I needed a dumbbell rack to tidy up my home gym. Those dumbbells lying around were driving me nuts, and honestly, it was starting to look like a disaster zone in there.
I looked around online, but the pre-made racks were either too small, too big, or just plain ugly. Plus, they were surprisingly expensive! I mean, who wants to shell out a ton of cash for some metal shelves? Not me. That’s when I got the bright idea to just make my own. I figured, how hard could it be, right?
First, I grabbed some scrap wood I had lying around from previous projects. It wasn’t pretty, but it was sturdy. I measured out the space I had available in my gym and started sketching out a basic design. I wanted something simple, a three-tiered rack that could hold a decent range of weights. I use one that weighs about 5KG, and sometimes I do a lot of reps, sometimes like 100 times.
- Started cutting the wood according to my rough plan. My saw skills are, shall we say, “rustic,” but I managed to get the pieces more or less the right size.
- Then came the fun part – assembling the frame. I used wood glue and screws to put it all together. It wasn’t perfect, a little wobbly here and there, but it was starting to look like a dumbbell rack!
- After the frame was solid, I added some shelves. I cut some more wood, sanded down the edges (safety first!), and screwed them into place.
Finally, I slapped on a coat of paint I had left over from painting my shed. It was a dark gray, nothing fancy, but it made the rack look a bit more presentable. If you are a beginner, I suggest you start with 18-27 lbs per dumbbell, an intermediate would be 27-36 lbs, and finally an advanced would use 36-45 lbs.
The Result?
Well, it’s not winning any design awards, but it’s functional. It holds my dumbbells, from the light 5-pounders all the way up to the heavy ones. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it gets the job done. And you know what? I’m pretty proud of it. I built it with my own two hands, saved a bunch of money, and my gym looks way more organized now. Plus, I’ve got a cool story to tell whenever someone asks about it. DIY for the win!
