Must haves for lifting

M_lifts

Ive been toying around with this for a long time, however i definitely want to give it a go. Been too intimidated in the past, but ive been reading NROL and bodybuilding.com and they have some good info. Due to space issues i cant get a barbell, but ive got some dumbells which go up to 30lbs, im going to get myself some more dumbells to help increase weight as i progress. Also going to invest in a step. I work full time and my workouts are at home. Ive got my cardio covered, just need help with lifting. Thanks

What are your essentials?

JBuck1914

Resistance Bands are great too. They are light and can be packed if you travel. You may want to look into a Kettle bell too. They offer some great benefits as far as strength and explosiveness.

squishycow7

bumpinnnggg - I'd like to know as well, I'm a lifting noob

gvswaim

bump

Mom0fTwo

bump

jacksonpt

As long as you have the ability to do bench presses, shoulder presses, squats, deadlifts, rows and pull-ups you'll be fine.

Dumbbells, a pull-up bar and an adjustable bench and you should be set.

tangal88

off course dumbells, at least enough to get started - thats all I use. I slowly add on new sizes as needed, now have 50's

Gloves are a must for me. Fit and padding matter the most, IMO

And I personally use P90x/P90x2 - so a pull up bar is a must as well. (the BeachBody pull up band was a big help here, before that I used a chair)

Protein powder for me is important to get enough protein - I like ON Whey Gold 100%, BSN Dessert Lean, or BSN Syntha 6

I also eventually had to add on some lifting hooks for doing weighted lunges with heavier weights, but it did take a while to get there. But they are a nice help.

Also some paper and a pen to track your progress, both in reps and lb increase - very important, and really helps you see your progress.

carrie_eggo

If you want to start NROL I would recommend getting a swiss ball and a step in addition to your dumbbells.

Eventually, only using dumbbells, you won't be able to progress past a certain point (like with squats and deadlifts). I'd recommend getting the bar and a bench with a rack for squats instead of additional dumbbells---it will get hard for you to grip anything past 30 pounds when trying to do squats, deadlifts, lunges, etc. Plus, your form will suffer using higher weight dumbbells as opposed to the bar. BUT don't let that stop you from starting New Rules!! Depending on your level of strength and experience, it may take you a while before you will need to purchase anything else.