Painting Weight Plates and Dumbbells does not have to be time consuming or difficult. Use these easy-to-follow steps to bring your weights back to life and get them looking brand new again.
PAINTING WEIGHT PLATES & DUMBBELLS
Working out at home has never really been on the radar for us. Since we became serious about fitness we've always belonged to a gym. In the past, I've done workout DVDs (yep, back in the day!) at home but really couldn't get motivated to do much more than that.
However, since gyms have been closed we have had no choice but to work out at home. And I'm happy to say that we've consistently done it and have actually ENJOYED it.
Once we realized that we were going to have to work out at home, we rounded up all of our at-home workout equipment, which wasn't very much! I was able to find 3 lb, 10 lb, and 25 lb dumbbells. We also had resistance bands and loop bands. Luckily, we also have a bike at home.
My mom called to tell me there were some random dumbbells and weight plates at their house. I headed over there as soon as I could to round up the items that she had. I was able to score one 15 lb dumbbell, 5 lb dumbbells, and some 5 and 10 lb weight plates. They weren't in the best shape due to the rust but I was happy to have them!
A few weeks later I was able to score the adjustable Bowflex dumbbells from Dick's Sporting Goods. I felt like I won the lottery!
Now that we had a pretty good amount of workout equipment, I wanted to make the rusted dumbbell and weight plates look a little better. The process we used was not time consuming nor expensive.
HOW TO REHAB YOUR RUSTY, DIRTY WEIGHTS
Supplies Needed
- Wire Brush
- White Vinegar
- Spray Bottle (for the vinegar)
- Spray Paint (we used Rust-Oleum Hammered Black)
- 5 Bucket of Water (or you can use a hose directly to wash off the weights)
Directions
- Heavily spray the weights with white vinegar
- Scrub vigorously to remove dirt and rust
- Spray off vinegar or dip in a bucket full of water to remove the vinegar
- Allow the weights dry completely
- Spray evenly with spray paint
- Allow the weights to dry completely
TIPS TO MAKE THE PROCESS EVEN EASIER
- Wear gloves and eye protection while scrubbing
- Wear gloves and a mask while painting
- Block wind with a cardboard box while painting
- Use a ladder or something similar to hang weights for faster painting and drying time
Want to watch a video of the process? Good, because we have that for you too!
AT-HOME WORKOUT RESOURCES
- Ultimate List of At-Home Workouts
- Fitness Challenges (can be done at home!)
- Workout Tips
Atom Smashor says
Uh that'll keep 'em looking good as long as you don't touch them.
When you decide you're tired of staring at them and actually use them the paint will wear off, chip off and scratch off very quickly. Those weights come from the factory with powdercoating which is infinitely more durable than any paint you can spray on. Sorry to rain on your parade.
Whitney Carlson says
We've had them painted for over a year now - with two people using them at least 4-5 days a week and they still look pretty good! Of course, there's some chipping but they look a lot better than we were expecting with the daily use! Considering what limited items were available last year we are still pretty happy with them. I actually picked up some more used weights yesterday that I'm going to paint the same way this weekend! Powder coating would be the best option but I don't really have access to that! 🙂