When you train at home, having the right equipment can make all the difference.
You don’t need to decorate your pad with a bunch of benches, dumbbells and heavy weight racks, just have some weights handy. is quite useful.
Here are nine homemade weight ideas that will help you train with things you probably already have at home.
1. Water bottles
Whether you’re at home, in a hotel, or on Airbnb, 16-ounce water bottles are an easy-to-find swap for dumbbells.
The plastic ones weigh a handy pound, so grab a pair for your next barre workout, where a pound goes a long way. Wait until you’ve finished training to drink them!
Tip: Bottles with ridges provide a better grip.
2. Tin cans
Cans of beans, tomatoes, and soup are good swaps when you don’t have dumbbells on hand. The weight is printed on the front, so you can easily choose the right weight for your workout.
Most soup cans weigh 14.5 to 16 ounces (about a pound), while large cans weigh 28 ounces (1.75 pounds).
Adding some rubber bands around the middle will provide more grip and prevent your hands from slipping.
3. Wedge rolls
If your life situation calls for parts for laundry, just know that these parts can also work as homemade weights.
A A $10 roll weighs about eight ounces, so two rolls equal one pound. If desired, use a rubber band to secure multiple rolls together.
Opt for plastic quarters instead of paper, which won’t last as well during a sweaty workout.
4. Coffee bags
Coffee bags are probably the smelliest weights you can use, and since they’re bigger and softer than cans, they’re great for people who have trouble gripping hard weights.
You may want one pound bags or until five pound bagsdepending on what you’re doing.
Make sure the bags are tightly closed before you start, so you don’t risk spilling the precious contents.
5. Condiment bottles
A 16-ounce bottle of ketchup makes a perfect house weight of one pound, and bulk pantry containers can be used when you need a heavier option.
A two-liter bottle of olive oil weighs about four pounds.
6. Sacks of rice or grain
Bags of rice or cereal are great replacements for weights – they’re easy to grip and come in a variety of sizes.
You could use one pound bags of rice, two pound bags of cornWhere five pound bags of quinoadepending on your workout (and what you want to cook for dinner that week).
It is easier to grab smaller bags in the middle. Use the larger ones as a single weight by holding them with both hands.
7. Milk containers
A gallon of milk weighs about 8.6 pounds, a half gallon is about 4.3 pounds, and a liter is just over two pounds (yay math!).
You probably have containers of milk in your fridge (plant-based or dairy-based will work), but only use them for weights when they’re full and sealed, so you don’t risk spilling.
Another thing to keep in mind if you opt for these homemade weights: you’ll probably want to save them for shorter workouts in air-conditioned spaces so your milk doesn’t get too hot.
That means this idea works for a quick set of curls, but… not the best option for a HIIT session in the garden on a hot day.
8. Pitchers of laundry soap
If you’re someone who always has extra supplies on hand, this hack is for you: Grab a jar or two of laundry soap and start lifting.
1.5 liter bottles weigh around 3.75 pounds, and those with a handle make it easier to hold.
Just make sure they’re completely filled and sealed – that way they’ll be at their maximum weight and you won’t risk spilling anything.
9. Cast iron skillets
This one might sound a little funny, but a 12.5-inch cast iron skillet weighs about eight pounds, and larger ones can weigh up to 10 pounds.
So these heavy pots are actually great homemade weights for exercises like goblet squats.
Since the size of a cast iron skillet makes it difficult to hold securely in one hand, be sure to grip it firmly with both hands.
