So..no barbells at gym

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  • boonognog
    boonognog Posts: 55 Member
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    Just my personal opinion, but as a beginner, I wouldn't recommend trying any free weights at all, dumbbell or barbell, without having a personal trainer. You can seriously hurt yourself by using improper form, especially on a repetitive motion.

    Even watching videos on the Internet does not help as much as you would think when you are starting from ground zero.

    So if that gym doesn't have personal trainers (they are not cheap, but they are worth it), you definitely should find a new gym.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    NO, you dont need barbells to get a great workout but...................

    turn around and walk out of that gym!!! Exercise is best when you have multiple options and not having barbells can limit what you can do.

    Hell, in the extra bedroom in my apartment I have a bench, squat rack, 450 pounds of free weights and several pairs of dumbells...sounds like I have more in my apartment than your gym has, lol.

    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/average-home-sizes-around-the-151738
  • TexasTroy
    TexasTroy Posts: 477 Member
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    NO, you dont need barbells to get a great workout but...................

    turn around and walk out of that gym!!! Exercise is best when you have multiple options and not having barbells can limit what you can do.

    Hell, in the extra bedroom in my apartment I have a bench, squat rack, 450 pounds of free weights and several pairs of dumbells...sounds like I have more in my apartment than your gym has, lol.

    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/average-home-sizes-around-the-151738

    uumm, okay. whats your point?
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    lol @ people who think barbells are necessary for strength training.

    Necessary? No. Efficient? Hell yeah.
    I got to agree. Although dumbbells does gives me a good workout but I'm not getting the same intensity as that of a barbell especially when doing lower body workouts.

    As for the OP, like the others said its better to switch gyms. With complete equipments, you'll be getting your money's worth.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    lol @ people who think barbells are necessary for strength training.

    Necessary? No. Efficient? Hell yeah.

    Yes, there is a huge difference between "This workout is more efficient than that one" and "This is absolutely necessary."

    You might not NEED barbells for strength training, but if you joined a gym to do strength training, and they have none... Then that's a completely different story. I'd switch gyms.

    I'll agree with this guy. Still good idea to switch gyms. Though the equipment isn't necessary (and I'd argue the efficiency of using weights vs body weight), an ill equipped gym can't be a good gym.

    Show me the bodyweight routine that allows people to squat over 300 and deadlift over 400 and you can win
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    Show me the bodyweight routine that allows people to squat over 300 and deadlift over 400 and you can win

    arguement won.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    So how does one get from the machines to the free weights? Some of the attitude in this thread is what's keeping some of us on the machines.

    a mob like personality has invaded this site. It is all this macho nacho "lift heavy" stuff. There is nothing wrong with lifting heavy, but a lot of these folks would have total beginners who have never lifted anything heavier than a fork, grunting max weight in the squat rack.

    Beginners to weight lifting can spend a solid year "lifting heavy" with only dumbbells. Dont get sucked into this "I'm so cool cuz I talk chit about lifting heavy crap.
    Dude, this thread is about the OP asking what to do in a gym without barbells. Obviously he's not a beginner otherwise why would he waste his time concerning over a barbell???
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Show me the bodyweight routine that allows people to squat over 300 and deadlift over 400 and you can win

    People throw out pistol squats in response to this argument all the time. Hell, I weigh 240 and I can do a one-legged body weight squat, but still haven't broken a 200lb barbell squat.


    A lot of people don't realize that a barbell squat gives you so much more than "some leg strength."
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    People throw out pistol squats in response to this argument all the time. Hell, I weigh 240 and I can do a one-legged body weight squat, but still haven't broken a 200lb barbell squat.


    A lot of people don't realize that a barbell squat gives you so much more than "some leg strength."

    There's lots of bodyweight movements that strong people will struggle with. I'd be willing to say that every 1000 pound squatter out there can't do a pistol squat, and clearly doesn't need them in his training.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    My wife was squatting 100 and deadlifting 120 in a month. you think she could last a year with just dumbbells?
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,052 Member
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    So how does one get from the machines to the free weights? Some of the attitude in this thread is what's keeping some of us on the machines.

    a mob like personality has invaded this site. It is all this macho nacho "lift heavy" stuff. There is nothing wrong with lifting heavy, but a lot of these folks would have total beginners who have never lifted anything heavier than a fork, grunting max weight in the squat rack.

    Beginners to weight lifting can spend a solid year "lifting heavy" with only dumbbells. Dont get sucked into this "I'm so cool cuz I talk chit about lifting heavy crap.
    Dude, this thread is about the OP asking what to do in a gym without barbells. Obviously he's not a beginner otherwise why would he waste his time concerning over a barbell???

    Actually he is a she....
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Good grief, the OP asked for exercises she could do using either the machines available at her local gym using either machines or dumbbells not "War & Peace" about the relative merits of free weights, dumbbells or machines.

    A beginner (which I believe the OP clearly is) can do perfectly well just using machines / dumbbells / body weight.

    If her goals are to reach elite strength standards I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be asking for this kind of advice.

    I know this might sound astonishing but I think the average person doesn't really give two hoots about being able to bench 1.5 x their BW.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    Good grief, the OP asked for exercises she could do using either the machines available at her local gym using either machines or dumbbells not "War & Peace" about the relative merits of free weights, dumbbells or machines.

    A beginner (which I believe the OP clearly is) can do perfectly well just using machines / dumbbells / body weight.

    If her goals are to reach elite strength standards I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be asking for this kind of advice.

    I know this might sound astonishing but I think the average person doesn't really give two hoots about being able to bench 1.5 x their BW.

    Average people aren't members on an online fitness community looking for ways to get stronger. Don't insult the OP or anyone else here by comparing us to average people! ;)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    I know this might sound astonishing but I think the average person doesn't really give two hoots about being able to bench 1.5 x their BW.

    and squatting 300. For what? Most folks on this site are trying to lose weight and get healthy. Being able to squat huge amounts of weight is not a typical goal.

    lifting weights is excellent activity. But going "heavy", while good for mass building, is not required to maintain muscle while trying to lose weight. Going moderately heavy works just fine and has much less risk of injury for beginners.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    They're posting in the excercise section of a fitness forum, if anything you should be stoked that she isn't receiving answer like "just run and eat less".

    You can lose weight and lift heavy.................. You can lose weight without lifting heavy.

    But she said her "gym" doesn't have any barbells, theres nothing wrong with people reccommending that she find a real gym. Because even if average is her goal right now, hopefully at some point she wants to do a little more than that.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Good grief, the OP asked for exercises she could do using either the machines available at her local gym using either machines or dumbbells not "War & Peace" about the relative merits of free weights, dumbbells or machines.

    A beginner (which I believe the OP clearly is) can do perfectly well just using machines / dumbbells / body weight.

    If her goals are to reach elite strength standards I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be asking for this kind of advice.

    I know this might sound astonishing but I think the average person doesn't really give two hoots about being able to bench 1.5 x their BW.

    I actually completely agree with this.

    But when I joined my gym, all I cared about was that there was treadmills so I could run and not worry about snow and ice. If I'd known from the beginning that I wanted to get into strength training, I might have chosen a different gym. Probably not, because no other gyms were in my budget, but if there had been a better choice at a similar price with a similar commute, I'd have been a happy camper.

    So... if it's an option, check other gyms. If not, just make sure you're actually challenging yourself, or your just killing time. Like the people who did the leg press at 10 pounds for 1000 reps. You might as well just sit in a chair and swing your legs back and forth. :wink:
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    "Strength training" means training to get stronger and is in fact what is under discussion right now. Squatting 300 is still novice level for an average height man and can be achieved in under a year. If a man wants "strength training" to continue to be strength training, then he should be concerned about squatting 300. (yes i know the op is a woman)
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Average people aren't members on an online fitness community looking for ways to get stronger. Don't insult the OP or anyone else here by comparing us to average people! ;)

    Lol - ok, I accept that the members of this community are way ahead of the game. That is true.

    But seriously, advice is based on the context of the individual, their preferences and their situation. I rather suspect that the OP is new to weights and wants to find a way to improve her existing base. She will be just fine for the time being with dumbbells and / or machines.

    I suspect she will transition over to free weights barbell routine if she gets into it though. It's the usual way....
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
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    You could do either of these for at least 6 months.

    http://www.stumptuous.com/workout-6

    And I think you could probably do NROLFW, with a few substitutions.

    edit: my gym has barbells, but the plates are very small which means I can`t do certain exercises. However, I have been able to do substitute exercises with dumbbells (I think they go up to 90 lbs). The mechanics of using DBs vs BBs is slightly different, but not impossible to overcome with some creativity.

    For example:
    - Instead of BB hip thrust > single leg DB glute bridge
    - Instead of back or front squat > goblet squat, single leg squat, Bulgarian split squat
    - Deadlifts > 1-legged romanian deadlifts; DB deadlifts; step-ups work many of the same muscles, especially if you use a high step
    - You can do rows a million ways, no problem there

    (Most of those are from the link above - see also exrx, OR this book:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Womens-Health-Big-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295493 )
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
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    Went to the local gym for an induction this morning, they have various machines and free weight dumbells, but no barbells. Point me in the right direction for exercises for these please

    Anyway back to the OP.....
    Not much of an induction if they didn't give you any advice on how to achieve your goals - induction isn't just "there's the changing rooms".
    Book another session to discuss your goals, devise a program and then get the exercises demonstrated and have the PT check your technique.
    Barbells may or may not be necessary to achieve YOUR goals but doesn't sound a well run or equipped gym at face value.

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