Can I lift at home ? supplies!!!

leahloves2run

I wanna do some weight training at home and I need to know the basics on what supplies I need. There's not much room to work with so just the basic and few essentials please . Thanks!!!

kmkgurl

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Azra124

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SingingSingleTracker

I wanna do some weight training at home and I need to know the basics on what supplies I need. There's not much room to work with so just the basic and few essentials please . Thanks!!!

A nice bench with a squat rack (and knee extension/hamstring curl) would be a good start with an Olympic bar and some plates. Hand helds are a good way to start and you can work all muscles with them. They usually sell for around $1 a pound, so you buy and add as needed. An exercise mat to place under your bench and main sweat areas to protect your floor.


HomeGymWeights


HomeGymBike

I started with a few hand held weights and a treadmill 20 years ago when I lived in an apartment. Now that I am in a house with a generous basement, I have slowly added things as I could afford and needed them. I tried a gym, but the monthly membership was too much. In fact, even after buying 2 benches, the Olympic bar and plates, exercise bikes - I am way ahead at this point compared to what I would have been paying in gym memberships. Plus, I save on gas by not having to drive to and from my workouts. Home gym'in it since 1995.

leahloves2run

I wanna do some weight training at home and I need to know the basics on what supplies I need. There's not much room to work with so just the basic and few essentials please . Thanks!!!

A nice bench with a squat rack (and knee extension/hamstring curl) would be a good start with an Olympic bar and some plates. Hand helds are a good way to start and you can work all muscles with them. They usually sell for around $1 a pound, so you buy and add as needed. An exercise mat to place under your bench and main sweat areas to protect your floor.


HomeGymWeights


HomeGymBike

I started with a few hand held weights and a treadmill 20 years ago when I lived in an apartment. Now that I am in a house with a generous basement, I have slowly added things as I could afford and needed them. I tried a gym, but the monthly membership was too much. In fact, even after buying 2 benches, the Olympic bar and plates, exercise bikes - I am way ahead at this point compared to what I would have been paying in gym memberships. Plus, I save on gas by not having to drive to and from my workouts. Home gym'in it since 1995.

leahloves2run

This looks great but I was thinking more along the lines of maybe two sets of dumbbells and a bench ...so basically as many items that would fit in a laundry basket Thanks anyways.

SingingSingleTracker

This looks great but I was thinking more along the lines of maybe two sets of dumbbells and a bench ...so basically as many items that would fit in a laundry basket Thanks anyways.

Yes, that's all you need. I had hand held weights (still have them) that came with various plates so you could change the weight on each for your needs. They are a very small footprint for an apartment and you are able to get a full workout with them. I did a full body circuit of about 17 or 18 exercises for 10 years in an apartment with the handheld weights. My treadmill folded up and had a small footprint in the apartment. With the handheld weights - you really don't need a bench. I simply showed that over the past 20+ years, I was able to grow my original apartment "home gym" into a bit more thanks to having the space.

Here's all you need. You really don't need a bench.


stock-photo-cast-iron-dumbbell-and-weight-plates-on-wooden-deck-home-gym-concept-121469107

The plates allow you to easily adjust the amount of weight and provide a smaller footprint for your apartment than getting a bunch of these at various weights and taking up too much space...


20-lbs-dumbbell

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/08/01/dont-be-a-dummy-how-to-get-a-full-workout-with-only-dumbells/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rudy6.htm

http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/

DJMIKEY1

Basically all I have are Resistance Bands and a small flat bench and a Large Balance Ball. Training can be done at home with some creativity.

FitWarrior7

Get yourself a set of Bowflex Selectech weights with the stand. They go from 2.5-52.5 and work great. Also grab yourself a bench that inclines, declines and goes flat. Lastly pick up an olympic weight set with the barbell and 300 pounds of weights. I picked up the bench and the weight set from Sports Authority recently. They had a 20% off fitness coupon, I got outta there for $280 for a 300 pound Marcy Olympic weight set and a bench with full decline, incline, and flat bench capability. And the rack for the bar can be used for a squat rack as well.

SezxyStef

I lift at home in our spare bedroom which has 3 big shevels and a desk in it along with my wine fridge...space is limited for me.

I have a bench and my husband and son built me a squat rack for safety.

I started with 1 barbell and about 100lbs in weights.

I have since gotten 2 more bars (1 standard and 1 curl) for my birthday and I have a few extra plates from my husbands set and I was given some for Christmas.

IMHO there is no point in investing in dumbells if you are going to be lifting...invest in a standard or olympic bar and a bench with a few plates and buy as needed looking at craigs list etc...

paygep

Home gyms are the best! Here's what's in mine:

Adjustable weight dumbbells *ESSENTIAL
Yoga mat *optional
Exercise ball *optional, but nice to have in place of a bench

Besides that you just need a lifting plan

leahloves2run

This looks great but I was thinking more along the lines of maybe two sets of dumbbells and a bench ...so basically as many items that would fit in a laundry basket Thanks anyways.

Yes, that's all you need. I had hand held weights (still have them) that came with various plates so you could change the weight on each for your needs. They are a very small footprint for an apartment and you are able to get a full workout with them. I did a full body circuit of about 17 or 18 exercises for 10 years in an apartment with the handheld weights. My treadmill folded up and had a small footprint in the apartment. With the handheld weights - you really don't need a bench. I simply showed that over the past 20+ years, I was able to grow my original apartment "home gym" into a bit more thanks to having the space.

Here's all you need. You really don't need a bench.


stock-photo-cast-iron-dumbbell-and-weight-plates-on-wooden-deck-home-gym-concept-121469107

The plates allow you to easily adjust the amount of weight and provide a smaller footprint for your apartment than getting a bunch of these at various weights and taking up too much space...


20-lbs-dumbbell

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/08/01/dont-be-a-dummy-how-to-get-a-full-workout-with-only-dumbells/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rudy6.htm

http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/

leahloves2run

Ok this is encouraging thank you! and the links will be especially helpful too

leahloves2run

I'm glad I asked, thank you everyone!

rybo

Or you could do body weight exercises and not really need anything expect maybe a pull up bar.

leviclampitt

For you:

+ One 20-32 lb kettlebell
+ A 20 lb weighted vest
+ A chinup bar that fits in the doorframe + some resistance bands (to help you do them)
+And a short EZ bar and weights once you need to level up.

This is a Non-Gym set up (what it seems like you need/want). Here is a short article on how it differs from the traditional home gym: http://www.withoutagym.net/gyms/

wannaBrunnner81

I have an adjustable bench, nothing fancy, just one that goes from incline to decline and straight, and then a set of the bowflex adjustable dumbells. All in all it was about 400.00 for everything.

sjp_511

I am working on building my home gym. I got a treadmill last fall. I recently purchased weights from the used sorting good store. I got a bar and some dumbell bells that use standard weights (not Olympic). Next I will be getting an adjustable bench and a power rack. Some day I will grow out of standard weights and need to upgrade to Olmpic, but I have a ways to go. If you do buy a standard bar, make sure that it is long enough for a rack if you choose to get one. From the shopping around I did, standard bars come in all sorts of lengths and I read reviews that some are too short for racks.

marypatmccue

I have the following at home and it works really well:

* A step class step setup that I use as a bench, due to space requirements.
* 3 sets of resistance bands with door anchors.
* 1 set of power block weights that go up to 90 pounds (I think 45 would have been plenty sufficient... I'll never be able to get up to the 90's for what I use them for!)
* 1 set of various weights (Four 10 pounds, four 5 pounds, and four 2.5 pounds) with a bar, so that I can bench press, squat, deadlift, etc.

All of them stack really nicely and leave lots of space. I do MOST of my weight training at home. This spring I'll graduate to the NROL4W or SL5x5 and will head to the gym for complex lifts at heavier weights.

geebusuk

A rack doesn't have to take a massive amount of room.

As well as my full 'power cage' (DIY effort) I've got one of these:

If you get one without the catchers it's even less space. But a squat rack like this means offers of working muscles with a fair bit more weight. Both because you can use barbells and because you can use them SAFELY - because it's got the catchers to make sure you don't crush yourself if you drop it.

While it's not small, if put in a corner there's actually only one protruding bit.

If you want to go really 'light', then reistance bands can offers loads of force to fight against, but they work a bit different to weights because the resistance gets harder as you stretch them. In some cases this is good, others less so.
You can do reasonably heavy squats with them, but I'd think you'd need to play about a bit to get it working nicely.

If you do go down the 'real weights' route, definitely look second hand. I got my rack above for either £60 or £75, I forget - they do lighter versions as well, but I wanted the 250kg capable one. A basic bar bell setup can be got for not much second hand.
I got a fairly heavy duty incline/decline bench secondhand for £50, but you can get them for a fair bit less.

I only use the bench for bench press and decline weighted situps (could do normal situps with more weight instead.)

concordancia

A TRX strap will fit in a laundry basket with room to spare. There are also cheaper suspension straps that come with great reviews.

SingingSingleTracker

Get yourself a set of Bowflex Selectech weights with the stand. They go from 2.5-52.5 and work great. Also grab yourself a bench that inclines, declines and goes flat. Lastly pick up an olympic weight set with the barbell and 300 pounds of weights. I picked up the bench and the weight set from Sports Authority recently. They had a 20% off fitness coupon, I got outta there for $280 for a 300 pound Marcy Olympic weight set and a bench with full decline, incline, and flat bench capability. And the rack for the bar can be used for a squat rack as well.

I'm going to guess the OP (leahoves2run) may not be in need of a bench and an Olympic weight set of 300 pounds. That's a good price you got and I think when I bought mine a few years ago I got everything on sale as well which - compared to a gym membership - has worked out really well and I'm glad I got it.

Sounds like the OP may be more focused on toning up with lighter handheld weights in an apartment with space issues is what she was focusing in on. You can do a lot with handhelds that have plates you can change to the point you have 35, 40, 45, 50 pounds on each dumbell.

SS

geebusuk

Remember, however, that 'toning' can still be done quicker doing relatively "heavy weights" and the concept merely describes having muscle along with low fat.
For most women it's VERY hard to go beyond what would be described as 'toned' without a lot of time spent over a long period of time.

lrmall01

IMHO, pick your workout, then pick your supplies. Everything suggested will work, but may not be needed if you aren't doing a routine that uses them.

For example, if you do this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/womens-beginning-dumbbell-workout/ you'll only need some dumbells. A cheap adjustable set will get you started.

If you want to do Stronglifts, then you need barbell equipment.

parkscs

As others suggested, I'd start small and build up over time. Don't rush into spending thousands of dollars on expensive cardio equipment and oly lifting sets. Start with the basics and go from there. Resistance bands, a nice mat for the floor, maybe a pull up bar, and perhaps some adjustable dumbbells are really all you need for starting out. I recently picked up a set of Bowflex 1090's when they went on sale (thank you camelcamelcamel!) and they've been quite nice so far for days I can't make it to the gym. Bowflex also sells a set that goes up to 50 pounds/dumbbell and generally costs a bit less, which may be a better fit.

If you decide to later look into a weight training program, I would reevaluate how much you value working out at home before making any big purchases. Having recently priced out a decent set of oly plates, barbell, power cage, and so on... it's not cheap. Given that my gym memberships run $30/month, we're talking years of gym memberships until you pay off that sort of investment in home gym equipment.

guardianwill

I would suggest using some bands, stretch tubes, dumbbells, kettlebell, and maybe a thigh toner which could be used for your thighs and upper body (chest). This all should fit nicely in a laundry basket. The dumbbells I would buy are changeable. All this equipment combined would cost 100 or less. Just a thought. I live in a small apartment with a family of four and so room is priceless for me as well. Don't need a lot of things. Might buy a pad if you have hard floors.

kinmad4it

Or you could do body weight exercises and not really need anything expect maybe a pull up bar.

My thoughts exactly! You already own all the equipment you'll ever need, your own body.

brianmcg321

I'm putting together a small home gym now.

I considered going the full olympic weight set/bench and squat rack and all kinds of stuff as I had the room.

But ultimately I decided on the following:
1 - set of Bowflex Selecttech adjustable dumbbells 552 $299.
1- Rogue Flat utility bench (Presses and other upper body stuff) $175
1 - Plyometric jump box (weighted lunges, etc.) $80
1- Power Tower (allow you to do dips, pull ups, and leg lifts) $125

Total: $679.

With this I can hit every muscle group and do a ton of Crossfit work outs.
Eventually I'm going to finish the flooring in my gym space with some rubber stall mats and may consider other pieces but I think this is going to last me a while. I like the minimalist design to it.

rhoshambeau

http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html

geebusuk

Or you could do body weight exercises and not really need anything expect maybe a pull up bar.

My thoughts exactly! You already own all the equipment you'll ever need, your own body.

So, how do you do the equivalent of more than body weight squats?

concordancia

[/quote]
So, how do you do the equivalent of more than body weight squats?
[/quote]

pistols
pick up the kids and squat
pick up a hot person of the gender of your choice and show off

If you are in the relatively small percentage of people who can do pistol squats, you may need other equipment. I doubt that someone who is asking how to get started is in that category.