Homemade fitness equipment

I think part of the reason why I'm finally looking forward to exercising and going to the gym is partly due to its giving me more excuses to make things. It also doesn't help that I have a few friends interested in me making them a few pieces of equipment. It gives me enjoyment making things especially for others so I'm not going to complain.

With making a Gada and a pair of clubs, I have found several more things to try making.

I have started working on my strengthening my forearms and grip by doing wrist curls and pinch grips. The 10lb dumbbells at the gym are the perfect size to grab on the end but I won't be able to increase the weight once my grip gets stronger. I have found plans to make a pinch gripper using a hockey puck.

Working on proper form to do the various lifts I'm doing is hard with a broom stick or a piece of pvc pipe. They are simply to light for me. The pipe is great to warm up with doing shoulder passes but I wasn't something with a little weight but not as heavy as a barbell. So weighted pvc pipe training bar is in the near future.

Talking to a buddy about how weak his core muscles are I started looking for something that would help him. Being use to exercising machines that robbed him of strengthening his stabilizer muscles he has a hard time keeping balance while doing squats. Found the perfect solution for him, a slosh tube. A length of pipe 3" - 4" diameter and 6 - 10 feet long sealed on both ends and filled 3/4 of the way with water. Doing squats, lunges, presses, or even waking with thing will force your body to maintain balance.

I also have another design for making a macebell or Gada. I want one that using 2.5lb - 5lb plates so it would be adjustable as one would grow stronger using it. Still having to experiment to see if something will work the way I hope for.

I'm not trying to outfit a complete gym, I'm simply supplementing with a few things I can do while I'm at home. There are days I simply don't feel like going to the gym, mainly after working 12 hours at work. So far I have being able to go to the gym three times a week working around my work schedule. It is nice to knock out a macebell workout and head to bed though.