Buzz
While dumbbells and kettlebells may be difficult to find, water containers are easily accessible and nearly free. The challenge lies in finding the right weight without it becoming cumbersome. In this week's edition of our improvised equipment challenge, we'll focus on using water jugs for our workout.
If you've ever been advised to use water bottles as weights, you quickly realized how light they are. While they may work for smaller individuals doing high repetitions, most people will need something heavier for effective training.
Here are two useful conversion factors to help you choose the appropriate weight for your exercises:
One gallon of water weighs just over 8 pounds (8.34 pounds, to be precise).
One liter of water (1000 mL) weighs 1 kilogram, which is about 2.2 pounds.
From these figures, you can get a solid estimate of the weight of any container when filled with water:
A 500 mL water bottle (half a liter) weighs around 1 pound.
A 750 mL wine bottle holds 1.6 pounds of water, plus the weight of the bottle.
A two-liter soda bottle weighs 4.4 pounds.
A gallon jug weighs 8.3 pounds.
A five-gallon jug or bucket can carry 41.7 pounds of water—round that up to 42 pounds.
To create the ideal weight, it’s not just about getting the right amount of water. The container also needs to be easy to handle. If you don’t have the perfect container, consider adjusting your exercises accordingly. For instance, while lifting a five-gallon jug by its handle (if it even has one) is tough, you could hug it to your chest and perform squats or lunges.
Another useful method for using water as a weight is to fill a backpack or duffel bag with water bottles. The bag gives you the handles, and the water provides the necessary weight.
Looking to level up? Try filling your bottles with playground sand instead. A half-liter water bottle filled with sand will weigh 3.6 pounds, making it ideal for a Jane Fonda workout. A one-gallon jug will tip the scales at 14 pounds, and a 5-gallon bucket will weigh a solid 68 pounds.
