Can serious lifting be done at home?

potatogirl741

I am looking at starting a lifting program (that's a whole other ball of confusion and questions for me but I digress) but am not a member of a gym...nor will I probably ever be. It's just more convenient to work out at home.

So here is my question: Can I see same results lifting at home with minimal equipment? I can't afford the expensive racks, etc. but I can afford the basics: barbell, plates, bench. Is that enough?

Serah87

Yes you can. :drinker:

I have home gym.

Which includes:

adjustable bench

bench press

squat rack~hubby and sons built for me

barbell and weight plates

dumbbells

exercise ball

mat

chin-up bar

WalkingAlong

Yes, it can.

If you want to avoid the space needs of a free weights set, you might want to consider a heavy kettlebell or two. They're serious. Lots of great info and free workouts from the beginner level on at livefitrevolution.org.

AJ_G

Yes, if you have serious lifting equipment

rybo

Yes. You may also consider doing bodyweight exercises. With the proper progressions you can become seriously strong.

GetSoda

Yes, if you have serious lifting equipment

this.

alternate answer: "For a given definition of serious."

alternate alternate answer: Ed Zercher.

potatogirl741

Yes, it can.

If you want to avoid the space needs of a free weights set, you might want to consider a heavy kettlebell or two. They're serious. Lots of great info and free workouts from the beginner level on at livefitrevolution.org.

Thanks. I think I will go the kettlebell route for now. Cheapest option and found a 5x5 kettlebell routine on bodybuilding.com.

I will look at my other options once I am comfortable with that and have more room in my pocket book.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

If you have serious equipment, like a barbell, dumbbells and plates, then sure. Probably not without, though.

_lyndseybrooke_

Yes, but you need some type of rack. Just having a barbell with plates and a bench is sufficient only when you're lifting a weight that you can easily get up on your shoulders from the ground. If you can get your squatting weight onto your shoulders from the ground, you're not squatting with enough weight. Gotta have something to put the barbell on.

I lift at home with $400 worth of equipment. It looks like this:

http://incredibody.com/sites/incredibody/store/diet-exercise-product-images/cap-barbell-olympic-weight-bench-with-squat-rack-fm-7105-1.png

...along with the barbell and weight set. Certainly nothing fancy, but it has suited my purposes just fine so far.

chani8

I lift at home in my living room. Go for it!!

I prefer dumbbells and a pair of pushup handles. I do supersets to wipe the muscles out and I got good advice that you should focus on getting a good squeeze at the top of a rep. Quality counts!

Good luck!

potatogirl741

Yes, but you need some type of rack. Just having a barbell with plates and a bench is sufficient only when you're lifting a weight that you can easily get up on your shoulders from the ground. If you can get your squatting weight onto your shoulders from the ground, you're not squatting with enough weight. Gotta have something to put the barbell on.

I lift at home with $400 worth of equipment. It looks like this:

http://incredibody.com/sites/incredibody/store/diet-exercise-product-images/cap-barbell-olympic-weight-bench-with-squat-rack-fm-7105-1.png

...along with the barbell and weight set. Certainly nothing fancy, but it has suited my purposes just fine so far.

I think that is the same one (or close to it) on my Amazon wish list...as soon as I can, it will be mine!

chivalryder

You have all the weight you need in your body. Don't bother wasting hundreds of dollars on equipment you don't need to make significant improvments in strength and your body.

Just buy two books: Convict Conditioning and You Are Your Own Gym.

Follow one of the two programs and you're set!

DopeItUp

Absolutely not.

Sam_I_Am77

Absolutely not.

Jealous!

No, you really need some equipment similar to what's pictured above. Heavy KB's are not "heavy lifting", not even close. You don't need Rogue equipment as pictured above, and you can likely find some deals elsewhere. But it's an investment that you'll always have.

Jaslene181

I"m sure you can handle that individually, of course it could be easier if a coach in the gym controlled your workouts and all the exercises were done using professional equipment, but you can make your own plan of training and using minimum of stuff and heart rate monitor

_lyndseybrooke_

Absolutely not.

...why so many barbells?

Oh, and I'm jealous too.

yogicarl

You have all the weight you need in your body. Don't bother wasting hundreds of dollars on equipment you don't need to make significant improvments in strength and your body.

Just buy two books: Convict Conditioning and You Are Your Own Gym.

Follow one of the two programs and you're set!

- seconded.

DopeItUp

Absolutely not.

...why so many barbells?

Oh, and I'm jealous too.

There's an EZ-curl bar, then a fat bar, then a unintentionally-bent bar (cheapie amazon deal that didn't hold up, I keep it around for technique work), then a 40-year old York bar (the rusty one) and finally a deadlift bar. I actually now have a new York bar as well (thicker than normal, 32mm or so, I prefer it to the rest for things like OHP and bench).

Sam_I_Am77

Absolutely not.

...why so many barbells?

Oh, and I'm jealous too.

There's an EZ-curl bar, then a fat bar, then a unintentionally-bent bar (cheapie amazon deal that didn't hold up, I keep it around for technique work), then a 40-year old York bar (the rusty one) and finally a deadlift bar. I actually now have a new York bar as well (thicker than normal, 32mm or so, I prefer it to the rest for things like OHP and bench).

You should try a Safety Squat bar.