Deadlift Blocks - Custom/DIY

Name: Deadlift Blocks - Custom/DIY
Brand: Custom/DIY
Rating: 4.71 (16 reviews)

A custom or DIY deadlift block is a self-built platform used to elevate deficit or block-pull deadlifts, or to give shorter lifters a place to plant their feet during the bench press. The most common construction paths are stacked and glued 2x4 or 4x4 lumber capped with plywood and a rubber top, stacked and glued layers of 3/4” horse stall mat through-bolted with flush machine screws and T-nuts, or a repurposed bench pad rebuilt around a plywood-and-2x8 base. Each approach costs well under $100 in materials – often close to $0 when built from reclaimed stall mats or an old pad – against $700+ for a commercial steel pulling-block set, and a typical build takes an afternoon with basic hardware-store tools (circular saw or jigsaw, drill, screws, wood glue). Most builds land at a fixed height, though adjustable versions are possible by adding extra plywood or mat layers per block. Reported outcomes are consistently positive: owners cite loading blocks past 400 lbs of block pulls without movement or failure, with the main caveat being that stacked rubber layers can shift or feel slightly bouncy as bumper plates land, an inherent property of rubber-on-rubber construction rather than a specific build defect. Because it’s user-built rather than sold, there is no fixed price, spec sheet, or manufacturer warranty behind it.

Tools	circular saw or jigsaw, power drill, tape measure, wood glue or construction adhesive, screws
Warranty	none -- self-built, no manufacturer
Build time	roughly one afternoon per pair
Common heights	1.5" and 3" per layer are common increments; height is adjustable by adding layers
Construction paths	stacked/glued 2x4 or 4x4 lumber + plywood + rubber cap; stacked/glued 3/4" horse stall mat layers through-bolted with T-nuts; repurposed bench pad on a plywood/2x8 base
Typical material cost	near $0 (reclaimed stall mats or an old bench pad) to ~$100 for a new-lumber pair
Hardware stall mat builds	1/4" machine screws, washers, and T-nuts through-bolted at each corner for a flush, non-protruding finish

What is a Miscellaneou?

What’s in Miscellaneous

This is the catch-all for the conditioning tools and accessories that don’t fit a single equipment class — weighted vests and plate carriers, medicine and slam balls, plyo boxes, ab mats, and the odds and ends that round out a garage gym. Items land here because their job (loaded carries, jumps, core work) cuts across the categories rather than sitting neatly inside one.

Who it’s for

Anyone filling in the gaps around the big pieces. If you already have a rack, bar, and plates, this is where you find the vest for rucking and weighted push-ups, the ball for slams and wall throws, or the box for step-ups and box jumps. Match the tool to the training you actually do — a plate carrier for conditioning and rucking, plyo boxes for explosive work — rather than buying the whole shelf.

How it compares

	Deadlift Blocks - Custom/DIY	Looper Straps	USA Cast Weight Vest Plates	Desk Caddie
GymRadar rating	4.71/5	4.71/5	4.71/5	4.72/5
Price			$90.00	$39.00
Tools	circular saw or jigsaw, power drill, tape measure, wood glue or construction adhesive, screws
Warranty	none -- self-built, no manufacturer
Build time	roughly one afternoon per pair
Common heights	1.5" and 3" per layer are common increments; height is adjustable by adding layers
Construction paths	stacked/glued 2x4 or 4x4 lumber + plywood + rubber cap; stacked/glued 3/4" horse stall mat layers through-bolted with T-nuts; repurposed bench pad on a plywood/2x8 base
Typical material cost	near $0 (reclaimed stall mats or an old bench pad) to ~$100 for a new-lumber pair
Hardware stall mat builds	1/4" machine screws, washers, and T-nuts through-bolted at each corner for a flush, non-protruding finish

4.7/5 · 16 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert	4.71/5	16 reviews
Youtube	4.5/5	3 reviews	3 build videos considered with usable transcripts, all positive toward the DIY approach and none reporting a failed or unusable build. 'How to Build Pulling Blocks \| Easy DIY Deadlift Blocks' walks through a stall-mat build with flush machine-screw-and-T-nut hardware and recommends a jigsaw over a utility knife for clean cuts. 'How to Make Adjustable Deadlift Blocks - Easy DIY' frames a set from 2x4s and shows how adding more plywood layers makes the height adjustable. 'Make Your Own Deadlift Blocks' builds two heights (1.5" and 3") from spare stall mats and recommends block pulls over rack pulls because the plates, not the barbell, bear the load.

A custom or DIY deadlift block is a self-built platform – usually stacked 2x4 lumber, layered and glued horse stall mats, or a repurposed bench pad – used to elevate deficit/block-pull deadlifts or to give shorter lifters a place to plant their feet on bench. Functionality and value are the standout dimensions: every source builds a working set of blocks from hardware-store materials in a single afternoon for well under $100 (often near $0 with reclaimed stall mats or an old bench pad), against $700+ for commercial steel pulling blocks, and owners report loading them past 400 lbs without issue. Versatility is real but capped – most builds are a fixed height, though one build shows how adding plywood layers makes a set adjustable. Build quality and durability are the most builder-dependent dimensions: the flush-mounted machine-screw-and-T-nut hardware used in the stall-mat designs avoids protruding fasteners entirely, but at least one builder flags that stacked rubber layers can shift and bounce slightly as bumper plates land, an inherent tradeoff of rubber-on-rubber construction rather than a design flaw.

+Value: a full set of blocks costs under $100 in materials (Garage Gyms) or effectively $0 when built from reclaimed stall mats or an old bench pad (Alan Thrall video; Shifting Years)
+Functionality: owners report loading blocks past 400 lbs of block pulls with no movement or failure (Heavy Hammer Gym)
+Build quality: flush machine-screw-and-T-nut hardware on stall-mat builds leaves no fasteners protruding on either face, safe to stand on or stack (Garage Gyms build video)
+Versatility: the same blocks double as elevated/deficit deadlift platforms, feet-elevation blocks for short benchers, and support for split squats, box jumps, and step-ups (Garage Gyms; Alan Thrall video)
+Functionality: block pulls protect the barbell from the bending stress of rack pulls, since the plates -- not the bar -- bear the load (Alan Thrall video)

−Versatility: most builds are a single fixed height, trading off the adjustability of a commercial set (though one build shows an adjustable version made by adding plywood layers) (How to Make Adjustable Deadlift Blocks video; Garage Gyms comments)
−Durability: stacked rubber stall-mat layers can shift and feel slightly bouncy as bumper plates land, an inherent property of rubber-on-rubber construction rather than a specific design failure (Garage Gyms)
−Build quality: no independent long-term testing exists for this category -- every data point here is a single builder's anecdote, not a controlled review
−Durability: cutting horse stall mat to size is described as difficult without a jigsaw, and a poor cut increases the risk of an uneven, wobbly stack (Alan Thrall video)