lifting weights at home

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  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,228 Member
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    craigslist.com

    look for an olympic barbell + weights.

    +1

    Agreed, if you want good weights, and Olympic barbell, and a bench would be a good place to start. At the very least realize you will need something at least as heavy as your purse, probably heavier.
  • TooHott2Trott
    TooHott2Trott Posts: 57 Member
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    Bump!
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
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    As for the amount of weight, you should be lifting enough weight to make something in the 5-8 reps range a challenge.

    As for programming, the tried and true beginner programs are Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5. New Rules of Lifting For Women gets honorable mention.

    As for equipment, the gold standard would be a power rack, bench, olympic bar, and set of plates. This is a rather large and space-consuming amount of equipment to acquire, therefore a decent compromise would be a set of adjustable dumbbells (I recommend something that is expandable to 90 or 120 lbs, as you will quickly grow out of the cheap 50 lbs ones), and a bench.

    Good luck. Hope you get as much pleasure and progress out of it as I have.
  • FluroFaye
    FluroFaye Posts: 130
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    Depending how strong you are, I would start off at 2 or 5kg <3 If you're doing 2, do about 15 reps. 5? Do about 5 reps :) Best bet is to go to a shop, see what you can lift ONCE and then half that weight to get something you can do 5 reps with. For me at the moment that's 5kg.
  • treatingmybodyright
    treatingmybodyright Posts: 184 Member
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    If you're an at-home exerciser, I can't recommend enough the usefulness of adjustable weights. We have an expensive Nautilus set that goes up to 55 lbs. each, and a less expensive set that goes up to 25 lbs. I think kettlebells are also phenomenal and perhaps some bands. There are tons of free workout programs on the web, so crank the music and get lifting!
  • brianyeager
    brianyeager Posts: 44
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    I use a Powertec rack (http://www.amazon.com/PowerTec-WB-PR11-Powertec-Power-Workbench/dp/B00574S394/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354816296&sr=8-1&keywords=powertec+power+rack), a weight bench, and I have 700lbs of olympic weight plates. For dumbbells I use Bowflex SelectTech 552. I started out with as much weight I could do for 8 reps for each workout (bench press, incline press, overhead press, dumbbell flies, curls, triceps extensions, etc.). When I can do that weight for 3 sets of 12 reps, I increase the weight. It has worked well for me. Good luck! Work hard and you'll enjoy the results.
  • Jtorres326
    Jtorres326 Posts: 157 Member
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    If you're an at-home exerciser, I can't recommend enough the usefulness of adjustable weights. We have an expensive Nautilus set that goes up to 55 lbs. each, and a less expensive set that goes up to 25 lbs. I think kettlebells are also phenomenal and perhaps some bands. There are tons of free workout programs on the web, so crank the music and get lifting!

    I second the adjustable weights. I finally invested in a pair of Select Techs and it has to be the single best piece of workout equipment I've ever bought. I use them for chalean extreme and it's working fantastically for me. I know they can be expensive, but wait for sales. Got mine onsale at Amazon.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I use a Powertec rack (http://www.amazon.com/PowerTec-WB-PR11-Powertec-Power-Workbench/dp/B00574S394/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354816296&sr=8-1&keywords=powertec+power+rack), a weight bench, and I have 700lbs of olympic weight plates. For dumbbells I use Bowflex SelectTech 552. I started out with as much weight I could do for 8 reps for each workout (bench press, incline press, overhead press, dumbbell flies, curls, triceps extensions, etc.). When I can do that weight for 3 sets of 12 reps, I increase the weight. It has worked well for me. Good luck! Work hard and you'll enjoy the results.

    :cry: ... *wants power rack*
  • Siekobilly
    Siekobilly Posts: 401 Member
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    My rig is in my pictures (I think it's open). I use a FitnessGear mid-width bench from ****'s Sporting Goods, which they no longer sell, but with my rig a utility bench would probably be better. With that I also purchased a FitnessGear olympic barbell with 255lbs in weights (total of 300lbs). To round out the rig I purchased a Valor Athletics BD-6 Safety rack http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TJCHC0/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&redirect=true

    This pretty much lets me do any workout I need., and all-in-all it wasn't too expensive. As for what workouts to do, I'd recommend StrongLifts 5x5, or the other one...always forget what it's called.
  • tschaff04
    tschaff04 Posts: 296 Member
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    What about bodyweight? you don't need to jump into weights yet :)

    I am actively working on losing my last 25-30 pounds but I want to incorporate weights into that slowly. I feel like I need to build a good core under what fat is left so I can be more fit. I do other forms of working out as well but haven't tried lifting. :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    i would recommend joininga gym..

    if that is not an option, do you have room for a squat rack, straight bar, pull up bar, and some dumbbells? You want to be doing squats, deadlifts, pull ups etc...You could get a set of select tech dumbbells so that you can start off at five pounds and move up in five pound incremenets...


    I would recommend the gym though, if you can...

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