Who says you need an expensive gym membership or overly priced workout equipment in order to meet your weight loss and strength training goals? There are many items in your own home that can be transformed into homemade workout equipment. All it takes is a little planning and creativity.
Weights
Instead of tossing that empty milk carton into the trash or recycling bin when it's empty, save it and use it for a set of weights. It can easily be filled with whatever material you wish -- sand, dirt, rocks, water or cement. If you're a beginner, start off with the milk carton only half full with your material of choice. Then, as you gain strength, fill it up some more. If you choose to use cement, follow a 5:1 ratio, meaning use two scoops of cement for every 10 scoops of rock, sand, or a combination of both. Add a little water to make the mixture slushy and pour it into your milk cartons. Keep the lid off the carton to allow the mixture to set.
Step Aerobics
No need to purchase an expensive step aerobics apparatus. Simply transform a pair of milk crates into one. Start off with one milk crate or put two together to create a wider surface on a non-slip floor. Follow along to one of your workout DVDs or find an exercise program online. Incorporate your milk carton weights or use other items found in the house, like a bag of rice, to also work on your upper body. If you can't find any milk crates, then use your stairs.
Abs Bench
Crunches and sit ups are not nice to your back. Create a homemade abs bench instead. See if you have any wood planks lying around in your garage, perhaps leftover pieces from that deck project. If not, head over to the local home improvement shop and pick up a plank that's about the same length as your height. While you're there, pick up some form of piping, such as steel or plastic. You will also need a drill, hammer and nails. Choose whether or not you would like to nail the piping directly to the plank or onto a structure, like the back of your extra deck railings. Finally, lean the plank against a sturdy structure in order to create a slight angle. Cover the plank with a towel or yoga mat before using it.
Parallettes
Work on your triceps, biceps, shoulders, core and more with parallettes, equipment that resembles the parallel bars in gymnastics. Head to your local home improvement shop and purchase PVC pipes. You will need one 10-foot pipe, four PVC "T" joints, four PVC 90-degree elbow joints, eight PVC end caps and PVC glue. Cut out the following sizes out of the 10-foot pipe: two 24-inch cut outs, four eight-inch cut outs and eight five-inch cut outs. Piece the elbow connectors to the ends of the 24-inch cutout. Then, attach the eight-inch cut outs to each end of the connectors. Connect the "T" joints to the ends of the 8-inch cut outs. Create the base by adding the five-inch pieces and then add the caps.
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