Homemade Dumbbells. Good Idea?

Since some jackass has succeeded in STEALING the dumbbells out of our apartment complex gym (leaving me with a 15 lbs, two 10 lbs, an 8 lb. and a 3 lbs.), I have decided to try and create my own dumb-bells using these Arizona Green Tea bottles (thick plastic, holds a gallon) and sand or some other heavy material. I will simply place the bottles on a scale as I am filling them up to determine their weight and then in permanent marker write how heavy they are on the side. Does this sound like a good idea to you guys? I feel like I am missing out on a lot of my lifts thanks to the thieving ******* who stole my dumbbells out of the gym.

How about just getting a membership to an actual gym. Without real equipment your gains are going to suffer. Apartments dont usually have much anyway.....

[QUOTE=turbos10]How about just getting a membership to an actual gym. Without real equipment your gains are going to suffer. Apartments dont usually have much anyway.....[/QUOTE]

If I had the money for a gym membership I would just BUY new dumbbells for myself, wouldn't I?

Those are not going to be very stable, so I wouldn't do anything overhead with them. If you are sticking to curls or rows, you might get away with it.

A better option: get a bar of olympic db handles to carry down to the gym with you.

Thrift store near me has used weight gear. I haven't checked the prices but I bet they're dirt cheap.

[QUOTE=KingOfChaos]If I had the money for a gym membership I would just BUY new dumbbells for myself, wouldn't I?[/QUOTE]

At .50 a lb you should be able to get a years membership for the cost of a decent set of dumbells. I prices a new full set for my gym up to 150lb dumbells and they were $10k....so no, the gym membership would be a great bargain.

Priorties and motivation in my mind. A gym membership is not expensive at all. I have supported myself since highschool and going through college.....never did not have gym money. Was like the electricity bill in my mind....not an option.

Not being an ass......but BB requires a gym IMO.

[QUOTE=KingOfChaos]Since some jackass has succeeded in STEALING the dumbbells out of our apartment complex gym (leaving me with a 15 lbs, two 10 lbs, an 8 lb. and a 3 lbs.), I have decided to try and create my own dumb-bells using these Arizona Green Tea bottles (thick plastic, holds a gallon) and sand or some other heavy material. I will simply place the bottles on a scale as I am filling them up to determine their weight and then in permanent marker write how heavy they are on the side. Does this sound like a good idea to you guys? I feel like I am missing out on a lot of my lifts thanks to the thieving ******* who stole my dumbbells out of the gym.[/QUOTE]

I've read stories about guys in the military improvising barbells using things such as you're describing, such as if they're based overseas and don't have access to a gym.

I guess that if you know what you are doing and have spotters and aren't messing with things like this alone, it's better than nothing. You've got an approach to deal with the ability to determine/adjust weight for the purposes of progressive resistance (which would have been my first concern), and obviously safety will be one also (I would avoid improvising [i]anything[/i] that goes over your head or across any part of your body in any manner, particularly if you work out alone and don't have a spot).

Does your community have a recreation center with weight training equipment? Something like this might be less pricey than a gym membership.

C.K.

I admire your accomplishments but putting sand in a jug in 2005 is a joke. Join a gym - find the money.

Plus it would be hard to do some movements without real DBs.

I agree... I know money situations can be a bitch... but find a way to safe 30.00 bucks a month. It will be the best investment you can make.

If theres a will, theres a way!

Get a job

The guy already said his gym was robbed.

I think you should do what you gotta do untill the equipment is replaced. How long will it take before the gym orders new dumbells?

[QUOTE=A.C Hammer]The guy already said his gym was robbed.

I think you should do what you gotta do untill the equipment is replaced. How long will it take before the gym orders new dumbells?[/QUOTE]


Well, its been about two months and they haven't done anything yet.

As far as the rest of you guys, I don't have a job and I haven't been able to find one. Its one of the reasons I enlisted in the military since I can't find a civilian job..so when I say I have no money, I mean NO money.

i built a Gym outta Sandbags. GO FOR IT~!

How about using a thick backpack and putting in the dumbells that you do have as weights.
You could also use those big water bottles (bigger than the arizona tea bottles, of course) and fill them with sand.

King,

I admire everything you have done so far and the advice you have given to me, but not going out and just taking any job to make some money is a little rediculous. Surely you must see that now. You cannot even afford a $50 set of Dumbells. I'm not trying to piss in your cheerios, but come on dude.... If you have a Home Depot around you, they start off at like $10 an hour. You work there for a month, and you can buy an entire gym set for your home. If it means that much to you, you'll find a way to do it correctly.

Good luck to you!

Tell the apartment administration you will be deducting the cost of your GYM membership off the rent unless they replace the dumbell set. Seriously, if I signed a lease on an apartment, knowing that it included access to certain facilties, I would expect that those facilities remain up to par, unless compensation is made in my rent. They really should replace them. What if your washing machine broke? Or sink? I would complain about it, and they will probably shrug it off until their check is thirty bucks short....Im sure they would rather replace the dumbells than go through the major hassle of trying to evict you!

[QUOTE=StrongEnough?]I admire everything you have done so far and the advice you have given to me, but not going out and just taking any job to make some money is a little rediculous. Surely you must see that now. You cannot even afford a $50 set of Dumbells. I'm not trying to piss in your cheerios, but come on dude.... If you have a Home Depot around you, they start off at like $10 an hour. You work there for a month, and you can buy an entire gym set for your home. If it means that much to you, you'll find a way to do it correctly.[/QUOTE]

No one will hire a 25 year old with no job experience. I can't even get a job at the McDonalds because I am too old.

Well, I hate to hear about your job situation, but I have always found that if you are willing to work there are jobs out there somewhere. However, I dont know where you live so perhaps things are different there. Good luck with the military, but that is a big decision so think hard about it.

[QUOTE=KingOfChaos]No one will hire a 25 year old with no job experience. I can't even get a job at the McDonalds because I am too old.[/QUOTE]

come on man, thats not true. Alot of fast,physical places like ups,home depot and other dept. stores, are hiring for seasonal workers. They need strong guys to work for the busy season. You are enlisted right?? Someone will hire you.

[QUOTE=KingOfChaos]No one will hire a 25 year old with no job experience. I can't even get a job at the McDonalds because I am too old.[/QUOTE]

Go to [url]www.state.gov[/url], work security.

its not the best way to be working out, but its better then nothing!

[QUOTE=A.C Hammer]come on man, thats not true. Alot of fast,physical places like ups,home depot and other dept. stores, are hiring for seasonal workers. They need strong guys to work for the busy season. You are enlisted right?? Someone will hire you.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but around Temple you have a lot of factories that laid off workers about a year and a half ago. These people have industrial or warehouse experience and the department stores like Lowes and Walmart will easily hire them over a person who hasn't been able to hold down a job for longer than 6 months because of their former weight situation.

[QUOTE=KingOfChaos]Well, its been about two months and they haven't done anything yet.

As far as the rest of you guys, I don't have a job and I haven't been able to find one. Its one of the reasons I enlisted in the military since I can't find a civilian job..so when I say I have no money, I mean NO money.[/QUOTE]

I wonder...if you either sold your computer OR you stopped using internet cafes would you have money?

[QUOTE=exfatman]I wonder...if you either sold your computer OR you stopped using internet cafes would you have money?[/QUOTE]

It's not my computer to sell, its my sister's. :P I own clothes right now and that's about it. My parents kicked me out of the house when I was 16 and I have been living with my sister and her various husbands since that time. I just recently lost enough weight to actually get a job, but its proven fruitless.

I also don't appreciate your condescending tone and my being online and here at this forum has helped other people meet their weight goals.

This thread has gotten entirely OFF TOPIC, since my original question was about creating homemade gym equipment and not asking for opinions on my dismal financial situation. I am trying to make the best out of what I do have and I really do not want to hear about what I am 'doing wrong' at this point since I have already made the decision to become a U.S. Sailor as my career. I just need some weights to tide me over until I can gain access to goverment ran facilities on base/ship.

Dude I would not get a service job if its only as a last resort; only if its what you really want to do. You have accomplished a remarkable thing with your weight loss, something that most people don't have the determination or work ethic to do. So do whatever it takes, and get a positive attititude cuz you're better than 95% of the people out there anyway. Getting a job should not that hard, move if you have to / can.

And still I say forget the sand and join a gym. : )