If you are currently unable to access your gym gear, you don’t need to abandon the strength training routine. And you don’t have to spend too much money to set up your own weight training room at home, either. You can reuse common items and even other exercise equipment to use as substitutes for dumbbells.
This is great news for all newlyweds, because strength training helps build muscles and make everyday tasks easier (think about carrying food, lifting children, etc.). It also counteracts the loss of muscle mass that comes with aging. So if you find yourself without a pair of weights, try one of these creative options.
Canned products
Use canned soups, peas, or beans from the pantry as a dumbbell alternative. Hold one in each hand and use them for bicep curls, tricep extensions, or chest press.
Smaller cans are easier to hold, but if you can hold them securely, switch to larger cans when exercise is too easy. Is it still very easy? Fill a bag with several cans and hold them while doing squats, strides, and deadlifts.
Full water bottles
Use water bottles or other similarly sized plastic bottles as weights for upper body workouts. Use new unopened water bottles or fill empty bottles with sand or water. If you fill them, use the type with a screw cap for security reasons.
Hourglass-shaped bottles are easier to grip, especially for smaller hands. Or choose a carafe of water (or a reused milk jug) and use the handle for easy grip.
Textbooks
Thick, heavy books are a good substitute for weights at home, in the office, or anywhere you can find them. If you want to exercise both arms at the same time, look for books of approximately the same weight.
If you only have one book or can’t find two similar ones, exercise one arm first, then the other. Use a big book, like a complete dictionary, like a single heavyweight. And just like canned goods, you can also fill a bag with books or do exercises like push-ups and Bulgarian squats on a stack of books.
Ankle weights
Go to the old school and use ankle weights as a substitute for dumbbells. Make them easier to grip and less flexible by holding them in a loop. Once you’ve linked them up, you can use them in any of your regular weighted exercises, including your upper body exercises. If you have the removable weight type, start with a light weight and increase as you get stronger.
Resistance bands
Elastic training bands can replace weights to give you a full upper and lower body workout. The bands come in different strengths, similar to different dumbbell weights. They are perfect for transporting, they are light and easy to pack even in a carry-on bag.
Laundry detergent
Grab an extra large bottle of laundry detergent the next time you stock up on essential items for shoulder presses, side lifts, or single-leg deadlifts. Like other items on this list, you may have to exercise one side at a time, or you can hold a single bottle across your chest for exercises like deep squats.
Product bags
If you’ve been shopping in bulk and have bags of oranges, apples, or onions, you can use them in some of your favorite weight-bearing exercises. Try them out on a kettlebell swing.
Other ideas
Although the above items are probably in your house right now, there are some other less common options that you are less likely to have (but who knows!).
- Paint cans
- Bags of sand, rocks or concrete mix.
- Concrete blocks
- Packed suitcase
- Buckets of water (or sand)
- Feed sacks
- Bar umbrella base
- Empty cylinder
Although many athletes do two or three sets of each exercise in a workout, a single set of 12 repetitions is sufficient to help you develop strength. The most important thing is security. Take special care when lifting heavy weights, such as large books or large bottles filled with sand. Wear appropriate clothing for exercise, including sneakers. Do not try to lift huge cans or other heavy items that you cannot safely grip.
