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• Take the empty bucket and pour into it 2 parts of sand and one 1 cement, mix and stir together. Take about 1 tablespoon of white glue and add to a container with about 2 cups of water. Add the water and blue mixture to the sand and cement mixture from step 3.

• If you’ve maxed out on dumbbells, maybe it’s time to take a break and get in some heavy barbell work. (For certain accessory movements, you could also move over to the cable machine and do some really cool and interesting variations with a whole weight stack available to you.)

• It’s true, dumbbell lifts are awesome muscle-builders because they recruit so many different stabilizers and force you to have better mind-muscle connection. But barbell lifts are often better for overall strength development. If you’ve maxed out on dumbbells, maybe it’s time to take a break and get in some heavy barbell work.

Usually, you’ll have to switch to new and more challenging variations to make the lighter weights feel heavier. But there are a few ways to weigh dumbbells down more, including adding chains to your lifts. I’ve got 9 ideas for you so the gains don’t have to stop! 1. Do higher reps I know, I know. This isn’t what you want to hear.

Alright, this is cheating a little bit, but there’s often very little reason to EXCLUSIVELY use dumbbells. Most dumbbell lifts can be subbed out for a barbell lift or variation, and the good thing about barbells (or EZ bars or hammer curl bars) is that they can be loaded up with significantly more weight.

Add chains to the dumbbells You’ve heard of adding chains to the barbell bench press, but you can actually do it with dumbbells too. Chains, when hanging freely off of a weight, can add a significant amount of weight, and will force you to use something called “dynamic effort.”

You won’t be able to do this with every lift, but it’s a great way of getting a little more juice out of your dumbbell bench press, in particular. You’ll likely need a gym buddy or spotter to help you set up the chains properly and safely, especially when you’re using very heavy weighted dumbbells.

DIY Dumbbells

Put leftover water bottles or half-gallon milk jugs to good use by making these dumbbells by The Good Mama. If the small bottles eventually stop being a challenge, simply fill up larger bottles (like one-gallon milk jugs) with water, rocks, or sand, and keep on lifting!Oct 16, 2019

An Axle Bar or "Fat" Bar is exactly what it sounds like. It is a barbell that is thicker than most standard Olympic barbells, typically 2 inches in diameter. Here are a few other things to know about Axle Bars: There is typically no knurling on the bar. Chalk is your only friend here.Mar 6, 2019

The Selectabell is very easy to use, the dial system works flawlessly and they are incredibly comfortable in their use. Another great option if funds allow.Sep 29, 2021

2.4 Inch Thick D.B. Bars for Olympic Plates. Compare the Super Fat Grip Bar directly below with the standard 1-inch dumbbell bar shown further below. With the standard thickness 1-inch bar, the fingers can wrap entirely around the bar, and overlap with the thumb.Jan 23, 2016

SDH/SDH-B # 5 - Sleeve Length: 93mm (3.66") | Overall Length: 13.07" | Weight: 4.03 lbs. | Makes 85, 90, 95 and 100 lb.

Your dumbbell weight requirements will depend on why you're strength-training — whether you're lifting weights for increased strength and endurance, for example, or for power. Women lifting to increase muscle mass can use free weights between 5 and 8 pounds, while men can use 8- to 10-pound dumbbells to start.

Use water bottles or other similar-sized plastic bottles as dumbbells for your upper-body workouts. Use unopened, new water bottles or refill empty bottles with sand or water. ... Or opt for a gallon of water (or repurposed milk jug) and use the handle to make things easier.Mar 30, 2020

Dumbbells are expensive because they're so heavy and drive up shipping costs. They're also limited in supply which makes the price soar when demand for them increases. There are a few ways you can make buying dumbbells cheaper like looking for used sets and buying them after the holidays.Sep 20, 2021

Any exercise you can do with a dumbbell, you can do with a brick. ... Because of the low weight of a standard brick as compared to a large dumbbell, this practice lends itself better to toning and shaping exercises than to building bulk. Use bricks for sets of high repetitions at low weight to get your best results.

• This DIY wooden dumbbell rack is made using repurposed 2x4s and 2x3s. DakotaBusy designed a clean looking build with a shelf on the bottom to hold additional equipment like kettlebells and medicine balls. If you have a lot of dumbbells, this design by EpicDIY is the perfect rack to add to your home gym.

• You'll need a dumbbell mold or a painter's bucket, rebar tie wire, screws, steel pipe, silicone lubricant, wooden blocks, high tensile strength concrete, and lots more. This dumbbell can also be used in a standard gym as one of the dumbbells in the set because of the weight and shape.

• Apply the glue and water mixture with a medium paintbrush to the cement on both sides of the dumbbell. This "painting" of the dumbbells with the glue mixture keeps the cement from coming apart.

• You'll need some bolts, PVC pipe, a plastic container with a lid, and sand. You will fill the container with sand and cover it with the lid. The bolts are meant to keep the PVC pipe from falling off while using the dumbbell. It's quick and easy to make.

While researching equipment, I discovered that the 20" olympic dumbbell handles you commonly see were not designed for home gyms. They were designed for commercial gym owners who wanted heavy dumbbells but didn't want to spend thousands of dollars and floor space on expensive 105-200lb dumbbell sets that will only collect dust most days.

You'll need a dumbbell mold or a painter's bucket, rebar tie wire, screws, steel pipe, silicone lubricant, wooden blocks, high tensile strength concrete, and lots more. This dumbbell can also be used in a standard gym as one of the dumbbells in the set because of the weight and shape.

Apply the glue and water mixture with a medium paintbrush to the cement on both sides of the dumbbell. This "painting" of the dumbbells with the glue mixture keeps the cement from coming apart.

You'll need some bolts, PVC pipe, a plastic container with a lid, and sand. You will fill the container with sand and cover it with the lid. The bolts are meant to keep the PVC pipe from falling off while using the dumbbell. It's quick and easy to make.