Workouts don’t have to be expensive and when you are a parent you know that every nickel matters! Still, you might be wondering if building your own workout gear will make the equipment unstable or even dangerous!
I’m here to bat away any fears you might have around building your own parallette and I’ll even give you a couple of workout suggestions to help you on your healthy journey. You may want to get a baby play gym, to give yourself some freedom. And a fitness tracker to push your progress.
Are PVC Parallettes Durable?
First things first, I’ll be showing you how to make a PVC parallette and I want you to feel assured that it can hold you. I don’t think most people are aware of how strong PVC is, and for those of you unsure what PVC even is, it is polyvinyl chloride which is a type of plastic.
A Schedule 40 1.5 inch pipe of PVC can hold 954 pounds of weight and a schedule 80 1.5 inch PVA can hold 1225 pounds of weight. So if you are a heavy-set person or if you like to work out with weighted equipment, the PVC parallettes we are about to make will be able to hold your weight.
What Are Parallettes?
All this talk of parallettes might be getting your head in a spin. Parallettes are a pair of parallel bars that are low to the ground.
They are often used in gymnastic workouts but are great for anyone who likes to use their own body weight in their exercises. For example, push-ups, tuck and holds, and dips.
How to Make Your Own Parallette
There are a couple of things you’ll need to buy, all of which you can find at your local DIY shop. You can probably guess the main materials and it is PVC, but if you didn’t know most DIY stores (including The Home Depot) will cut your PVC pipes for free!
Tools I Need To Make A DIY Parallette
For this DIY job you don’t need any tools unless you aren’t able to get your PVC pipe cut for you. In that case, grab yourself a handsaw and a measuring tape and cut the PVC pipe to the sizes below.
CRAFTSMAN Hand Saw
Komelon SL2825 Self Lock 25-Foot Power Tape
Materials I Need To Make A DIY Parallette
You Will Need:
- (1) 10ft PVC Pipe – 1.25 inches thick
- Cut into (8) 5-inch pieces
- Cut Into (4) 10-inch pieces
- Cut Into (2) 20-inch pieces
- (4) Ts for PVC Pipes – 1.25 inches thick
- (4) Elbows for PVC Pipes – 1.25 inches thick
- (8) Caps for PVC Pipes – 1.25 inches thick
- A small can of Primer
- A small can of Cement
How To Build A Parallette out of PVC
Step 1 – Get Everything Lined Up
Before we start using the cement and sticking the wrong pipe to the wrong connector, I think it’s best to line everything up with their correct parts.
Let’s start with the two 20-inch pieces. Using the four elbows, slot one on both ends of each 20-inch piece.
Now with the 5-inch and 10-inch pieces. Pick up a T piece, and use the tail end (the part of the T which faces downward) to slot in the 10-inch piece. On the two side parts of the T piece, slot in a 5-inch. Do this with all four T pieces.
So far we haven’t touched the caps and the cans, but that’s fine.
Step 2 – Add the Primer and the Cement
Now everything is lined up, you just need to add the primer and cement to the connecting places to stick it all together.
The cement dries quickly and it acts as glue, so we want to move quickly when we stick everything together. That is why we already got the layout sorted before we reached this step.
Pick up one of the pre-assembled pieces and take one piece apart. Wipe the primer on the inside of the connecting piece (The T or the Elbow), and wipe some more primer onto the outside of the PVC tube.
Make sure only to wipe the side that will be touching other parts, so you don’t waste the product.
Next, wipe the cement on the outside of the PVC tube and slot it into the connecting piece.
Do this with every piece.
Step 3 – Connect The Big Pieces Together
Now you want to connect the 10-inch pipe of the T connected set to the open-ended Elbow of the 20-inch sets. Sealing them together with the primer and cement, creating a little stand.
Once you’ve done that you should end up with two parallette stands, and only four ends that are still uncovered.
Step 4 – Add The Caps
Using the same primer and cement technique, you can add on the caps last. This is only because the caps are easy, and close off the parallette as a whole.
They need to be added onto the last parts of the parallette which are still uncovered, which are the 5-inch pipes of the T connectors.
Step 5 – Let It Dry
Let the parallettes dry for at least half an hour, and then you are done!
Well done! You’ve made your own Parallette!
Parallette Workouts!
There are tons of workouts you can do with your parallette, but I’ll start you off by explaining the three exercises I mentioned earlier; the push-up, the dip, and the tuck and hold.
How To Do A Pushup On A Parallette
- Move your parallettes until they are your shoulder-width apart. Position them so that the length follows the same direction as the length of your body.
- Hold one parallette in each hand and move your legs down until you are in a straight incline position.
- Lower yourself down.
- Pause
- Push yourself Up
- Repeat step 3 to 5
How To A Dip On A Parallette
- Move your parallettes so they are close together.
- Stand over them, and use your arms to lower yourself into a sitting position.
- You want your legs to be at a 90-degree angle away from the parallette, your body to be in the sitting position with a straight back, and your arms to be using the parallette to hold you in this position (your legs can be lifted or used to stabilize you).
- Using your arms but without rolling your shoulder forwards, lower yourself down below the parallette’s 20 ft pole. Do this slowly.
- Using your arms, bring yourself back up.
- Repeat step 4 and 5
How To Do A Tuck And Hold On A Parallette
- Set up the Parallettes so they are underneath your shoulders and your wrists are in line.
- Letting your arms take your weight and lifting you off the ground, tuck your knees into your chest.
- Angle yourself forward to engage your shoulders.
- Hold this position.
Need this to be harder?
- Set up the Parallettes so they are underneath your shoulders and your wrists are in line.
- Letting your arms take your weight and lifting you off the ground, tuck your knees into your chest.
- Lean back to engage your triceps. Make sure to keep your knees high.
- Hold this position.
There are loads more exercises you can do with a parallette but those three routines can help you get started!