Medicine Ball - $$!!

[Darsa]

I was recently looking at Wal-Mart and Target for inexpensive medicine balls to use at home, but HOLY COW they're expensive!!

I was kinda thinking... maybe if I took a playground ball, or a soccer/basketball, and cut a slit in it, and filled it with sand then glued or duct-taped the slit, that might work. Anyone ever try that? Or possibly know of a place where these things can be bought cheap? I really like the ones with the handles, but I guess I could forego that to save a lot of money...

I even checked our local "Play It Again Sports", who sells used equipment, and they had none (and the person I talked to said that he doesn't remember any ever coming in).

 

[Darsa]

Huh... after I posted I continued to rummage around for any info, and found a thread about exactly this on another forum, crossfit.com and it gave some really good info on how to make your own medicine ball! I'm gonna go to Wal-Mart, get me some sand and a ball, and try it! Luckily I already have some Gorilla Glue. (We have a basketball too, but I don't think my DH would be too happy if he found it suddenly weighed 20 lbs, lol).

 

[Octoberbride03]

How much were the balls at that you were looking at?

I work at Target and i don't think they are priced high at all. My store carries the reebok balls in 3 different weights. All in the $10-20 range. Can't remember exactly cause I've just finished 6 days in a row and my brain is mush. Must find it by this afternoon for picking window treatments though

 

[Octoberbride03]

I do know the hand weights are cheaper. And I prefer those to the medicine balls. I like having a good grip on stuff. Have fun making your own

 

[FireDancer]

To be honest I would rather spend a little on the medicine ball then risk my home made one breaking open and spilling sand all over the place.

There are some things I prefer either dumbbells or just plates for but there are some things that the medicine ball form factor just works better.

 

[Goofed98]

I built my own using directions similar to those on the crossfit site. I now have an 18 lb. medicine ball that cost about $9 (cheap rubber basketball from Wally World, bag of playground sand, shoe goo, duct tape).

Granted, I work out outside, but with the additional layers of duct tape wrapped around the ball, I don't worry about it bursting.

 

[Darsa]

Well, I went this morning to Wal-Mart and got me a rubber playground ball in my favorite color (yellow!) for $4 and then hopped up to Home Depot and got a bag of paving sand (?) for $3. I already have duct tape and Gorilla Glue, so this is going to be my project for tonight.

I don't imagine I'll be using it too roughly; mainly for toning exercises at this point. I hope it works out!

Oh, and I had looked at Target and Wal-Mart for the ball I wanted and the prices were pretty similar, in the $40-50 range. THIS is the ball I want at Target, and THIS is the one at Wal-Mart. So hopefully the homemade version works, because there's no way I'll be able to afford one of those.