Exercises with a 40kg-ish bar and no equipment?

Vailara

To explain my situation: I'm not using the gym at the moment, so can't do exercises that need a squat rack/power cage/bench, etc. I have been doing bodyweight exercises as well as the occasional exercise with home weights, mainly OHP. As far as home weights go, I have one of those flimsy-looking bars and have four 10kg weights which I can fit on it (I could squeeze a couple of other weights on, but I don't have any more 10kg ones, so maximum about 50kg).

So bench press is out (thank goodness, I hated it!), deadlifts are out (not enough weight), back squats are out (can't get the bar on or off me), OHP is in. Cleans and snatches are also in, but I'm not very good at them.

I'm just wondering if anybody had suggestions for exercises I could try?

I have been trying front squats http://stronglifts.com/how-to-front-squat-with-proper-technique/ but apparently they aren't nearly as good as back squats and I am using a much lighter weight (only 20kg weights plus whatever the bar is). I find this really awkward! I have difficulty with the clean grip, and it doesn't feel the same (as stressful) as the back squat.

I'm also giving one-leg stiff-leg deadlifts a go . I'm using the 40kg for that but it doesn't feel very heavy.

I also have been trying an exercise I've forgotten the name of, where you lift your hips. Again, 40kg feels too light, but it's also quite painful where the bar rests!

And I'm carrying on with the OHP.

I know I can't do a Stronglifts type programme with these exercises, but do you think they are useful? Or are there better ones I should be doing, bearing in mind my limitations (can't add weight, don't have equipment, etc.). Is it worth doing "heavy" lifting in these circumstances? (I feel it's got to be doing SOME good, but is it?).

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Honestly I would look for a different program that you can do with the equipment you do have available. If it was just the squats that you had to modify, then that would be one thing but really what you've described REALLY butchers the whole program.....so it's essentially no longer SL.

Although with all that being said....you do have a bar with some weights....so it's not like you can't do anything...bench isn't out (unless you are benching over 100lbs now)......

I'm kind of confused actually :laugh:

Vailara

Thank you . The programme I'm doing while not at the gym is a bodyweight programme. I realise that I can't go back to a Stronglifts-style programme at home, but I do really miss the heavy lifting and worry that I'm losing some of the health benefits.

I'd rather not to bench press without the equipment (I used to do it in the power rack with safety bars and don't feel too confident without them. I could see how much I could get on my dumbbells, although I don't have a bench to lie on so would have to work something out. But I always got the impression that the bench was the least beneficial of the lifts (but was in partly due to being a competition lift). I'm doing pushups instead.

This is probably the wrong area to ask in, but I've found the people here so knowledgeable and helpful about lifting so I thought I'd give it a go! It's difficult to find a programme which uses the equipment I have. And I was really wondering if it was beneficial. If front squats don't help build strength, are they worth doing? Or are they still preserving some of my muscle? Is deadlifting 40 - 50kg doing anything for me, when I used to lift 80kg?

I'm not surprised you're confused because I'm confusing myself, but I suppose I'm wondering if I can do adapted versions of the main lifts (deadlifts, squats) so that 40kg is "heavy" for me, or if that just defeats the whole purpose?

DaniH826

I agree that Stronglifts isn't going to happen for you, or only to a certain point obviously until you cap out. 40 kg is about the starting range for deadlifts, so not a high range at all.

Having said that, if you can't go up in weight ... go up in reps. Because in order to advance in barbell lifting, there has to be progression of some sort. Of either weight or reps. You could try stiff-legged deadlifts or negative deadlifts or some other variation. I mean really, all you need to do is get a little creative. It's not about the lifts, but about the benefits to you as far as the muscle groups they train and the fitness level they allow you to achieve (and because it's just plain fun). But obviously lifting the same weight for the same amount of reps for months and months isn't going to help you. You could also lower your speed. I hear lower lifting speed can be killer effective, but you'd obviously need to check into that more as I know very little about it.

If you can go up in weight, then do so. You could purchase smaller plates that let you progress in squats and overhead and bench presses at a smaller rate than 20 kg at a time (which would be too much).

Just because you can't do Stronglifts, doesn't mean you can't lift with what you have. You just have to get creative and put something together that will work for you. Lots of people are limited by equipment and end up doing a mix of different things. I'm limited somewhat also, so I have to adapt and work with what I have. It's all good.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

I agree that Stronglifts isn't going to happen for you, or only to a certain point obviously until you cap out. 40 kg is about the starting range for deadlifts, so not a high range at all.

Having said that, if you can't go up in weight ... go up in reps. Because in order to advance in barbell lifting, there has to be progression of some sort. Of either weight or reps. You could try stiff-legged deadlifts or negative deadlifts or some other variation. I mean really, all you need to do is get a little creative. It's not about the lifts, but about the benefits to you as far as the muscle groups they train and the fitness level they allow you to achieve (and because it's just plain fun). But obviously lifting the same weight for the same amount of reps for months and months isn't going to help you. You could also lower your speed. I hear lower lifting speed can be killer effective, but you'd obviously need to check into that more as I know very little about it.

If you can go up in weight, then do so. You could purchase smaller plates that let you progress in squats and overhead and bench presses at a smaller rate than 20 kg at a time (which would be too much).

Just because you can't do Stronglifts, doesn't mean you can't lift with what you have. You just have to get creative and put something together that will work for you. Lots of people are limited by equipment and end up doing a mix of different things. I'm limited somewhat also, so I have to adapt and work with what I have. It's all good.

Excellent advice as usual Dani!

Vailara

Thanks! I do have smaller plates (including fractional plates), but can't fit much more on the bar (thick plates, small bar). I can't really do back squats as I can't get the bar on and off my back. With the front squats, I can clean the bar, but I'm just not sure of the benefit.

I've tried stiff-legged deadlifts and single leg stiff-legged deadlifts and 40kg still felt much too light, but I did do more reps, so that might be the way forward. I'll look into lower speed too. That hadn't occurred to me - thanks!

I was doing Starting Strength for several months before I stopped going to the gym, so I've already "capped out" on my home weights for deadlifts. Overhead press is fine, but I don't know how beneficial it is on its own.

DaniH826

You could check into New Rules of Lifting, I know the book for women has a bunch of alternative exercises such as one-legged lifts and whatnot also. Maybe the book for men has even more so. Or just scour the Internet for ideas.

I think you're just going to have to put your own program together. As long as the foundational principles are in place, it'll work. You could also do barbell complexes/circuits and combine lifting with cardio and give yourself an awesome workout that way. And/or incorporate kettlebells and/or dumbbells. Like I said, get a little creative and think outside the streamline pre-canned program box. If you've done Starting Strength, then you should be at an intermediate enough level to understand barbell basics and expand from there.

Vailara

I've got NROLFW so I'll give it another look. You're right, I'm just going to need to plan it out. I might not get the benefit I'd get from squats and deadlifts, but there's got to be some (health) benefit.