Build Your Own Homemade Exercise Equipment

If you're on a limited budget but still want all the latest workout equipment, try making your own. Assembling homemade exercise equipment is easier than you might think. Most of the items you need are available at your local hardware store for under $20.

Here are some suggestions for building your own exercise equipment:

Medicine Ball (Under $20)

Materials Needed

• Any type of sports ball, although rubber basketballs generally work best
• Two bags of sand
• Two rolls of duct tape
• Sharp knife

Assembly

1. Cut a 2" x 2" hole in the ball around the air tube and save the cut-out piece
2. Fill the ball with sand until you reach the desired weight
3. Replace the hole with the cut-out piece then completely cover the ball in duct tape to prevent sand from leaking

Learn how to use your new workout tool by checking out our medicine ball exercise library.

Jump Box (Cost: $20)

Materials Needed:

• Three-quarter-inch thick 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood
• Screws or nails
• Gorilla Glue
• Saw

Assembly (For a 24-inch box)

1. Cut two 30-inch by 22-inch panels, two 30-inch by 20-inch panels and two 18-inch by 22-inch panels
2. Glue all the pieces together to create a box and allow time for drying
3. After drying, place a screw or nail every two or three inches

Check out all the ways you can use your jump box through our plyometrics guide.

Tires (Cost: Free)

Tires are the easiest items to acquire because tire dealers, farmers and construction sites are usually willing to give them away for free to avoid paying for disposal. Some will even bring used tires to you. You can get tires of all sizes, from regular size for throwing and dragging to large 300- to 500-pound truck and tractor tires for flipping and jumping. Before hunting for used tires, make sure you have a way to transport your new training tool, at least 10 square yards of space for training and a storage area.

Learn more about tire training.

This equipment may not be fancy, but it will get the job done. When you use homemade exercise equipment, you’ll take more pride in your workouts since you’re using equipment you constructed yourself.