How to Make Leg Weights

Leg weights add resistance and additional weight to your legs to burn more calories when you exercise. Generally, you will wear leg weights around your ankles and use them while doing leg lifts or just while walking or running. In fact, you can discreetly wear leg weights when wearing jeans so you can work out and burn extra calories while at work or doing household chores. To offset the cost of purchasing leg weights, you can buy your own filler and materials to make your own leg weights for a fraction of the cost.

Things You'll Need

• Vinyl material, 1 sq. yard
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Kitchen scales
• Rice or beans
• Thread
• Canvas material, 1 sq. yard
• Velcro

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Instructions

• 1

  Cut two pieces of vinyl material to measure 9 inches square using a tape measure and pair of sharp scissors. Sew the pieces together on all sides but one to leave an opening for filling the vinyl pouch with materials to offer weight.

• 2

  Use a set of kitchen scales to measure out the weight of materials you wish to place in the vinyl pouch. Items you may consider using for filler include rice and beans. Start out by adding only 1 or 2 pounds of filler to the bags to ease yourself into using the leg weights.

• 3

  Sew the opening in the vinyl pouch after you fill the pouch with the appropriate weight of materials. Set the pouch aside.

• 4

  Create a pouch from the canvas material to hold the vinyl pouch and wrap around your leg. Cut a section of canvas material that measures 30 inches by 15 inches and a second section of canvas material measuring 15 inches square. These pieces will serve as the pouch and harness of the leg weight.

• 5

  Sew an inch-wide hem around all edges of both the canvas pieces. This reinforces the material and prevents it from coming loose when used.

• 6

  Center the smaller square of canvas in the middle of the longer piece. The ends should align on the top and bottom and you will only need to center the piece lengthwise. Sew the canvas square onto the front of the larger canvas piece. Leave the top of the square unattached to create a pouch.

• 7

  Sew large strips of Velcro onto the larger piece of canvas on each side of the pouch. Place one side of the Velcro strips on each side of the pouch. Place the soft side of the Velcro on the same side of the canvas as the pouch and the sticky side of the Velcro on the back of the leg weight harness. Place numerous small strips or one large strip to cover the entire front side with soft Velcro. Use a narrower strip on the front so you can wrap the harness around your leg without leaving your skin exposed to the sharp side of the Velcro.

• 8

  Slide the vinyl pouch down and inside the canvas pouch at the front of the harness. Tighten the harness around your leg and close together using the Velcro strips. Wrap as tightly as you can to prevent the leg weights from shifting during use.