Bee came into the kitchen a little bit ago and stopped. The array of different items on the counter was baffling.

“Dinner? It’s all liquid . . . no. Tomatoes. And nobody is eating laundry detergent. Did this stuff just graduate from being in quarantine? No. It’s been liberated for a while. What’s going on here?”

In response, I picked up one of the cartons and did a bicep curl.

Bee’s eyes lit up. “Oh YEAH!!!!”

An adage on most cruising boats is that everything needs to serve more than one purpose. While clearly this needs to be taken with a grain of salt (sheets are used for sleeping on, mostly, and you better not use my galley spoons to mix epoxy), things like weights often don’t make the cut for life on board. What’s a weight-loving exerciser to do?

This post is here right now too because it’s apparently hard to find weights (dumbbells and the like) to buy. With gyms closed, lots of people are working out at home these days, trying to stick to some kind of routine. Never fear - you can still pump some iron with what is in on hand!

Yes, body weight exercises are immensely effective. If you’re 150 lbs and you do a pushup on your toes, you’re supporting 103 lbs in the up position - and 112.5 lbs in the down position. (Source)

Sometimes though you just want to lift weights. Maybe you want to work the triceps and dips are getting boring. Maybe you want to squat more than just your body weight. What’s one to do when one can’t find dumbbells anywhere?

Look in your storage lockers. It’s all right there.

2 pound weights work small muscles (triceps) really well. Try a squat with one in your right hand, reaching down across your body to the outside of your left foot. As you stand up, simultaneously draw the hand back and up to the right. Do this 15 times on each side, then repeat 3 times.

Three things that weigh 2 pounds each?

• 28 oz can of tomatoes

• 1 quart of chicken (or vegetable) stock

• 1 quart of boxed juice

3 pound weights are for a little more work. Try to hold one in each hand, arms straight out to the side, and draw circles forward for 15 seconds, then backwards for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

• 33 ounces of olive oil

• 1 bottle Martinelli’s sparkling cider

• 3 lb block of Vermont Cheddar Cheese

4-5 lb weights: getting a little more serious here. Squat with a bicep curl on the way up? Bicep curls while doing calf raises (going onto your tiptoes). Do a pushup, then grab a weight (still in the pushup position) and row the weight up to your rib cage.

• 66 oz bottle laundry detergent (4 lbs)

• refill bottle (2 qts) of soy sauce (5 lbs)

6-7 lb weights: Chest presses (lie on your back, bring elbows to 90, push back up straight over your sternum) and pullovers (on your back, weight directly over your head and brought to directly over your sternum). Side lunges with these will also get you sweaty fast.

• 1.75 liter bottle of Mount Gay Rum (6 lbs 5 oz)

• 3 liter box of wine (7 lbs)

8 lb weights: Step in place, holding the weight at your chest (can be done with one weight; I suggest it anyway!) As you step, press the weight directly out in front of you. Do this for a minute.

• Gallon of water (8 lbs)

If you want to combine weights (to get to 10 or 15), put them together In a bag with handles, or tie the bag together to make a handle. Combining weights in this way will make you work your core harder, as you’ll have more of a tendency to swing the weights. Keeping them in control takes more concentration and more attention to form - and also works your core.

See, my food scale isn’t just for weighing flour for baking. I can fine-tune my lifting tools, just by figuring out what I’m making for dinner!