Introduction: DIY Flintstones Budget Homegym - Definitive How-to Guide

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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.

Step 1: Fiber-reinforced Concrete Weight Plates

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.

Step 2: Wooden Squat Rack

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.

Step 3: Steel Pipe Barbell

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.

Step 4: Plywood Deadlift Platform

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.

Step 5: Weight Tree

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.

Step 6: Backyard Business

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!