So update. It’s really not indestructable. I’m disappointed because I wish it lasts longer. The previous post was written last year, but I did not skip everyday. Not consistent at all. But since I skip on mostly concrete or driveway, the cable wore out. At least the cable won’t be cut near the handles.
I think that’s why Crossrope is selling mats. Or some jumprope has beads. but Crossrope’s mat is ridiculously expensive, beaded jumprope is loud. I guess I’m stuck with the PVC coated cables for now.
I wanted to keep doing drills at home while I can’t go to the gym but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. For slip line drills, I could use my hand wraps but it’s quite annoying if I need to roll it again once I don’t use it and I will probably never do the drill again. I also don’t want hand wraps to be loose in case my kids or cats accidentally play with if I forget to roll it back.
So, I got my materials to make a slip line from dollarama. It will cost $8CAD + tax to buy but I didn’t use all materials which is about $1 or less.
What you will need: Paracord($4 for 50′, I used 1′) bungee cord($4 for 12, I used only 1) box cutter or scissors lighter
1. Once you measure the length between 2 hooks/eye bolts. Then prepare the paracord just a bit longer than your desired length
2. Cut the bungee cord in half
3. Connect each end. In my case, I used the 4th method in this video
4. Use the lighter to melt the end of paracord and bungee cord
I buy jump ropes from dollar stores because it’s probably the cheapest fitness equipment(only $2!!) other than my own body weight. They are my favorate equipment compared to anything because it lets me improve my cardio in any space and they fit right in pants pockets.
I bought it some years ago as a backup then forgot about it..
The problem with them is that they don’t last long. I’m not sure whether it’s the quality or PVC ropes in general but they always snaps. It seems not getting any better because the most recent one snapped after 5 days of use, 6 rounds(3 minutes each, 1 minute rest in between) each day.
It always snaps near the end of the handles.
I got sick of this PVC rope so I had an idea after checking out a local home depot store. There is a PVC coated cable that is same thickness as the PVC rope that was snapped.
I bought it from rona
So I measured the length, cut it, paid at the checkout. I needed 9ft so $8.1CAD + tax so… just about $9.
There I have $11.5CAD (almost) indestructible jump rope!
But this also has some problem…
It’s way heavier than PVC rope so if you are a fast skipper, be aware of the load on your wrist. I do a lot of double unders, my wrists are sore for few weeks. If you are a fast skipper, find a good quality PVC jump rope and maybe invest in a mat to protect your rope being worn out.
I bought exact thickness cable which made it hard to install rope clips(not sure what they are called but the pieces that holds ropes to stop them from slipping out). You may want to bring the handle to check the fit because you may need thinner cable than you think.
Even though the cable is very strong, it’s still worn out. Once the PVC coat is worn, the cable is exposed. It will take a long time to break and that’s why I mentioned it’s almost indestructible. But it’s quite cool to spark up on concrete ground though. 🙂
Once the cable is exposed, be careful of cable threads(or fibers?). They can cut or poke your skin, clothes and it can be uglier than cuts from knives or papers.
Materials: 1. 8 SUV tires (compact cars’ tires won’t be good because they are too light and don’t have thick sidewalls) 2. Hex bolts, washers, nuts x 21 (I’ve gotten 5/16″. Because the tire walls are thick, get longer than 1.5″ full threaded bolts, not partial. They are my only purchase for this, under $35CAD) 3. Masking tape, sharpie and a cutter knife 4. A stubby phillips screwdriver 5. Hand drill, 1/2″ drill bit (I’ll explain later) 6. A socket, ratchet socket wrench, adjustable wrench 7. Vacuum cleaner I’ve collected 8 tires for free from local mechanic shops. Since they are different sized, the bigger the tire is, the lower it’s going to be in the stack.
Once that’s done, label them so you know the order.
I’ve gotten 21 sets of bolts, washers and nuts to secure 8 tires.. so I will need 3 sets between tires. Put a tire on another, check the alignment, then use the masking tape to mark 3 corners. Try marking with the tape as straight as possible.
It’s going to make your life easier when you label each corner so that you don’t have to find it again later. Cut the masking tape. After that, put the upper tire down but upside down. We need to drill upper one first.
Before drilling a hole, put longer masking tape for each corner as an extension so that you know where you will drill. I chose a bigger drill bit than the bolt size because those SUV tires(one was a truck tire) has strong sidewalls, so even with a bigger hole, there will be some struggle. ** A tip. Clean the rubber bits every time you drill the tires. If you don’t, those rubber bits will go everywhere. Even on you hair! **
After drilling 3 corners of upper tire, put the upper tire on the lower one and align it again. Get the stubby screwdriver. It’s time to mark on the lower tire.
Find a hole from the inside of the upper tire. Poke through the hole as straight as possible. If you don’t, the bolt would be slanted, hard to secure well because of strong sidewalls. Do this for all 3 corners and put the upper tire down again.
You will see a small mark on the lower tire. That’s where you should be drilling. After that, put the upper tire on the lower one, align them again. Now it’s time to secure them with bolts, washers and nuts. Use wrenches to fasten them real tight, they will get loose over time.
I like the idea of getting fitter for cheap, Fit4Less in Canada is a great option among budget friendly gyms. BUT I would like to pay lesser! So I have purchased some fitness equipment that is small, cheap, light in order to keep them in a duffle bag. That’s right, my home gym can stay at home, but also get carried anywhere I go!
I have purchased few items over time(probably for some years), and here are the most useful ones!
1. Yoga mat You can find them from any dollar stores or get nice ones like lululemon, but I’m cheap so I got one for $10 CAD. It was actually my wife’s, but I took it because she doesn’t use it… then it’s FREE! I can use it for stretching, bodyweight exercise, knee pad for ab wheels, sound proofing mat for cardio, nap pad, etc. One of the best $10 purchase in my life.
2. Ab wheel I believe I bought it at Canadian Tire for $15. It looks very similar to this one, and it’s great. It will make your whole core work! I cannot even do a standing rollout yet so that’s what I would love to try.
3. Jump rope When I learned boxing, skipping was the most effective way to keep my cardio than running because you are constantly stepping in and out, changing angles. If your calf muscles are weak, you get tired, your legs get slow, you lose balance easily. I’ve bought several PVC jump ropes from dollar stores but they never lasted long so I bought this steel wire one for $17CAD. I got a timer app on my phone for 6 rounds of 3 minutes, 1 minute break in between. it’s only 18 minutes but I do slow, fast skipping and double under as interval, so it’s hard!
4. Exercise ball Another cheap purchase under $20CAD. It folds when deflated, light enough so that my kids can even hold up! I use this for stretching or relaxation but also for a lot of core workout. I’m trying to finish alphabet from A to Z while plank and squat on a ball at least 15 reps.
5. Shoes I have 2 pairs of shoes for exercise, 1 for running and the other for boxing. My boxing shoes are about $50CAD including shipping from Korea but I got them from my parents, so FREE 🙂 They are light and the soles are thin, flat so they are great for steps. I used to have a pair of high top boxing shoes, but it just takes forever to put them on and take off 😦 So I love this mid top. My running shoes are New Balance Men’s Fuelcore Quick, They were about $60CAD. They are like feathers, flexible but still supporting. I run 5-7K, 2-3 times a week, so far I had no issues.
6. Resistance bands A bag of bands, anchor, ankle straps and handles for $50… I don’t use it often and I’m not fully satisfied by how those bands aren’t really same as real weights… but I do use it occasionally. They still fit in my duffle bag and I can use it anytime, anywhere. I use them for core workout, shoulder recovery movement, strength workout for swimming or punching. I didn’t snap any of the bands yet!
7. Boxing gloves A fine pair of gloves costed about $50CAD. They aren’t Twins, Grant, Rival or any of named, but I don’t need them since I am not really fighting anyways. I’m old :). They aren’t worn out yet even though I hit tires… I’d say they are finer than I expected.
Quite a list of what I own, right? They still fit in my big duffle bag! The cost is about $300, but I gathered them for years… I’d say they are good purchase for a minimal home gym. Fit4Less costs about $3-400 a year so I had a sweet deal. To be honest, I can use my body weight and don’t need any of the items above and save more money, but they are nice things to have and I use many of them very often.
Now, there are equipment that doesn’t fit in a duffle bag.
1. 40lbs heavy bag I bought it secondhand for $40 on facebook. I wanted a heavy bag to hit but I realized that 40lbs is a bit too light and the basement ceiling is a bit too low, so I use this as a weight for squats or press. I may add straps to be able to do some rows too.
2. DIY Balance board My friend and I made this balance board with 3/8 inches plywood and a 4 inch ABS pipes you can find at any hardware stores. The plan is very similar to this blog post. It is fun to learn how to balance on it and do squats, push ups, plank. The cost was about $50.
3. DIY standing heavy bag I’ve always wanted to have one but the price went from $200 to over $500 during COVID… So I made one! I got some old tires from local mechanic shops, drilled holes and secured with bolts, nuts and washers purchased from https://canadabolts.ca/. Make sure you get the right size, length bolts… My order was about $45 including shipping, so I saved about 90%!
4. Kids Yes, that’s right. My 10 years old and 6 years old kids. I use them as weights and they love it! They aren’t certainly free depending on how much they eat and don’t forget about the education programs we do for them… they aren’t cheap!!! 🙂 But the joy of listening to their laughter while I do squats and press makes everything even. AND they grow too 🙂
5. Pullup bar This doorway pullup bar was amazon returned product so I purchased it cheaper($75CAD) than the original price($120). It did have the original box and everything looked brand new. The most important part was that I was looking for a pullup bar that I can set up on the door frame quickly and it is elevated so that I don’t have to bend my legs up to 90 degrees. This is not the ideal pullup bar but at the same time I can just take it down and put it at a corner. I should do more of pullups!!
6. Staircase and door frames My most expensive home gym equipment is….. the home itself!! I won’t leave any details how much the rent we pay but I use stairs to do some leg workout, end of finished floor(or fascia?) for my grip strength(I just hold onto the edge of fascia until failure) or hanging leg raises, door frames to anchor my resistence bands or set up the pullup bar.
pretty random archives 