DIY Push Up Handles

Push ups are an excellent exercise because you can do them from the comfort of your own home. They also incorporate many muscle groups, such as the triceps, shoulders, chest, back and abdominals. Many people enjoy the use of push up handles because they allow for a fuller range of movement - as you can dip lower - and a better workout. Here is how you can make push up handles from some PVC pipe at home.

The first thing you'll need to do is head out to your local home improvement store to pick up your supplies. Push up handles are a simple project and don't require much PVC. Here is what you'll need to purchase.

8 - 1" PVC caps
4 - 1" PVC 'T' connectors
4 - 1" PVC 'L' connectors
1 - 44" piece of 1" PVC pipe.

Once you get your materials you will need to cut up your pipe into these pieces.

8 - 3" pieces
4 - 2" pieces
2 - 6" pieces

The first thing you need to do to make your push up handle is assemble the grip. Place one 'L' connector on each end of a 6" piece of PVC. Make sure they are pointed the same way. Next, attach a 2" piece to the other end of each 'L' connector. After that, attach a 'T' connector to the other end of each 2" piece. Make sure both 'T' connectors sit on the ground and push a 3" piece into each open end, 4 in all. Finally cap off each open end of the 3" pieces. All you need to do is repeat with the remaining parts for your second push up handle.

Counting cutting time this project should take less than 20 minutes. If you want, you can use PVC glue to permanently affix all of the pieces. You can also wrap the handle in tennis wrap to make it softer on your hands. Assuming you didn't have any PVC to start, these push up handles should cost about $10. For storage, a standard shoe box works nicely so that your handles aren't scattered in your room. If you want them a bit higher simply change the length of the 2" pieces.

You can also make them out of ABS if you want something more sturdy. Some people use ABS instead of PVC because they like having all black equipment, and spray paint can chip off of PVC. As always, the benefit of making your own equipment is having it custom made to your specifications, so experiment and find out what you like best.