Stuck at home without gym equipment? You can still get a great workout. If you’re wondering what to use if you don’t have dumbbells, you have many options. Everyday household items and your own body weight are perfect substitutes.
You don’t need fancy gear to build strength. With a little creativity, you can target every major muscle group. Let’s look at the best alternatives you can find around your house.
What To Use If You Don’t Have Dumbbells
This list covers safe and effective dumbbell replacements. Always check an item’s stability and weight before you use it. Make sure you can grip it securely to avoid accidents.
Liquid Containers
Water bottles, milk jugs, and laundry detergent bottles are fantastic. You can adjust their weight by filling them with water or sand.
- Water Bottles: Use standard reusable bottles. For more weight, opt for gallon-sized water jugs.
- Plastic Milk Jugs: A full gallon weighs about 8.6 pounds. You can fill them partway for lighter weight.
- Detergent Jugs: These often have built-in handles, making them easier to hold during exercises like rows or curls.
Canned Goods & Food Items
Your pantry is a mini weight room. These items are great for lighter resistance and shoulder exercises.
- Canned Vegetables or Soup: Use them for lateral raises, tricep extensions, or small arm circles.
- Bags of Rice or Flour: A 5 or 10-pound bag is ideal for goblet squats or held to your chest during lunges.
- Potatoes: A large russet potato can work for wrist curls or light presses.
Backpacks and Bags
A loaded backpack is one of the most versatile tools. It evenly distributes weight across your back.
- Fill a sturdy backpack with books, water bottles, or bags of sand.
- Wear it for weighted push-ups, squats, lunges, and step-ups.
- For single-arm moves, hold it by the strap instead of wearing it.
Improvised Bars and Pipes
For exercises that need a bar-like object, you can improvise.
- Broomstick or Mop Handle: Use for landmine-style exercises or lightweight overhead presses.
- PVC Pipe or Metal Pipe: Ensure the ends are capped or smooth. You can hang weight bags from the center for a makeshift barbell.
Other Common Household Items
- Textbooks or Heavy Books: Clutch to your chest for crunches or use for bent-over rows.
- Paint Cans: Their handles make them suitable for farmer’s walks or carries.
- Bricks or Cinder Blocks: Use with extreme caution. Wrap them in towels for a better grip and to protect your hands.
Bodyweight: Your Always-Available Tool
Never underestimate the power of bodyweight exercises. By changing your leverage, you can make them much harder.
- Push-ups (elevate your feet for more intensity)
- Pike push-ups (for shoulders)
- Tricep dips using a chair or couch
- Pull-ups on a sturdy door frame bar or tree branch
- Squats, lunges, and pistol squat progressions
- Glute bridges and single-leg hip thrusts
How to Create a Full Workout Without Dumbbells
Here is a sample routine using the substitutes listed above. Warm up for 5-10 minutes with dynamic stretches first.
Upper Body Day
- Weighted Push-Ups: 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Wear your loaded backpack.
- Backpack Rows: 3 sets of 12 reps per arm. Hold the backpack strap and row it to your hip.
- Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10 reps. Use a water jug in each hand or a single detergent jug with both hands.
- Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 12 reps. Use canned goods or full water bottles.
- Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 15 reps. Hold one weight with both hands behind your head.
Lower Body & Core Day
- Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 12 reps. Hold a heavy backpack or a bag of rice at your chest.
- Walking Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. Hold a weight in each hand (water bottles).
- Single-Leg Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 reps per leg. Hold a jug in the hand opposite your working leg.
- Calf Raises: 4 sets of 20 reps. Hold weight for extra resistance.
- Weighted Crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps. Hold a textbook or single can against your chest.
Safety Tips When Using Substitutes
Safety is crucial when using improvised equipment. A minor injury can set you back weeks.
- Check for Leaks: Ensure all containers are sealed tightly to avoid spills.
- Secure the Load: In a backpack, make sure the weight doesn’t shift around suddenly.
- Mind Your Grip: If an item is awkward to hold, wrap it in a towel or use gloves.
- Start Light: Test a new item with fewer reps to gauge it’s weight and balance.
- Clear Your Space: Make sure you have plenty of room to move without hitting furniture.
Making Exercises More Challenging
As you get stronger, you’ll need to increase the difficulty. Here’s how to progress without buying dumbbells.
- Add More Weight: Put more water or sand in your containers. Add another book to the backpack.
- Increase Reps or Sets: Simply do more of each exercise.
- Slow Down: Perform each rep slowly, especially the lowering phase, to increase time under tension.
- Reduce Rest Time: Shorten the break between your sets to up the intensity.
- Try Advanced Variations: Move from regular push-ups to archer or one-arm push-up progressions.
FAQ: Working Out Without Dumbbells
What can I use instead of dumbbells at home?
You can use water bottles, backpacks filled with books, canned goods, laundry detergent jugs, or bags of rice. Your own bodyweight is also a highly effective tool.
Are homemade weights as good as dumbbells?
For building strength and endurance, yes, they can be very effective. The key is consistent overload—gradually increasing the weight or reps. Dumbbells offer convenience and precise weight increments, but homemade weights work the same muscles.
How can I make my own weights?
Take a strong plastic bottle and fill it with water, sand, or pebbles. For a heavier, bar-like weight, securely tape two capped PVC pipes filled with sand to either end of a sturdy broom handle. Always test homemade weights carefully before full use.
Can I build muscle without any weights?
Absolutely. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and lunges can build significant muscle, especially for beginners. To keep building muscle, you must make the exercises harder over time by changing leverage or adding weight from household items.
Is it safe to use water bottles as weights?
Generally, yes, if they are sealed tightly and you have a good grip. Check for leaks and make sure the plastic is thick enough to not deform during your workout. They are best for light to moderate weight exercises.
Getting a strong workout without dumbbells is completely possible. Look around your home with a new perspective. That gallon of water isn’t just for drinking—it’s for your next set of presses. With consistency and creativity, you can meet all your fitness goals.