DIY Fitness Club

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Eccentric Weight Releaser Hooks

PJ

INTRODUCTION

This was one of the most satisying projects that that I have ever done. I love these things!

Cost

So you can make these for as cheap as $55. Here is the breakdown:

  1. $15 — 8 foot piece of 4x4 Lumber (you will not need all 8 feet though)

  2. $6 — TWO 3/4” Floor Flanges

  3. $30 — TWO 36” Long 3/4” Plumbing Nipples

  4. $4 — TWO 1” spring clamps (which means one clamp on top of each block only - the ones under the blocks are technically unnecessary)

Total: $55

Of course I added a few bells and whistles to mine: paint, two pipe clamps ($10 Each) instead of spring clamps, plus a few optional washers, and the optional PVC sleeve, etc.

DIY Tutorial

So rather than go step by step here - just watch the video. It has all the details. No need to repeat it here. However, I do want to cover some of the nuances that I did not have time to explain in greater detail in the video. Here are the measurements:

Making It Longer

If you are over 6 feet tall you may need to make yours longer than mine in order to squat. The easiest way to do this: make the wooden base taller (e.g., gluing a piece of 2x4 on top will give you an extra 1.5”).

Alternatively, buy a 4+ foot nipple instead. If you cannot find a 4 foot long nipple - buy a longer one (e.g., 60”) and cut to size if needed.

You could also buy different hooks. Buy ones that have a longer reach than the ones that I used..

PVC Sleeve

As I mentioned in the video, I added the PVC sleeve onto the plumbing nipple so that the block stops exactly where I need it to for flat bench. You could do the same thing for decline bench - but that is a matter of personal preference. In some of the video you may have noticed that I have some washers (washers with a 1” interior diameter and a 2” outer diameter) on the nipple on top of the PVC sleeve. These are unnecessary. I added them because I accidentally cut the PVC sleeve a little too short. If I would have cut my PVC at exactly 16” long it would have been perfect for me, and I would not have needed the washers there.

Another thing I didn’t mention in the video due to time constraints: inside of the PVC sleeve I have 1” PVC caps. I cut the tops off them and inserted them (1 in the top and 1 in the bottom of each sleeve) so that the 1.5” PVC sleeve stays centered on the pipe. To learn how I did this watch THIS older video (at the 11:40 mark): https://youtu.be/FWmroTcOfLM - In this video I call these “Olympic Plate Adapters.”

Attaching the Pipe Clamp to the Block

As far as ways to attach the pipe clamp to the wooden block, I used Velcro. It worked great. However, I am not sure how long it will hold up. For a more permanent solution try this…two screws. It worked well - however - I liked the look of using the Velcro better. If you use two screws instead, be sure that you pre-drill because I didn’t as as you can see below - I split the wood!

As long as you don’t split the wood, this will work great. The rim of the pipe clamp just slides underneath the heads of the screws. To determine the needed position of the screws, place the block on the pipe, then put the clamp on the pipe. Then mark the required positions. You need to do it this way because you must ensure that the hole in the wooden block and the hole in the clamp are perfectly aligned BEFORE adding your screws.

SHOPPING LIST

By shopping via any of these links, I get paid a small commission which helps support the Club’s costs such as Web Hosting the website.

📦Substitutes:

🪵Lumber:

  • 4x4 Lumber (8 foot - but you only need about 66")

🪠PLUMBING:

PVC Pipe Sleeve (also called Olympic Plate Adapter) Watch This Video at 11:40 mark for instructions: https://youtu.be/FWmroTcOfLM

🔩FASTENERS:

🗜️CLAMP OPTIONS:

🪛DRILL BITS:

👽MISC:

Once you try this for yourself - be sure to let me know how it worked for you! Happy Lifting!

SHOUT IT OUT: If you Build this project and want to brag about it, please use the #DesignBuildLift hashtag so that I can feature your amazing creation on my social media to help inspire others!