Outdoor Gym
This is a project I undertook during the Covid period. Whilst stuck at home for 6 months I found myself needing a gym; I therefore constructed this concrete slab, along with a basket ball set up, concrete weights and gym bench.
Frame
Welding, grinding & painting of the main structure
I began by collecting scrap metal to create the frame shown here. Once welded, I smoothed and prepped the metal for painting.
Foundations
Digging, filling and pouring concrete
With the frame complete, I moved on with building the foundations for the concrete slab. The steps that I took are shown below.
First day on the job, dimensions were laid out before commencing digging.
After digging 70cm down, the hole was filled with rocks before having concrete packed in between the rocks.
Mesh reinforcement was placed on top prior to pouring an inch of concrete.
This was then roughly screed to give a textured finish.
Weights
Making jigs, welding reinforcing and pouring concrete
I decided to make three different weights (20kg, 10kg, and 5kg). Each of these needed its own jig, which I made from 1.5-inch angle iron and various other bits of metal. Concrete was poured and left to set for a day before being transferred to a water bath.
Weights
From water bath to finished product
Each weight was left submerged underwater for 10 days to allow for adequate curing. Once removed from the water, aesthetic elements were added accordingly. Weights were not used for a further 11 days to allow for further curing.
Finishing
Piecing all the elements together
The picture here shows all the elements assembled together, with a gym bench created for the sake of having a complete home gym.
