Household Objects You Can Use as Weights

Using books as weights
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

If you don’t have sports equipment at home, it can sometimes seem harder to strength train outside of calisthenics. While nothing is a direct substitute for gym weights or barbells, there are plenty of household items of different weights that you can lift instead. Here are some things around the house that you can hold while working out to build strength.

Cans

One great object you may have lying around is cans of food, like canned vegetables, canned soup, or canned peaches. These are heavy because they are usually filled with dense liquid, and they come in a variety of weights. Due to their size and shape, they are convenient to hold in your hands.

Books

Books also come in many different sizes and weights and are stackable as well. You can put some books on your back while you do pushups, for example, or fill a bag to put on your back to make a cardio session more challenging or to lift during squats. They can also be useful for balance exercises.

Water Bottles

The nice thing about a water bottle is that you can fill it as much or as little as you like for more control of its weight. Water bottles are also a great shape for holding like a barbell.