Dumbbell & Kettlebell Storage - Custom/DIY

A few 2x4s, some plywood and a few casters makes for a great cart for your loadable dumbbell setup. I put some PVC over the wood dowels to protect them and a Rogue vertical bar hanger holds the loadable dumbbells.

Looked at a lot of DIY dumbbell carts online, and this is what I came up with. Worked great, although the actual craftsmanship is a bit spotty since I built it. I put wheels on with the idea I could roll it, but it got a little sketchy/wobbly with 400lbs on it, so I mostly leave it in place. Recently I found a used Rogue power block cart, so this has since been retired.

DIY shelving is a good way to save money. This is one project I know I can pull off without much building know-how. Using just two common materials (dimensional lumber and screws) you'll have a finished project pretty close to the real thing for less than 10% of the price.

For my set of fixed metal hex dumbbells, I have a three-tiered rack that stores the 10 lb - 50 lb pair (increasing in 5 lb increments). But I was left with an odd assortment of heavier dumbbells that simply lay on the floor. And that bothered me, so I went looking on FBMP for a deal on a suitable rack. This DIY fabrication caught my eye and I waited until the price dropped from the initial $50 to $20, at which point I contacted the seller. She seemed ecstatic that someone - finally - was going to take it off her hands. But she sent me a warning message that, "It is very heavy and I can't help you move it." No problem, I thought. I lift heavy things in my gym so I can lift heavy things outside the gym. When I saw it in person, however, I was shocked at how "beefy" or "heavy duty" it looked - and felt. I tried to pick it up with one arm, and I failed the lift! The woman's son - a big strapping lad around 6 ft 4 in tall and weighing about 250 lbs - was nearby and I gave him a look that said, "Can you help me carry this, bro?" She seemed to have read my mind, because she told me, "Sorry that my son can't help you lift it. He has a hernia." Damn my bad luck! I asked her who made it or where she found it, and she replied that her husband welded it. From the way she looked as she said "husband," I got a sense that they may not be together anymore, so I didn't ask for more details. I just told her that "he built a monster." She forced a smile. The time came for me to summon my inner Tom Haviland and I Zercher carried the rack to my car about 25 yards - the longest 25 yards of my life! I loaded it into my SUV with another herculean effort. When I brought it into my garage, the straggler dumbbells I had fit perfectly within the rack. Despite this, I'm docking couple of stars for performance because you actually have to be pretty strong to load or unload dumbbells onto or from it! At least my heavier dumbbells now have a home, and I have an interesting conversation starter.

Way cheaper than the rep dumbbell stand and nearly as functional.

I built a custom stainless steel kb shelf that mounts in my squat rack. I also built db shelves in the functional trainer rack.

Threw together a dumbbell and plate storage rack with some wood I had around. While it’s not perfect, it gets the job done. It hold 5 to 35 lb hex dumbbells in a pretty compact footprint along with six pairs of plates on a toaster style stand.

I found the blueprint for these from some redditor in the home gym community when the Reppins came out. I hate picking up dumbbells from the ground- this makes it so much easier to cradle the dumbbells at the end of a set. It’s super sturdy and it holds the weight easily. I have no worries about it tipping over. It’s a pretty cheap option, especially when you consider the other options. I could probably put it on some caster wheels, but I haven’t had the need to move it around. The black widow stand looks sick and way cleaner, so this takes a couple hits on the star rating. The dumbbells are secured to the 1x6 boards with bolts. I cut the four 4x4 legs to a height that felt comfortable for racking the weight (remember to consider the height of the 1x6 boards and cradle. The 2x4 pieces at the bottom and top of the stand that connect the two dumbbells requires some patience on figuring out the angle that works for you. I just tried to see what angle felt comfortable for racking the dumbbells and went with that. I used pocket hole screws for a cleaner look, but I think it might be the only option to connect those 2x4 pieces. I added a piece of wood to hang the changer plates. I also added the eyelets for resistance band work before I had a power rack that I could use to support the band work. Best decision for the gym!

These custom dumbbell racks came with the dumbbells as a second hand deal. They were so overbuild that they easily handle lots of extra weight. Moving the gym by myself, getting them onto or off of the moving truck is a bigger struggle than volunteering as a loader at a state powerlifting meet.

Purchased a cheap metal shelving unit. Repainted to match my power rack with so-so results. Then painted and installed some peg board for extra storage. Finally, lined the shelves with horse stall mat, which is a must do for any shelving DIY. The horse stall shelves look fantastic in my humble opinion.