They're a lot cheaper than regular weights, and surprisingly easy to make.
Gyms might be in the process of reopening across the country, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everybody is going to feel comfortable going and working out around other people yet. And with a number of stores still sold out of fitness equipment following the buying spree at the start of lockdown, not to mention the price of some items, that leaves people who are training at home at something of a disadvantage.
Then again, working out during the pandemic has forced us all to become more creative when it comes to adapting to our new circumstances... so why not try making your own? In a recent tutorial video, YouTuber DIY Duke explained how you can create your own plate weights at home for a fraction of the in-store price. (Duke is the father of YouTube's Buff Dudes, the bodybuilders who built their own home gym from scratch earlier this year, so DIY fitness solutions kind of run in the family.)
All you need to make your own plates is 1 bag of pre-mixed concrete, which costs around $5, a mold, a 2 inch ABS plastic tube, a 5 gallon bucket or wheelbarrow, rebar mesh, some paint or concrete finish, and of course, personal protective equipment. We're not recommending you try this, and a pair of professionally crafted dumbbells will be more durable over the long haul of your training than anything you DIY from plastic.
Duke demonstrates step-by-step how a metal pipe from the junkyard can be used to fashion a mold for the concrete, either by strapping two halves of the circular shape together, or creating a vise-like fixture to hold them in place while the concrete sets.
He places the ABS tubing into the mold to create space where the bar will go through the plate, and then adds the rebar mesh around it prior to the concrete mix, explaining: "If you're going to be dropping the weight onto the ground, that's going to help the concrete stay together."
Then, it's just a case of mixing the concrete, pouring it into the mold, and waiting. Duke smooths off the concrete while it's still setting, then paints the plates black once they're done.
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