DIY Flintstones Budget Homegym - Definitive How-to Guide

Budget: $450 US

Goal: Build a completely DIY home gym as cheaply as possible.

Gym Equipment:

• Concrete Weight Plates
• Wood Squat Rack
• Steel Pipe Barbell
• Plywood Deadlifting Platform
• Weight Tree

Hey folks, gym equipment is too expensive in my area so I built an entire gym from raw materials. Here's how I did it.

These concrete plates are surprisingly tough and can be built at a much more reasonable price than the current retail prices.

I recorded a video guide on how to build these concrete weight plates. Watch it here.

This squat rack design is made from 2x4's glued and fastened together. It's an efficient design that can hold a lot of weight on a budget. To build this squat rack: Follow this Guide

Modification: I created a modular peg design that I can move up and down the rack. I drilled a 1 1/8 inch hole through the race and fastened a 2x4 on the backside of the hole. Then, I used a 3/4 inch steel pipe with a flange at the end to slide it into the hole. This way I can move the peg and place it anywhere up and down the rack.

This bar is made from a 3/4 inch steel pipe which is almost identical to an Olympic bar. The sleeve is made by overlapping various PVC pipes over each other. To build the barbell: Follow this guide.

This platform keeps the noise down and prevents the bar from rolling away.

Materials:

• 4 x 8-foot Plywood
• 46-inch x 4 feet Plywood
• 2x4's Lumber
• Shock absorber: Old carpet or rubber padding or horse stall mats.
• Wood screws (The size will depend on the thickness of the plywood)
• Anti-slip spray

Non-slip:

Spray the smaller plywood piece with a nonslip spray. This piece is the part you will stand on.

Assembly:

1. Center the smaller plywood piece on top of the large one and fasten it with screws
2. Fasten the shock-absorbing material on the sides
3. Fasten the 2x4s around the shock absorber.

This design is cheap and super easy to make. It can hold plates at 5 individual locations. To build this weight tree: Follow this guide.

Modification: Instead of using wood dowels, I used a 3/4 inch steel pipe (1 1/8 inch spade bit) which allows me to load more weight.

I used to manufacture and sell this equipment from my backyard. The business was extremely successful and the demand was unbelievable, I couldn't make the plates fast enough!

I documented everything I learned from my business along with measurements for 5 plate sizes in my ebook. If you're interested, Get the Ebook here. Thanks!