke you within 30 seconds — 60 seconds, tops. You could do a 90-second set as well, but most folks end up looking like a fish out of water from the 61st second. I hate to admit it, but I’m speaking from experience. Battle ropes come in different shapes and sizes. While the most optimal length for a battle rope is 50 feet, you can tweak its size to fit it inside your home gym. Remember, a 50-foot rope will translate to 25 feet when anchored around an object. Commercial high-quality battle ropes can cost you north of $60. However, you can build homemade battle ropes for next to nothing. I recommend building the fire hose battle ropes, as they will get you the closest commercial gym feels. Also, this homemade gym equipment project costs you nothing except buying a duct and electrical tape roll, but I’m sure most of us can afford that. The bummer here is that you cannot buy a fire hose at your local hardware store. You must call your local fire department, who’ll probably be happy to give you some of their decommissioned fire hose. Roll up the fire hose and wrap it with duct tape to build your DIY gym rope. And you guessed it, if you need more ideas on how to build a DIY battle rope, head over to our detailed homemade battling rope guide. The article includes a badass metal battle chain variant, too.
Common Issues While Building DIY Battle Ropes
Folks who want to build a fire hose battle rope but cannot get any from their local fire department will have to buy it online or directly from manufacturers. I recommend checking Craigslist or other online forums to see if someone is selling their used fire hose. Most people will give it to you for free.
Who Should Build DIY Battle Ropes?
– People who are into HIIT or circuit training.
– Those training to lose weight.
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