Squishy Handle Bars
Pictured above are the materials needed to make squishy handled bars and the finished products. They are very easy to make and provide a unique feel. When they are squeezed, they give some, but you have to keep applying pressure or they will be dropped. The feel is something like grabbling a human. They are therefore an extemely useful tool for the grappler and all athletes.
The starting materials are easy to obtain. You will need a bar or two. It is best to use 1" bar. Olympic bars may be a bit thick. I was unable to get the longer foam to slide over a typical olympic bar. The foam is the same stuff used to pad leg extension and curl machines. It is available at used sporting goods stores, such as Play It Again Sports. It is also available on the internet. However, be advised that depending on the size desired, it might be hard to order. All of the stuff I ordered on the net, measure different than advertised. I have stuff in a variety of diameters, from 1 3/4" to 4 1/2". The 4 1/2 is a bit too wide for me. I end up gripping a chunk of the foam, almost ripping it off the bar. Obviously, this will depend on hand size. For a different feel, try a different brand of foam. There are several types available. I have also added duct and other types of tape for variety.
One way to make a dumbell is to use an existing hex dumbell. Simply cut the foam to size and tape it on. This is a good use for unused, or lighter, hex dumbells..
Another way is to use a bar that has a built in handle. They can be found at used shops cheap. By using this bar, inner collars aren't needed. Simply push the foam on and add weights and collars.
The final way is to use a 1" bar. Push the foam on the bar, then add inner collars to prevent the weights from squishing and maybe damaging the foam. Then add weights, outer collars and start lifting.
I also made a long bar using foam. I used a foam pool toy, that is widely available. I got mine at Wal-mart. Simply push it on the bar, add inner collars, weight and outter collars. I'm not sure if this type of foam will hold up as well, but it is cheap. I also used this foam on a few dumbells.
In the future, I am going to experiment with some other uses of the foam.
Happy lifting...