DIY 24″ Plyometric Box

January 16, 2013 1 Comment

(This box jump photo is a little weird with four legs in the frame!!) At any rate, this post for a DIY 24″ Plyo Box has been in my queue and it’s about time I post it.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

I have to be honest: I don’t love box jumps. I don’t. I get frustrated when I fail to get in a jumping rhythm by my third consecutive jump. But, I do love how it gets my heart rate up faster than a cheetah on crack. Plus, the movement transfers well to my sports and it gives the equivalent of a Brazilian bedonkadonk lift.

I can’t take full credit for this DIY. It was inspired by a variety of plans floating around the interweb, like this one HERE. This plan is nothing new, I’ve just merely tried to put it in an easily understandable format. There are two versions of the plyo, the rectangular type that can be turned on different sides for different heights, or the “tapered” kind I have here. The rectangular kinds are a bit more bulky, heavier, and less structurally sound (so I hear) but they are easier to build. The type featured here requires beveling for a structurally sound plyo box and it’s easier to handle (although it cannot be used at varying heights.) Special thanks to this guy for all the help and advice.

(Here is the usual disclaimer. DIY at your own risk. I am not responsible for any injuries (or death?) acquired by following the content of this post.) Now, let’s DO THIS!!

(Download the printable PDF of materials and equipment here.) Materials and equipment needed:

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

 

I recommend using a table saw for this project. I don’t have the garage space for a table saw (or the liberal budget) but I was able to rent one from a community tool library. You can search Tool Libraries in your state here. Boulder, CO has an awesome one that we frequent.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Set your saw blade at a 10 degree angle and cut your sheet of plywood along the horizontal midline (refer to diagram below.)
  2. Now bevel cut, at the same 10 degree angle, the remaining long edges (corresponding to the tops and bottoms of each piece.) NOTE: Bevel cut each edge at the same angle and same perspective. If you mess this part up, you’re screwed. :)

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

3.  Reset your blade back to 90 degrees (straight up and down) and make the cuts for the sides of each piece. You should now have 4 sides of your box with ONLY the top and bottom edges beveled.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

4. Use a jigsaw to drill holes for handles, if desired.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

5. Now that we have all four sides of our plyo box, assemble it.  Make sure you are on a level surface and using some clamps, ensure that the sides fit snugly together.  (If they don’t, now is the time to sand off any parts that are keeping it from fitting tightly.) Place a bead of wood glue along the two edges that are to be joined and glue the sides together.

6. Predrill your holes with the 3/8” wood drill bit. You’ll want to predrill so that the plywood does not split when you screw the sides together.

7. Using the wood screws, screw into the predrilled holes until tight (don’t overtighten or the wood may split.)

8. Continue for all sides of the remaining pieces.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

9. Now we can cut out the top. I saved this part for last to ensure that I get an exact size for the top and that the box is stable enough. Flip the partially completed box upside down on the remaining sheet of plywood.  Trace out the size and shape of the top.

10. Set the blade angle back to 10 degrees and cut out the top. Make sure your saw blade is cutting “into” the wood while you follow your drawn lines so that the edges of the top slant inward.

11. Assemble the top by placing a bead of wood glue around the edge where it will contact the sides and glue the top to the box.

12. Using the 3/8″ drill bit, pre-drill at least 3 holes on each side and screw the top in place with wood screws.

Girl Walks Into A Bar(bell)

13. Sand it down with a sander! Pay special attention to all the edges and the handles unless you like splinters.

14. You can now varnish or paint your plyo box and even place a rubber mat on the top.

Done! Jump around! Jump around! Jump up, jump up, and get down.

-jess

Filed Under: DIY Tutorials Tagged With: , , , , ,

Making the Garage Less of an Eye Sore in Order to WOD More

February 3, 2012 6 Comments

Here’s the thing about garage gyms: Floor space is a premium! We’re only working with roughly 400 sq ft of space (we’re lucky to have a 2-car garage) so it begs the question: What deserves this space, the car or the barbell? (That’s a rhetorical question since everyone knows the barbell gets dibs.) I so WISH I could be one of those keep-cool-my-babies folks that can workout in a flurry of garage clutter but I just… can’t… do… it. Clutter, and I’m being very literal here, makes me tense and I about had a seizure when one corner of the garage started to look like a tornado ripped through it because, “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO A KETTLEBELL SWING WITH A CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE WAY?!” <– Totally cyber screaming while I seize up just typing this.

In less than a day, our garage underwent this makeover all in the name of making breathing room for barbells:

(Not gonna lie, I’m a little embarrassed with that “before” image! I feel like I’m hoarding.) It’s so easy to make sure the pretty gym equipment stays organized but it’s all the other stuff, the automotive cleaning stuff, the tools, the christmas decorations, that takes up valuable workout space. But it’s actually pretty easy to get it all organized and off the floor… honestly, it took us about 4 steps.

Step 1: Remove everything from the space needing to get organized. This will seem to make an even bigger eye sore since you’re essentially just moving the mess but, trust me, it’s for the best. This is also the step where I would paint the walls a nice sterile white shade :) but we’re just renting this home for the time being so that was out of the question. Unfinished garages… I just don’t get it.

We had to move all the junk over to the bumper plates and power rack side of the garage:

Step 2: Break up that big pile of stuff into small categorized groups of like-items. For us, all the mountain bike maintenance tools went in one pile, the snowboard tuning stuff in another, lawn & garden junk in a separate pile, etc etc.

Step 3 is all about containing the categorized piles. Visually, you can see how big of a bin will be needed for the stuff just by glancing at the piles in Step 2. You can find containers almost anywhere these days: Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, The Container Store… it’s all good.

Step 4:  Making room for gym equipment means utilizing as much wall space as possible so set up some shelving units and get those bins all up on ‘em! We found this workbench rigged with a power outlet and lights at Harbor Freight Tools and it cost less than a Reebok|CrossFit hoodie. ;) The 4-tiered shelves we got at Walmart. Between all the containers, the workbench, and the shelf, we spent less than $200! Totally worth it for more space to do box jumps and double unders, if you ask me.

Step 5 is really optional and only “necessary” if you’re an organizational freak like me. My idea of “heaven” is getting locked in a room with a label maker and things needing to get organized. Step 5 is all about putting labels on the bins (aka putting the cherry on the sundae. Insert the voices of sweet angels singing here.)

Other ways we’ve maximized workout space by using walls include hanging the bikes vertically:

We got some yellow hooks at Home Depot and we just hang a tire off them:

We also stole our office’s decorative wall shelves and now use it to store our shoes:

Even the shop lights have found a home up on the wall with a makeshift shelf comprised of a board and a couple of L-brackets:

So now all that sits on the floor of the gym are the plyo boxes, the DIY weight tree, the bumper plates, power rack, and the workbench/shelf. Aside from that, all other floor space is fair game for foam rolling and burpees. Lucky me.

Filed Under: How-To's Tagged With: , , , ,

DIY Slosh Pipe

January 9, 2012 8 Comments

Greetings from Keystone, CO! I would be out snowboarding but, honestly, riding down ice is so played out (personal opinion here) and sitting in one of their village cafes while blogging sounds more fun. Speaking of fun, what’s the most fun you can have while working out your core and getting the neighbors to think you’ve lost your DIY marbles? It starts with “slosh” and ends with “pipe.” (Mom, if you’re reading… a “slosh pipe” has nothing to do with smoking pot.)

"Fun" is Zercher carrying a slosh pipe

At rescue practice, they tell us (as 6 of us carry a 200 lb litter down a mountain,) “If you’re not working hard, you’re not working hard enough.” So as difficult as a slosh pipe is to carry, I question whether I’m working out hard enough because half my grunts are actually girly glee giggles.

A slosh pipe is a 3-4″ diameter and 8-10′ long PVC pipe filled with water. Any deviation from completely centered sends a little bit of water, then a lotta bit of water, then the whole dang pipe full of water sloshing (get it?) to one side. Good luck keeping those obliques contracted. Even more luck to you trying to get back to centered only to have all the water slosh to the other side. Things get complicated when you start to walk with the slosh pipe because it’s practically impossible NOT to deviate from centered. Anyone able to do otherwise could probably land a high paying job with the circus.

Things start to get really complicated when you try to step forward and down into a lunge. They say you can use a slosh pipe for the same exercises you use a barbell for. But, for the record, I have not attempted to bench press a pipe full o’ sloshing water over my face nor have I attempted anything overhead. I’m just not there yet. (Full disclosure… I dig it.)

I mean, seriously, I haven’t had THIS much fun since Zumba!!! And you can make a slosh pipe for cheaper than dinner and a movie. Giggles and fun with 5 ingredients for less than $30… I’m making this slosh pipe deal sound like a cheap date. But, really, who doesn’t like a cheap date?

Here’s how:
(Here is my DIY Slosh Pipe printable PDF)

WANT SOME TIPS?
1.  If you have petite hands, go for a 3″ diameter PVC pipe. ;)

2. You could build this using hard plastic end caps for both ends. However, the rubber end cap with adjustable steel clamp will allow you to easily pop that end off and adjust the water levels whenever you want.

3. If you live in cold temperatures, add some salt to the water so it doesn’t freeze in your pipe.

4. Don’t sniff the PVC cement.


WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT SLOSH PIPES?
T-Nation’s “Sloshing Pillar of Pain” by Dan John – HERE.
Mark Sisson’s “Build Your Own Slosh Tube” – HERE
Common Sense Warrior’s “Build Your Own Slosh Pipe” by Mike Norris – HERE


HOW ABOUT SOME DISCLAIMERS:
DIY at your own risk. I am not responsible for injury that you may incur as a result of following these building plans nor am I responsible for any injury, or death for that matter, that may result from using a slosh pipe.

Special thanks to Ryan for helping me navigate Home Depot and for taking the time to help photograph.

Filed Under: DIY Tutorials Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts