Looking for a good over all body workout at home with just dumbbells

johncharles1962
johncharles1962 Posts: 31 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I returned to training at 55 end of last year and everything was going so well early into this year when problems came from everywhere in my life, illness and family and other stuff, I won't bore you with the details :smile: , but it did overwhelm me.

But all my hard work was thrown away and I started eating and drinking wrong again as well. But I am back on the saddle again, feeling a little depressed and not as motivated after what's been thrown at me, but I know I have to snap out of it and do this for me. I avoided going out with other runners as I am a little slow and low confidence at the moment, little fat man running doing 5 miles in 50 minutes :smile:

For the first time in my adult life my body is looking at a bit yuk, and please don't say it's my age which of course has some baring, but this is rapid decline and probably very self inflicted apart from my illness. From less than a year ago and being able to do a few sets of bench presses at 80 KG ish I feel very much weaker and I feel a bit too embarrassed to go anywhere near a gym at the moment.

I just want to dig deep now and get some miles knocked out running and cycling and this is where I come to my question. I was just going to incorporate body resistance exercise to tone me up/strength train behind closed doors, which I still am going to do. But I decided to get just a pair of dumbbells with a total weight of 35KG each, for now that should be plenty, and I am also short of space right now, would have loved to have got a big squat and dead lift area set up, but just cannot right now.

Can someone please help me out with an all over work out or point me where to go.

Thanks

Replies

  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    One pair of dumbbells is not going to be versatile. You could get set of adjustable dumbells or you could do a bodyweight fitness routine and include some dumbell work. It depends on your specific goals. "You are your gym" from Mark Lauren has quite a few bodyweight exercises as a starting point.
  • jeffjeff85
    jeffjeff85 Posts: 118 Member
    edited August 2018
    Check miscleandffitness.com
    Lots of workouts, including dumbbell only

    IMPORTANT here-
    The question is not the amount of weight currently on the bar, the question is; are you doing better today than yesterday...
    Stuff happens. If I lifted steady since I first started, today I'd be lifting the gym with the weights IN it :)
  • johncharles1962
    johncharles1962 Posts: 31 Member
    I have relented and got myself a dumbbell as well, only about 5ft long, and got just short of 90kg in weights, which is plenty for now. I just need to be more creative, but with the dumbbell I can do so much more now. At the moment I am planning 2 body parts per session and then rest them for at least 4 days while I am doing other parts, legs is going to be an issue as I won't squat from behind the neck unless I have back up, but there are other forms of squat.. I am actually looking forward to getting back into this now :smile:
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Have a look a Bulgarian split squats, also known as rear foot elevated split squats. You can use your dumbells for loading and you don't need as much weight since it's a unilateral exercise.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Some good ideas in here OP:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • johncharles1962
    johncharles1962 Posts: 31 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Some good ideas in here OP:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Great stuff, thanks Kimmy
  • johncharles1962
    johncharles1962 Posts: 31 Member
    BigGuy47 wrote: »
    Have a look a Bulgarian split squats, also known as rear foot elevated split squats. You can use your dumbells for loading and you don't need as much weight since it's a unilateral exercise.

    That's just the sort of thing I am looking for
  • Johnd2000
    Johnd2000 Posts: 198 Member
    I’ve been doing this for the last few weeks.

    https://youtu.be/VQZJlSAuOTc

    I have to skip a couple of the exercises, as they’re too much for my 55 year old, formerly wrecked, back. But apart from that caveat, I’m seeing benefits in my legs and shoulders.
  • johncharles1962
    johncharles1962 Posts: 31 Member
    Johnd2000 wrote: »
    I’ve been doing this for the last few weeks.

    https://youtu.be/VQZJlSAuOTc

    I have to skip a couple of the exercises, as they’re too much for my 55 year old, formerly wrecked, back. But apart from that caveat, I’m seeing benefits in my legs and shoulders.

    Great stuff John, got a great idea off it in the first 4 minutes.

    But I have relented now and got a short dumbbell.
    I am actually starting to think I could get a really good workout with far less equipment I had at the gym

    Just started Yoga as well, age thing :)

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