my barbell's not heavy enough :(

neandermagnon · February 2013

my barbell with all the weights that I have on it weighs 88lb, and that's too light to keep progressing in deadlifts and I'm really not far from it being too light for squats too, in fact as I intend to start working out at lower rep ranges, it possibly already is. This is not good because I'm really focused on increasing my strength at the moment, as I'm nowhere near as strong as I feel I ought to be.

The obvious solution is to buy more weights, in fact the barbell is borrowed from a friend (who doesn't need it back in the near future) and I'm intending on buying a men's olympic bar and more plates (some of the plates I have already are mine as they go with my dumbbell set). My dumbbells are too light for most of the exercises that I do, although I still use them for some, and the barbell is still heavy enough for most of my lifts, currently.

The problem is that I'm flat broke at the moment so until I get some regular work (yes I'm looking) I can't buy myself any more equipment. (I'd like a power cage as well, not just the barbell, but until I get a job and regular paycheques coming through I'll have to wait)

What suggestions does everyone have for really challenging strength exercises that don't require any equipment? I've looked up bodyweight exercises, a lot of them require equipment that I don't have (dip bars, pull-up bars etc). There are some nice push-up based ones but I can't see much for legs. I live on the 2nd floor (US Eng 3rd floor) and can use the stairs for stair running (I think my neighbours all use the lift so the stairs seem to be just for me lol) but that's more cardio than strength.

The climate here is not good for exercising outdoors (Arabian Gulf)

I'm into functional strength as much as I am into lifting heavy barbell weights.

ETA: oh yeah and obviously I'm too broke to join a gym right now as well, and there isn't a gym in our apartment building which is a shame because most apartment buildings in Bahrain have them

Noor13 · February 2013

Sorry to hear you are struggling. For squats and Deadlifts there are not much options without weights. .

I know, that in the Arab countries it is difficult to just go outside and do pull ups on monkey bars e.g.. due to cultural differences (especially as a woman). And if you are in one of the gulf states, chances are that it is way too hot anyway.

You can look into Nia Shanks beautiful bad *kitten* bodyweight workouts
There is also an ebook called you are your own gym

To increase your shoulder strength you can do handstand pushups
many different ways to do standard pushups from elevated feet to side plank pushups
Do you have access to resistance bands and tubing? I know it does not substitute for a barbell, but it is a cheap way to add some resistance to your workouts.

And I agree, if you buy a barbell, go for the Olympic one!

sijomial · February 2013

That's a tough puzzle to crack!

Have you got a heavy duty back pack you could fill with rocks or sand? (To add weight to stair climbing.)
Weighted belt.
Can you "borrow" a wheelbarrow full of anything heavy? (Would look weird indoors!)
Any heavy furniture you can lift?
Any large water/fluid containers? (A litre weighs a kilo.)

neandermagnon · February 2013

thanks for the replies

I looked up Mark Lauren and Nia Shanks on you tube, found some demonstrations of single exercises (obviously not the whole book or DVD), will have a look through those and see what I can encorporate. I'll probably buy the Mark Lauren book at some point in the future, but I don't want to spend any money at all right now.

Re stuff that I have:

- I don't have resistance bands and couldn't find any last time I looked, although again, don't want to spend any money at all right now

- I have a couple of backpacks, not sure how heavy duty they are. They're kids' sized travel bags with backpack straps, and wheels and a handle for pulling it along (they're used both as schoolbags and suitcases for travelling). They're made for kids though, so unlikely to be designed to carry much weight

- I get water in 19 litre plastic cannisters for the water cooler, like the one in the big pic: http://www.nestle-family.com/pure-life/english/

farsteve · February 2013

One leg squats and one leg deadlifts can be very challenging and you can use about half the weight needed for the two leg version.

Noor13 · February 2013

I am sure you can incorporate the water bottles somehow. Just google and get creative.
20 kg is not too bad to work with. Maybe some one handed things.

And I agree with the one legged deads and squats. That will keep you going for a bit regarding legs. How much weight can the barbell carry? Also remembered look up nerdfitness. They have great bodyweight circuits.

Inverted rows are awesome. You can do them under your dining table if your barbell can not carry that much weight. I do them with my barbell on the squat rack. It is explained at nerdfitness too, how to do it under the table lol.

neandermagnon · February 2013

how do you do one legged squats and maintain balance? I looked up some bodyweight exercises earlier and tried to do pistol squats but they weren't very comfortable on my knees and in order to stay balanced, I had to let my knee go in front of my foot (something that you're generally advised not to do with squats). Also I do squats ATG and I can't keep my balance on one legged ATG bodyweight squats (or at least haven't managed to so far) - any advice about how to do one legged squats with a barbell and without falling over would be great

Pistol squats I can do to upper leg parallell to the floor level.

one legged deadlifts, not tried it before but don't see that it would be a problem.

noor: I think it can carry a lot but with all the weights I've got on it, it's only 88lb. I don't have a squat rack so I can't use it to do inverted rows, pull-ups or anything like that. I have a treadmill and do inverted rows hanging on to the bar of that.

I'll take a look at nerdfitness

thanks everyone

BeachGingerOnTheRocks · February 2013

how do you do one legged squats and maintain balance? I looked up some bodyweight exercises earlier and tried to do pistol squats but they weren't very comfortable on my knees and in order to stay balanced, I had to let my knee go in front of my foot (something that you're generally advised not to do with squats). Also I do squats ATG and I can't keep my balance on one legged ATG bodyweight squats (or at least haven't managed to so far) - any advice about how to do one legged squats with a barbell and without falling over would be great Pistol squats I can do to upper leg parallell to the floor level.

one legged deadlifts, not tried it before but don't see that it would be a problem.

noor: I think it can carry a lot but with all the weights I've got on it, it's only 88lb. I don't have a squat rack so I can't use it to do inverted rows, pull-ups or anything like that. I have a treadmill and do inverted rows hanging on to the bar of that.

I'll take a look at nerdfitness

thanks everyone

Watch demos of one legged Romanian dead lifts and Bulgarian split squats. I do both of these with dumb bells and/or kettle bells as accessory lifts. Even at home, you can use your coffee table for the split squats.

Davina_JH · February 2013

Bookmarking for later

danimalkeys · February 2013

I'm sure there is plenty of sand around. Get some bags and fill them with sand and weigh them so they are a fixed weight like 20lbs each or something. Hook them over the ends of the bar. Cloth tote bags that hanve handles with a garbage bag inside holding the sand would work great.

swmarler · February 2013

Get a military duffel bag and filler material that comes pre-weighed, i.e. sand, wood pellets, kittie-litter, etc. Use a heavy duty trash bag inside to protect against breaking. I've made bags as heavy as 120 lbs this way.

It isn't a barbell, but looks awesome as your doing getups with it on your shoulder or snatching it overhead, or squatting it in a bear hug.

For added weight, buy chains and drape them over your shoulders, or wrap them around the bag and do heavy carries.

Jenlwb · February 2013

I'm in the same place as you, and scoured all the gyms, it's smith machine or nothing for the ladies. Although there's one place in Juffair that i've not managed to find yet, Fitness Zone at the Al Najma centre. I'm lucky, a friend made me a power cage at home.

If you do get some funds together, plates are cheapest at Geant or Lulu, but their barbells are the 50kg max type that screw together in the middle. The Athletic shop near the Brit club has a whole selection of barbells, at all prices.

stumblinthrulife · February 2013

For a free way to add 16lb, how about just a couple of carrier bags and old gallon milk jugs full of water?

A bit ghetto-looking, and possibly not the most stable solution, but certainly the cheapest and easiest.

neandermagnon · February 2013

Thanks for all the suggestions

sand bags, other containers, stuff to fill them with, etc - will see what I can do with all these suggestions. I really like the idea of fixing home made sand bags directly to the barbell. There certainly is no shortage of sand here lol

Jenlwb - thanks for the tips re where to buy stuff

Not sure where the Brit club is but I think my husband knows it. will check it out when I get some money. My friend got her barbell (the one she lent me) from a guy in Saudi via the 2nd hand listings, it was new, he sells them via the 2nd hand listings (home business I think) so I might get his number from her and see if he's selling stuff at cheaper prices

also I'm going to incorporate some of the bodyweight and alternative kinds of exercises into my exercise routines for variety, even after I manage to buy myself a new barbell. I like variety.

Jenlwb · February 2013

Jenlwb - thanks for the tips re where to buy stuff Not sure where the Brit club is but I think my husband knows it. will check it out when I get some money. My friend got her barbell (the one she lent me) from a guy in Saudi via the 2nd hand listings, it was new, he sells them via the 2nd hand listings (home business I think) so I might get his number from her and see if he's selling stuff at cheaper prices

Also, keep an eye on dubizzle.com, they have a bahrain section, it's just listings, you might see something on there 2nd hand.

neandermagnon · February 2013

Jenlwb - thanks for the tips re where to buy stuff Not sure where the Brit club is but I think my husband knows it. will check it out when I get some money. My friend got her barbell (the one she lent me) from a guy in Saudi via the 2nd hand listings, it was new, he sells them via the 2nd hand listings (home business I think) so I might get his number from her and see if he's selling stuff at cheaper prices

Also, keep an eye on dubizzle.com, they have a bahrain section, it's just listings, you might see something on there 2nd hand.

Thanks

that's great

dave4d · February 2013

Dips can be done between two kitchen chairs, you could also do weighted bench dips putting the plates on your waist, holding onto a bench or chair to dip down.

For Deadlifts, single leg deadlifts work, but are hard to balance. You could always use a bench or chair behind you to cradle your other leg for single leg squats, if you don't like pistol squats. You may be better off switching to power cleans, or squat cleans, as you won't be able to do as much weight with those as you can deadlift, or squat. Another trade off for deadlifts could be Goodmornings.

neandermagnon · February 2013

thanks dave4d

I've seen dips done with chairs, but presumably I'd need to put something heavy on the chairs first to stop them from falling down mid dips? (seen some funny you tube clips of that, don't want that to be me!!)

thank you for the other suggestions, I'll look into those

neandermagnon · February 2013

have to say, one legged deadlifts are great

love 'em

it's nice to know I still have reasonably good balance. I used to play ice hockey years ago and back then I had excellent balance.

I'm planning to keep on doing one legged deadlifts, even after I get a heavier barbell and more weights. They seem to hit the leg muscles in a slightly different way, presumably due to engaging more stabilising muscles for balance.

Yogi_Carl · February 2013

"The obvious solution is to buy more weights"

... or - progressive callisthenics?

You Are Your Own Gym or any number of bodyweight exercises on You Tube or look up Al Kavadlo.

Drop the weights - build some real strength.

neandermagnon · February 2013

"The obvious solution is to buy more weights"

... or - progressive callisthenics?

You Are Your Own Gym or any number of bodyweight exercises on You Tube or look up Al Kavadlo.

Drop the weights - build some real strength.

thanks... I've looked up a few bodyweight exercises already, not heard of Al Kavadlo, will definitely take a look, thanks

I have no plans on dropping the weight training, but I have been planning on having bodyweight exercises days as well as weights days. I'm not a dichotomous thinker.... rather than asking "what's best, weights or bodyweight" I tend to think "why not both?"

Yogi_Carl · February 2013

Good plan - I also do kettlebell routines along with bodyweight so I have a little to do with weight resistance as well.

my barbell's not heavy enough :(

Replies

Categories