Make your own workout equipment?

[Logo]

I was wondering if anyone out there has ever made their own workout equipment. I was thinking of attempting this sometime in the future becuase I hate writting checks to overpriced gyms and I have a hard time finding the write equipment to buy (not to mention how expensive it can be). Anyways, if I could find the right materials I know plenty of people that have shops and welding equipment.

[Logo]

noone's done this?

[THEWOLVERINE]

I made my squat racks, pull down lat machine, and dipbars. It is not hard at all. Be sure to use an extremely heavy metal for the bottom of the squat racks to prevent tipping. Get one of your buds to help you and you will be suprised at how easy(and cheap) it really is.

[milkman]

Hey how did you make a lat pull down machine ???

[THEWOLVERINE]

Weld 2 wheels(with a groove to run the cable) to a sturdy piece of metal to use for pullys and bolt this to your basement ceiling in a stud of course. Leave about an inch between the metal and the wheel to allow space for the cable to go through. Make your pulldown bar with 3 pieces of metal pipe, 1 about 1m, and 2 about 20cm to make different pulldown angles. To hold the free weights, get a circular heavy duty piece of iron (about 30cm in diameter) and weld a bar about 60 cm long with a diameter small enough to put your free weights down over it. Attach a hook on the top of this bar, hook it to your cable, run it through the 2 wheels and then attach it to your pull down bar with another hook, and your done!

[jbreyes241]

I built a couple of thing from an EZ Curl Bar to a TRI-cep pressdown v bar. I just looked around the net for for different things, took the idea to my shop and made them out of scrap that was laying around. Just make sure you use a pretty thick gauge metal.

[russell7165]

I'm planning on building a power rack shortly, just getting the ideas, plan and pricing together now. Maybe someone could post a 'do it yourself' for building different equipment. I'll post mine when it's done.

[booger_dee]

I make all my equipment. But it's cheaper to just buy it. Steel is expensive unless you're close to a distributor of Mexican steel. Welders usually charge a rate starting at $70 an hour in my area. I'm kind of clueless about what people need plans for. All you have to do is look at a piece of equipment and you can see how it's built. All the hardware components can be ordered online from MSC, McMaster Carr, and others. Then you need all kinds of metal working equipment like chop saws, drill presses, lathes, tube benders, welders, etc., etc. That is unless you get some local machinist and welders to do it. They charge plenty. I see THEWOLVERINE says it's cheap. I guess it is if you can find everything just laying around or if you already work in some machine shop. When I first started I used to take the steel to machine shops with a drawing and tell them what to cut and where to drill the holes and what size the hole needed to be. But invariably they'd screw it up about 5% of the time. Even on commercial equipment in the stores I see screwups. Generally a hole sitting in the middle of the tube for no apparent reason. My thinking is that if you want something done right you better do it yourself. And that thinking has led me to accumulate more machine tools that exercise equipment. I just hope I never decide to move. It'll cost me a small fortune to ship all this stuff.

[Rocket]

All the Blue Equipment in my gym I made.
Lat Machine
Power Rack
Weight Tree
Dumbell Rack Dip / Leg Raise
Seated Calf
and a
Precher Curl and Flat bench you can't see

[booger_dee]

This is a picture of a Seated Calf machine I made. It works like the typical ones, but it also has swapable components. In this picture the Seat has been swapped to the end so you use your body weight. Additional weight can be put on the 1 1/2" Schedule 40 pipe at the front. Everything can then be swapped from end to end. I would estimate that it cost about $250 in just metal, parts, and paint to make this. That doesn't even include my labor time. It probably took about 40 hours of labor spread out over 10 weekends. I've seen plenty of Seated Calf machines around for less than $200. Used ones for under $50 bucks.

[AZIronMine]

This is a picture of a Seated Calf machine I made. It works like the typical ones, but it also has swapable components. In this picture the Seat has been swapped to the end so you use your body weight. Additional weight can be put on the 1 1/2" Schedule 40 pipe at the front. Everything can then be swapped from end to end. I would estimate that it cost about $250 in just metal, parts, and paint to make this. That doesn't even include my labor time. It probably took about 40 hours of labor spread out over 10 weekends. I've seen plenty of Seated Calf machines around for less than $200. Used ones for under $50 bucks.
Hey Booger Dee. That seated calf raise is excellent ! Although, to be honest, I think it is probably unrealistic for many of the people on this board (requisite skill, cost of the materials, available tooling, etc.). I weld, but don't think I have the skill or patience to put something like that together.

What are the chances, you might post pics of the other equipment you have in your gym ?

[booger_dee]

Here's 3 more. A back machine at a 75 degree angle, a pec machine at a 65 degree angle, and a seated shrug. I've got several others, but I don't have pictures of them. 2 of them are so unique that I don't want to display them on the internet. I'm thinking someday that maybe I can sell the idea to some company. I started with a stick, but quickly moved on to a MIG with CO2/Argon. Got tired of grinding off all the spatter. But it does take a lot of patience. With the exception of the welding and painting I do most of the machining in my basement. So I spend my Saturdays working out twice a day. Between sets I'll go into the next room and drill a hole or cut some steel. It usually takes me about 8 weekends to build a machine. And I've always got a couple other projects going at the same time. Usually something like refurbishing some kind of machine tool or making some other gizmo.

[mathey]

dang, that's some awesome equipment!

where are you in MD btw?

[booger_dee]

dang, that's some awesome equipment!

where are you in MD btw?

I live in Jessup. Here's the latest project I just completed. It's not exactly exercise equipment, but a piece of equipment to make exercise equipment. It's an old Craftsman Power Hacksaw that I bought from some guy up near Baltimore. It had been sitting in his shed for 30 years and it had 30 years of crud and rust on it. I cleaned it up real nice, mounted it in fiberglass tray, and built an auto-cutoff switch on it. I use it for cutting small pieces of steel. It chugs along at a snails pace, but I can just go away and ignore it and come back later and the steel is cut and the machine is off. The bigger stuff I use a bandsaw, chopsaw, or a carbide multicutter.

[AZIronMine]

dang, that's some awesome equipment!

where are you in MD btw?
I've got to agree with Mathey. Awesome !

[Rocket]

Nice Power Hack Saw....... Great looking work on the equipment.

[TDE]

I made my squat racks, pull down lat machine, and dipbars. It is not hard at all. Be sure to use an extremely heavy metal for the bottom of the squat racks to prevent tipping. Get one of your buds to help you and you will be suprised at how easy(and cheap) it really is.
how much did it cost you?

[EmspRock27]

ive been trying to find the dimensions to build my own preacher bench... if you could send them to me at chefvan26@yahoo.com or hit me up on myspace.com under the same screen name that'll be greatly helpful.... i mean i know the basic design but it took me 4 times to get my miltary press right. so im needing help

[triplechris]

Not work/family safe, but can't help think about this device from "Burn after Reading" movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEr4jQKD5_g

[gbrs5]

Not work/family safe, but can't help think about this device from "Burn after Reading" movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEr4jQKD5_g

I lol'd so hard when i was watching that movie...but overall, that movie was a piece of ****...no plot no nothing whatsoever

[Keeptryin]

dang booger,engineer much?Im a fellow MD'r(annapolis)now in tx.You could be rich...or already are.

[Accutron]

I made a wooden Power Rack, it can rival a metal one anyday.

[boxertim]

I made a wooden Power Rack, it can rival a metal one anyday.


I really like the look of wooden power racks.


tim

[Keetman]

I really like the look of wooden power racks.


tim



Especially in a home.





Haters.

[animalfan]

Especially in a home.





Haters.

'sup?

[yankeemarko1]

I made a wooden Power Rack, it can rival a metal one anyday.


I really like the look of wooden power racks.


tim


Especially in a home.





Haters.

I have to laugh. Where's JakeA?

[animalfan]

I have to laugh. Where's JakeA?

hopefully not pinned in his super wooden rack.

[Accutron]

hopefully not pinned in his super wooden rack.

http://assets.bodybuilding.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Keetman]

hopefully not pinned in his super wooden rack.


My house weighs more than you can lift.......I'm not pinned in my house.



I'm not pinned in my house = wood is better than steel.



Fo' shizzle

[animalfan]

feels like i'm pinned in here sometimes...

[Keetman]

feels like i'm pinned in here sometimes...



"Deep Thoughts by Animalfan"

[animalfan]

"Deep Thoughts by Animalfan"

haha! i could do a few, but i'm not that deep. i'd run out by the end of page 1.

[lucio.sosa]

All the Blue Equipment in my gym I made.
Lat Machine
Power Rack
Weight Tree
Dumbell Rack Dip / Leg Raise
Seated Calf
and a
Precher Curl and Flat bench you can't see

Really look equipment!!

Where you took the measures to do it??? I'm from mexico and here is very difficult to find a magazine with this. Do you know a web page to do this?

Thanks

[blackdove212]

You can make squat stands out of wood. See how to make them here:
h t t p://isjaw.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-build-homemade-squat-stands.html

I also made a multi-functional dumbbell rack. Also made of wood. See it here:
h t t p://isjaw.blogspot.com/2010/05/build-weights-and-dumbbell-rack-from.html

[oldline70]

I've made or tried to make a few things for in my gym, and my opinion is, Yes, you can make a lot of nice things that will work well for you, especially if you are very handy and have the tools already laying around. But quite honestly, I'm not all that advanced as a tinkerer and I bet most other muscleheads on here aren't either. More to the point, we don't want to spend our workout time building equipment instead of working out on it. For me, how a piece functions is very important, but looks matter too - maybe when I was 20 or 25 I just wanted a solid bench, but now I want one that looks decent too. I care about having good looking AND functional equipment that I'm going to WANT to work out with.

I guess where I am leading with all this is that in general, the smaller "adjustments" I will try and make on my own, but I will buy the major pieces. I agree with one of the earlier posters who said yes, you can build it, but it's usually cheaper and more functional to buy the major pieces rather than build unless you're really good at doing it.

For me, having nice equipment also motivates me to work out - I recognize not everyone may be like this. Having a nice power rack makes me WANT to go in my gym and do bench presses. It's an investment in a lifetime-long lifestyle that I believe in and am in for the long haul.

[vailoelle]

Hi all.May some one give me plans of fitness equipments!Any equipment power rack,bench press,leg press....any just need plans or size
Thanks you :)

[fishpat86]

I've built a couple of pieces out of wood.

Dip station

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=119931951&highlight=built+dip+station

Bench

http://i34.tinypic.com/33vyagm.jpg

[Bluerain]

That is so nice looking and it looks very sturdy !

Great job !



I've built a couple of pieces out of wood.

Dip station

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=119931951&highlight=built+dip+station

Bench

http://i34.tinypic.com/33vyagm.jpg

[fishpat86]

That is so nice looking and it looks very sturdy !

Great job !

I put 140KG's of plates and 125KG's of people on it and it was all good. That's 585lbs in American which is pretty good considering it cost me only 35gbp to build.

[Ryan066]

damn, shoulda kept my welder.. never even thought of building workout equip. would be sweet to make a good pull-up/dip machine combo. allthough your dip station, fishpat86, looks pretty sweet. definitely not a carpenter though lol. maybe one day ill try to learn.

[BRUTUSPLAC]

I made a wooden Power Rack, it can rival a metal one anyday.

aaaaaaaaaaaaa DDI YUO STEAL MINE OLD BUDDY ????

I STILL HAVE MINE 25 YRS LATER, PEACEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[ArnoldBlack]

wooden gym stuff always looks like bondage furniture to me and that's a good thing :-)

[Bluerain]

Here's using your noodle..


I don't know how to embed the new way so if someone else knows please do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE86vYpuE3M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFM_35UYX4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ZHouwMmjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQMIDtMRjFM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gErr0Yz4tFs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQ56Nn303s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdnlqrHqwKs&feature=channel

[dparty82]

Here's using your noodle..


I don't know how to embed the new way so if someone else knows please do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE86vYpuE3M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFM_35UYX4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ZHouwMmjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQMIDtMRjFM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gErr0Yz4tFs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQ56Nn303s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdnlqrHqwKs&feature=channel

Wow....all of those are awesome!!

[Wildtim]

Here's using your noodle..


I don't know how to embed the new way so if someone else knows please do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE86vYpuE3M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFM_35UYX4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ZHouwMmjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQMIDtMRjFM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gErr0Yz4tFs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhQ56Nn303s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdnlqrHqwKs&feature=channel

Not to knock the guy, those are all really cool and he looks pretty good but I just imagine how much more progress he would make as a lifter if he just used his cage and weights the normal way and put all the time and energy he spends switching machines in and out into his workouts.

Basically a workout of pull-ups, barbell hack squats, t- bar rows, seated shoulder press, front squats, Krock rows, and chins would have the same results with nothing more than a bench, rack, Barbell, and Dumbbells. It seems he goes to a hell of a lot of trouble to avoid using the basics.

[blackdove212]

plenty of designs around the net. just be aware of load capacities of equipment you're building.

[cgc]

Not to knock the guy, those are all really cool and he looks pretty good but I just imagine how much more progress he would make as a lifter if he just used his cage and weights the normal way and put all the time and energy he spends switching machines in and out into his workouts.

Basically a workout of pull-ups, barbell hack squats, t- bar rows, seated shoulder press, front squats, Krock rows, and chins would have the same results with nothing more than a bench, rack, Barbell, and Dumbbells. It seems he goes to a hell of a lot of trouble to avoid using the basics.


I was watching these videos the other day and thinking the same thing. Dude obviously looks like he's spent a lot of time on his physique, but....dang man....I like to work out, but I like to get in and get out. i don't want to spend all day setting up ONE exercise.

KISS
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid

[vailoelle]

And noone give some size or plans !