Make 5-lb Ankle Weights From Pennies

Make Your Own 5-lb Ankle Weight

Materials:

1.        30 small elastic hair bands

2.       Cloth strip approximately  5.5” wide x 10’ long

3.       5-lbs of US pennies

Step 1:  Count out pennies.  According to parkpennies.com, zinc core pennies weigh 2.5 grams each, and you will need 181 pennies per pound.

Step 2:  Cut or piece together 10-foot long strip of lightweight cloth, 5.5-inches wide.  Muslin worked great.

Step 3:  Sew cloth strip into a tube.  Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, and stitch up the long side.  Sew a double second row of stitches about 1/8” away from first seam for added strength.  Machine or hand sewing will both work fine. 

Step 4:  Take an elastic hair band, double it, and slide it over the tube.  Slide the hair band up along the tube until you have a tail about 2-feet long.  This will be one of two ties used to fasten the weight to your ankle.

Step 5:  Pour 30 pennies into the other end of the tube.  Lift tube so the pennies slide down through the tube to rest on the first elastic band. 

Repeat filling the tube with batches of 30 pennies separated by elastic bands.  Finish with 29 filled penny compartments.  Trim second tail to approximately 2-feet.

Step 6:  Wrap the finished weight around your ankle and tie in place with the tails.  Exercise as you wish!