Slosh Tube: The RMB 60 Gym

By James Scott

This month I am giving away one of my secret tools that I have been using for years. I am big on using everyday items or building simple pieces of equipment to train with. Moving large awkward-shaped items (tires, sandbags, etc) incorporates more muscle recruitment and is a more efficient way to train than sitting on a machine in the gym.

What it is
The Slosh Tube is a large PVC pipe capped on both ends filled halfway with water. Sounds pretty simple right? That is what most people think the first time they pick up this tube. I am here to tell you that this piece of equipment is a beast! I have seen freakish athletes get their butt kicked really quickly by a Slosh Tube workout.

Why it works
Imagine lifting this large tube over your head. About halfway up the water shifts to one side of the tube so you brace and correct this imbalance, causing the water to shift to the other side of the tube, starting the process all over. That was just the first rep – you have 19 more!
The great thing about Slosh Tubes is that you can build them in a couple of different lengths and diameters. As you get stronger you can add more water to make the workouts more challenging. No matter how many times you do the same workout it will always be different due to how the water behaves and how your ability to correct the imbalances increases.

How to build it
Go to your local plumbing store and buy a large PVC pipe roughly two and half to three metres long and 20-25 centimetres in diameter. Buy two end caps. Make sure one is removable (to add or remove water later). Buy some of that plumber’s glue (it is in a small tin can and is either purple or pink). This will keep those end caps secure and prevent any leaks. All of this costs me about RMB 60.
Put the glue and caps on the tube. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Take off the removable cap.
Fill a third of the way with water (once you advance, then you can add more). Replace the removable cap.
Do it!

The workout
This piece is universal, so feel free to experiment and come up with your own creative exercises and workouts. For strength training, I recommend doing two to three sets of 15-20 reps for each of these exercises. For a conditioning workout do circuits for as many reps as possible  in one minute then take a 15 second break and move on to the next exercise. Do three rounds. Moves to try include: overhead press, thrusters, overhead squats, walking lunges (with bar on your shoulders), single leg RDLs, Zercher walks, bicep curls, skull crushers and v-sit-ups (with bar in your hands).

James Scott is the strength and conditioning coach for the Shanghai Sharks. If you have a fitness question you’d like him to answer in a future column, please email him at [email protected]