Modern life, on the one hand, deprives a person of most natural physical activities; on the other hand, it throws bundles of psychological and emotional loads at him. Therefore, absolutely everyone needs to keep themselves in good, at least physical shape. To the credit of the current generation, we can say that now most people understand: a healthy mind in a healthy body. They also soon begin to understand: physical exercises, dumbbells and wrist expanders are not enough; you need to work more with weights on apparatus and machines, so at least a bench is required.
Not just spirit
A healthy body is also necessary for a developed mind. Physically undeveloped outstanding scientists, engineers, creative intelligentsia, top managers and businessmen are the exception rather than the rule. Leo Tolstoy at 60 was spinning the sun on a horizontal bar. Niels Bohr, the one in school textbooks, was a famous football player who played for the Danish national team. Things got funny with him: when Bohr was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, of course, the Copenhagen Tagebladette published a note saying, it’s good, our forward was given a Nobel Prize for football. And a “nerd” in “physics” often turns out to be one in areas of activity that require mental effort.
The abdominal muscles are known to be more difficult to pump than others, because... their ends are not directly connected to the bones. At home, doing abdominal pumping without special equipment, it won’t take long before you get a hernia. Therefore, you need a bench for the press. Structurally, both apparatuses are most often combined into one, with the possibility of conversion for certain sets of exercises.
Sports benches are not technologically complex products. There are enough descriptions of them in RuNet, but more in the spirit of: choose the drawings, and then - this is how you have to saw, pound like this, screw like this. A person who cares about his physical development, as a rule, knows how to operate a tool. But how to choose a prototype so that your training benefits? How to modify it to suit your biomechanics and biometrics? Which sample is more suitable for certain groups of exercises?
This publication is devoted to the questions of how to make a bench for exercises in the preferred direction of physical development with your own hands, using a reasonably chosen model, and then, based on it, a home exercise machine. Those who intend to prove themselves in sports or bodybuilding by working out in it will not be ashamed to come to a well-equipped professional gym. In the meantime, the material is designed for beginner athletes and simply for people who understand: you can and should use the benefits of civilization, but letting them turn you into a twitchy “teapot” or a swollen kettle is wrong.
Note: the problem of home sports activities has recently become more and more acute in rural areas - “physics” is decreasing there, stress is increasing, and a well-equipped gym is sometimes far away.
DIY ab roller
The ab roller is the simplest, most effective exercise tool that many people use. It's quite simple to make.
Effective exercises with a roller for the press for beginners, men and women, are in this article.
The main part for such a device is a wheel with a diameter of about 10-20 cm. This spare part from a stroller, children's bicycle or large toy is quite suitable. The second necessary part is a metal tube (you can also use a plastic pipe or a piece of wooden cutting). The length of this element is at least 30 cm, and the diameter is at least 3 cm (it should be as close as possible to the hole).
The simplest assembly method is when the tube is threaded into the hole in the wheel and secured on both sides with electrical tape. You can come up with other fastenings, for example, by putting a plastic bottle cap on each side.
There is another option on how to make an abdominal exercise machine with your own hands. This will make the design more reliable. To do this, take a metal rod with a threaded thread, thread it through the hole in the wheel and secure it with nuts. For convenience, we put two pieces of irrigation hose on it on each side.
As you can see, you can make home exercise equipment yourself, and you don’t have to buy expensive equipment that many stores offer. You just need to stock up on the necessary materials, spend a little time and effort, then you can fully equip your sports corner for comfortable and effective training.
Share in the comments if you have tried making sports equipment with your own hands, and what equipment you would like to make yourself.
What to choose from
A home bench press bench is most often included in a compact exercise machine or is itself a multifunctional sports equipment. Regular exercisers will probably end up with a simulator, so when choosing a prototype bench, you need to keep in mind what it will acquire later. The most common designs of sports simulators are 4-, 3-, and 2-support. “Support” in this case does not mean the number of points of contact with the floor (usually there are at least 4 of them, for stability), but the number of vertical force connections in the structure; it largely determines the capabilities of the projectile.
Types of home exercise equipment
4-support projectiles, pos. 1 in Fig., are intended for developed athletes who operate with large, over 100 kg, weights. The racks for the barbell are located in them at the level of the shoulders of the person lying down, which greatly reduces the risk of injury: a barbell collapsing with the bar on the chest is very serious. 4-support exercise machines are heavy, cumbersome, and you can’t exercise with heavy weights in an apartment: falling on the floor, they give an instantaneous load of 5-8 of their weights, and the load-bearing capacity of the floors is 250 kg/sq. m.
For domestic conditions, 3-support exercise machines are intended, simple and with additional levers for weights, leg supports, athletic desks, etc., pos. 2 and 3. To ensure that the bar of the barbell in a 3-support machine also falls at shoulder level, their benches are made to “break”: it is dangerous to pick up the barbell with your hands behind your head. Therefore, in terms of dimensions, 3-support simulators are generally no smaller than 4-support ones, excluding those in which the barbell is taken from the approach, see below. The permissible working weight in 3-support equipment is usually 100-120 kg, including the trainee’s body weight.
A 2-support exercise machine is actually a bench for the press. For different groups of exercises, horizontal and inclined benches are needed, pos. 4 and 5: on a horizontal bench the abs swing, and on an inclined bench the lumbar muscles are also well loaded. A more complex structurally universal bench, pos. 6, serves in both capacities.
Note: You can also do initial sets of hyperextension exercises on an incline bench, see below.
The most advanced type of sports benches is a transforming bench with a breakable board, the inclination of the parts of which is individually adjustable, pos. 7. The transforming bench can be supplemented with a stand for a block with a load, a desk, pos. 8 and other devices. It makes sense to do one for yourself right away if you have the necessary working skills: then adding a barbell rack to the bench, we get a complete analogue of a 4-support exercise machine, only with less weight, pos. 9.
Erroneous design of a transformable sports benchNote: a common mistake when making transformable sports benches yourself is to make them according to a power circuit, as in Fig. on right. When performing exercises, significant forces arise, tending to “spread the bench of the legs,” and the welds turn out to be unreliable. In order for a projectile of this type to become durable, its supporting beams must be connected with a longitudinal beam, or two, from the same pipe.
Comparison of the cost of the materials used and the cost of purchasing a new simulator
As a result, we spent about 10 thousand rubles on all the material, provided that we use only high-quality materials.
Now let’s look at the average prices for new inventory:
- Olympic barbell with a set of weights for 120 kg. Rubber protection will cost you about 50 thousand rubles.
- The price for a pair of dumbbells of 20 kg is 15,000 rubles.
- The average price of a bench press is from 5 thousand.
- Punching bag from 3.5 thousand. As a result, we save more than 70 thousand rubles.
Special benches
A special type of sports equipment is benches for hyperextensive exercises. Their goal is to achieve leanness and flexibility without gaining excessive muscle mass. In fact, hyperextension can be done on a large ball, or just on a mat, but the best results are obtained on a special bench.
Hyperextension benches
Benches for hyperextension, due to anatomical and physiological differences, are available for men and women, see fig. A strong Amazon can do hyperextension exercises on a men’s bench, but ladies whose goal is to get rid of riding breeches, have a slender posture and a flat stomach only need a women’s bench for hyperextension, on the left side of the trail. rice. To start getting yourself in order without risking your reproductive health, it’s still better to sit on an inclined bench with a curved board, or do press exercises with a weight, also sitting on a special bench, on the right.
Special benches for sports exercises
Note: drawings of a hyperextension bench with height adjustment are given in Fig. Materials – profile pipe 40x25x2, 35x15x1.5 and round 25x1.5; desk made of plywood 12-14 mm. For desk lining, see below.
Bench drawings for hyperextension exercises
Development of the pectoral muscles
To perform the element correctly, sit comfortably on the exercise machine bench and adjust the seat to your height. Press the spine tightly against the back of the projectile. Squeeze your shoulder blades towards each other and move your chest forward slightly.
Grasp the handles of the machine so that a 90-degree angle is formed between your forearms and shoulders. This position will allow physical activity to involve the area of the pectoral muscles, rather than the arms.
Start slowly moving your arms towards each other until your hands are next to each other. At the moment of tension of all pectoral muscles, stay in a static position for 2 seconds, then, as you exhale, perform the extension of the handles of the simulator.
Arm raises are performed in 3-4 sets of 10 repetitions until the chest muscles begin to noticeably contract. Gradually, in fitness training, you can increase the load by adding the number of repetitions.
If you change the angle of the machine chair, different areas of the chest will be worked out. A slight inclination of 10-15 degrees will exert physical stress on the serratus muscle. Bent over exercises of about 30-45 degrees will stress the pectoralis minor muscle. This way the development of the pectoral muscles will occur most evenly.
About sizes
Here in Fig. The dimensions of 3-support exercise machines for people of average height are given. On the left is a fully functional one with a removable desk, hand and foot levers. The main materials are corrugated pipe 60x40x2 and round pipe 30x2; stop for lifting the board – pipe 20x2. The board is 16 mm plywood with sheathing, as described below.
Dimensions of home exercise equipment for people of average height
On the right is a simple compact one. The height of the bench above the floor is selected individually, measuring from the heel firmly planted on the floor to the inner bend of the knee joint. Basic materials as in the previous case; The adjustable rear leg allows you to transform the apparatus for seated exercises. But remember: the barbell from this simulator should only be lifted from the approach!
Exercise "Butterfly": benefits, recommendations and technique
The Butterfly exercise machine is a professional power exercise of moderate intensity. Using this device, you can perform a wide range of exercises to work the chest, back, abdominal muscles, as well as to develop the muscles of the shoulder girdle and core.
The peculiarity of the equipment is the ability to perform movements of various amplitudes, due to which the athlete successfully controls his actions during the entire fitness training. Physical load is distributed over the muscles due to rhythmic progressive movements: arms bent at the elbow joints should be spread in opposite directions and brought back in front of you. These movements are similar to the flapping of a butterfly's wings, which is why the projectile got its name.
The Butterfly trainer is equipped with a metal frame with a spacious seat and two handles. Modern compact configurations of the projectile allow you not only to perform classic “Butterfly” exercises, but can also work the calf muscles.
Various benches
The simplest, but also remarkably durable sports bench, the “Hippolytovka”, can be made according to the drawing in Fig. flooring – durable board from 40 mm. Those who took the young fighter course in the army are well acquainted with it; at least in past times. The “spirits” of the townspeople soon began to look at the Ippolitovka with amazement and apprehension: how many different exercises, it turns out, can be done on it! And it fits perfectly into the 4-support simulator.
Sports shop frame
On the trail. rice. – inclined bench for the press. Due to its compactness and usefulness, it won’t hurt to have a separate one if there is enough space in your home. Due to the absence of right angles, the material is weaker - 40x40 corrugated pipe. Foot rests – 10 mm rod with threaded ends, rubberized to the required size. The rubber couplings are removable: the lower stop is adjustable, and the top one can be removed if you need to do exercises in which it interferes.
Drawings of an incline bench for the press
Next in Fig. – compact power bench with racks for barbells. Exercises on it are done mainly while sitting. You can also pump up your abs by deeply arching your back. In this case, the foot rests will be the transverse beam A, and then it needs to be covered with something soft or put on a rubber coupling. The materials are 40x40 corrugated pipe, and the rod holders are made of steel strip with a thickness of 6 mm.
Compact weight bench
The next example is an athletic bench for strong guys who can confidently handle a barbell of weight equal to their own, the so-called. Scott's desk. The materials, respectively, are corrugated pipe 60x60x2.5 and 50x50x2. The neck holders are made of the same strip as in the previous one. case; seat and table made of plywood from 20 mm.
Bench with desk for weight training
Several simulators
How to tightly connect a hippolyte bench with a barbell rack, turning it into a fairly compact 4-support exercise machine, is shown on the left in Fig. There on the right are the dimensions and design of the transforming bench for the same frame. The main material here and there is 40x60 corrugated pipe. Let's talk about the rack clamps with rod holders below.
Home exercise machine and transforming bench for it
On the trail. rice. – drawings with a bill of material for a simple 3-support stationary non-adjustable exercise machine with a horizontal bench. It is more suitable for private households with a sufficient usable area. The highlight of this design is the connection of the far leg of the bench with its supporting beam with a link at 45 degrees. Thanks to the optimal distribution of operational loads, it was possible to make a projectile on which you can do exercises with weights of more than 100 kg, from a 50x50 corrugated pipe.
Simple three-legged home exercise machine
Finally, further in Fig. – drawings and specifications of elements for a full-functional home exercise machine with a transforming bench for bench press and abs. Notice the node highlighted in red. This is the simplest and most reliable way to fix barbell racks for use at home. The locking pins (with a diameter of 12 mm or more) will, of course, wear out little by little, but they will never jam or bite.
Full-featured home exercise machine
More about the barbell
As already mentioned, a barbell that is not supported by weight can cause severe injuries, even death. And in such cases it is unrealistic to direct its neck into the holders. But it’s realistic to provide 2 pieces of chain, securely fastened to the rod racks. At the other ends of the chains there are carbines, they are thrown onto the bar. The length of the chain safety links is taken such that, holding the barbell with fully extended arms, the chains sag, but the bar of the released bar does not reach the chest. To prevent the carabiners from slipping on the bar, it is enough to tape them with tape. Suddenly the barbell collapses, the tape, of course, won’t hold up, both carabiners will move to one end of the bar, but the result will be fear and, possibly, a broken floor.
About wooden athletic benches
You cannot train with barbells on wooden sports equipment; their design will not hold up. But in situations that arise as a result of the awkwardness of the trainee, wood “radiates” through the body much less sensitively than metal. Therefore, it is preferable for beginners and minors to use wooden benches for bench press and abs. In addition, wooden sports benches and exercise equipment can be built at the dacha or in a country house from leftover building materials.
Drawings of an inclined wooden bench for the press
The design of an inclined wooden bench for the press and the specifications for it are shown in Fig., and on the next. rice. – drawings of a wooden exercise machine with an inclined bench and a lever for leg exercises with a load. In order for the tree to support operational loads, a block system for hanging loads is used: they hang on the descending branches of cable A. Cross beams B are rubber-coated steel.
Wooden home exercise machine
Features of choosing a simulator for self-assembly
Before making this or that sports equipment, you need to understand what goal you want to achieve and what muscles you need to work. To improve your figure, a little imagination and skill will be enough to make your own strength training machine.
It is also worth determining in advance the place for future training. Naturally, it is best to exercise outdoors, but for this you need to find free space to place sports equipment. However, it is worth taking into account another factor - weather changes. Therefore, the most favorable place is a small room - a garage, basement or attic.
So, all that remains is to find the exercise machines and their diagrams, drawings and start making your own small gym. In addition, you can assemble several simple and effective exercise machines that would fit in a small area and exercise regularly.
About covering boards and seats
The boards and seats of industrial sports equipment are covered with leatherette or plastic for a similar purpose on an elastic lining. Such covering is durable, but does not prevent the reabsorption of sweat, which is in no way beneficial; This is why modern sports uniforms are made in 2 layers, with a mesh that immediately removes sweat directly from the skin.
In gyms, this lack of cladding does not have a noticeable effect, because... the gym is equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation (PVV) and air conditioning. At the very least, it must be equipped in accordance with sanitary standards. It is not always possible to exercise at a comfortable temperature at home, and it is simply technically impossible to arrange PVV in many city apartments. Therefore, it is advisable to cover homemade athletic benches in the form of such a “pie”, following from the base outward:
- Microporous rubber with a thickness of 12 mm;
- Furniture foam rubber with density 45 (grade 45) with a thickness of 8 mm;
- Sintepon with a thickness of 7 mm;
- Denim or material like the old-style flannelette soldier's blanket.
The rubber damper is glued to the base with Moment glue or hot glue from a glue gun. The remaining layers of sheathing are folded to the underside and pinned with a furniture stapler. The disadvantage of such cladding is that it needs to be changed once a year, at the end of spring; the rubber layer remains. The soft layers will not harden, perhaps within 3-4 years, but according to sanitary and hygienic requirements, the service life of the textile lining should be reduced to a year.
Homemade kettlebell for the home gym
The simplest version of this equipment is a plastic canister with a comfortable handle. It can be filled with sand, gravel or small coins. You can cast the product yourself, making a metal body and lead “insides”. But you should not create a projectile entirely from lead, since this metal can cause harm to the skin if it comes into contact.
There are a couple more simple ways to make a kettlebell with your own hands:
- We put three strong bags inside each other, fill them with filler, and give the product the desired shape using tape. How it will look, look at the photo below;
- We roll up a small diameter tube into a handle shape. Make a cut in a ball with a dense shell (a basketball would be best), put large bolts and metal scraps inside, and pour in the concrete mixture. We fix the handle in it, connecting its ends to each other. Then we close the incision tightly. The disadvantage of such a weight is that it will be difficult to calculate its exact weight.
Sports ball
To make crafts you should use:
- white threads;
- PVA glue;
- balloon;
- a set of paints.
First you need to inflate the balloon. After this, it is wrapped with a large number of threads, the craft is treated with glue, and wait until it dries completely. The balloon is then deflated. As a result, only a frame made of thread remains.
After this, the ball must be colored in accordance with the desired sport. The volleyball ball is decorated with blue and yellow stripes, the soccer ball is decorated with black slots. When making a volleyball you will need orange threads and black stripes.
Elliptical trainers (leg load)
In the modern classification of available models, we can note the presence of compact, stationary, folding, mechanical, magnetic and electromagnetic exercise machines, both for beginners and professionals.
Exercise machines equipped with a magnetic system are a continuation of the development of technology of mechanical models, which are now considered obsolete because they made noise during operation. A pleasant innovation is the new principle of operation of the simulator, the action of which is based on magnetic attraction and repulsion. Its electromagnetic filling allows for precise settings, providing varying degrees of load.
In particular, the flywheel can be located in front, behind and in the middle of the device. New stationary models are usually equipped with a flywheel at the front, and the most compact representatives of the class are modeled with a centered module.
The stride length can be strictly defined or adjustable. This is very convenient when you need to adjust the settings of the device to suit the growth of the student and protect the joints from overload.
Cost of elliptical trainers?
Practice shows that you can purchase within 15-20 thousand rubles. At the same time, the highest quality model can cost more than 50.
People say that having a simulator that simulates skiing in your arsenal gives you the real feeling of walking with outdoor equipment. Some people compare the exercises to running on waves, while others find in them a feeling of flying.
Why you shouldn't buy an inexpensive model
In general, if you decide to purchase an elliptical trainer model for home use, then approach the purchase issue with special care, taking into account not only the price criterion, but also its functional contents.
Ski simulators
Ski simulators
The ski simulator is designed to teach skiing techniques. It’s not suitable for training already experienced skiers, but putting a beginner on the ski track is fine.
Cost from 30 thousand rubles.
Virtual ski simulator Representative models: SkyTechVR, Russian development Skytec, Sky Tec Leader Pro.
One of the most important questions from readers is what are the names of the simulators that allow you to train like skiing. Most likely this question applies to several popular ski simulators:
Using a movable system of skis (or a snowboard), the student can reproduce all the basic movements corresponding to the descent from the mountain, and large screens are installed in front of his eyes, complementing the picture with mountain landscapes or views of the Olympic slopes.
What can be worked out?
- Start learning to descend not with the traditional “plow” technique, but immediately with parallel skiing;
- Learning the basics of carving riding (cut arcs);
- Obtaining the skill of edging skis - a special angle of inclination in the knee joint and hip joint, the purpose of which is to place the ski on the edges (lateral edge).
A similar ski simulator costs from 1,300,000 rubles. Half an hour of training in a specialized club - 1,500 rubles.
Applique with swimmers
Cardboard is used as a basis for appliqué. It is on this that all the necessary parts are glued. First you need to take blue colored paper. Then it needs to be cut into long uneven strips (they will represent the water in the pool). After this, the swimmers are cut out. Their face will be a white circle, their body will be a small rectangle of any color, and their arms will be white stripes.
Most of the cardboard is sealed with blue stripes. The existing swimmers are carefully glued on top of them. A judge and spectators are depicted on a blank piece of cardboard.
Such an application involves the child using several performance techniques at once. It is quite simple: the implementation of such an idea does not involve any difficulties.
Assembly work
Well, now let’s proceed directly to assembling the unit. In most cases, it makes sense to make it 50-80 cm high. In this case, to give stability to the projectile, it is advisable to tilt the front post outward. The length of the bar for attaching the legs is fixed directly under the athlete. Since everyone's height is different, it is advisable to make it adjustable. Some drawings of simulators imply rigid fastening, others - hinged, that is, movable. The length of the legs of the simulator is selected individually and can vary from 40 to 70 cm. It is impractical to make legs that are too high. It is better to stop at 50-60 cm. It is advisable to put rubber pads on the ends of the pipes, which will slightly increase stability. It is better to further strengthen the central pillar with a gusset. All metal parts of the frame are connected to each other by welding.
Competition figurine
Making such figures is a fairly easy option. The easiest way is to take a doll and add the appropriate attributes. If you make a swimsuit out of a balloon for the toy and put a ribbon in her hand, Barbie will turn into an elegant gymnast. A small teddy bear can be dressed in a kimono.
Note! You can also use existing mascots at sporting competitions. Everyone knows what symbols were used during the Winter Olympic Games held in Sochi.
Important nuances during manufacturing
Light and reliable materials should be used to make the machine. Carry out work observing safety precautions. The homemade design must meet the dimensions and requirements, otherwise in the future it will be impossible to process the equipment correctly.
When starting to manufacture the device, you need to make sure that the necessary parts are prepared. Choose dry boards for the structure so that over time they do not “sag” when dry. Precision in creation will allow the inventory to be processed correctly.
It will not be possible to create a homemade design without a drawing.
