Can I do a heavy lifting program at home instead of a gym?

Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't belong to a gym, but would like to do a heavy lifting program. I don't have a barbell but have weights up to 25lbs. Do I need to get heavier weights? Can someone give me an idea of how often I need to lift and for how long? Do I alternate upper and lower body? How many reps and sets? Sorry for all the questions!

My son starts preschool in about 2 weeks for an hour and a half in the morning m-thurs and I'm thinking I could definitely fit in a lifting program when he's at school.

Any advice would be great. Thanks so much!
«13

Replies

  • atamrowski
    atamrowski Posts: 417 Member
    Have you looked into P90X?
  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
    As long as you are willing to acquire the necessary equipment. You cannot perform any type of heavy lifting program with the weights that you listed. I would get a cheap barbell, some plates, a squat rack and a bench and start running stronglifts 5x5. It will be the best investment you ever made. Look around on Craigslist for the equipment, there's no reason that it has to be expensive.
  • cosplayerkyo
    cosplayerkyo Posts: 30 Member
    ^ I highly recommend P90X.

    You will need a variety of free weights (anywhere between 3 pounds and up).
    I highly recommend the adjustable weights (Bowflex or PowerBlocks). That way you can have the best of both worlds with all of the weights.
  • ScottyBeBop
    ScottyBeBop Posts: 174 Member
    Power blocks and an adjustable bench. Crazy amount of stuff can be done with that. I try to only lift heavy in the gym because sometimes you just need to drop those weights and i would cry if i messed up my floor doing that.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    look into Stronglifts 5x5 and/or New Rules of Lifting for Women. They focus on heavy lifting. Another one is Starting Strength, but I don't really know a lot about it. That will guide you in what equipment you need at home. It will be more difficult to do at home, but not impossible. Good luck!
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I don't see why not, you can also check out Fitness Blender workouts on you tube
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Heavy lifting workouts require significantly higher amounts of weight and use of a squat rack and a bench. If you don't have these things you simply can not do it out of your home. You can do workouts using weights, but they are not orthodox heavy lifting programs.

    Edit: The people who recommended P90X above have no idea what a heavy lifting program is and only know about DVD workouts. Ignore them. No offense to them, but they're stepping way outside of their area of knowledge to address a heavy lifting question.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Yes, you can, and yes... you'll need heavier weights. Maybe not right away depending on how strong you are currently, but you likely will pretty quickly.

    Also, lifting at home without proper gear, when lifting heavy, has certain safety risks that aren't in play at the gym. Either make sure you have a spotter, or find some other way to be safe.
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    I get by with 4 db bars and a bit over 100 lbs in plates. You can do alot with just db's and a bench. You may want to look into P90X or the Chalean Extreme dvds.
  • Vercell
    Vercell Posts: 437 Member
    Les mills has a great weigh lifting program called pump and you can start with that and it has great music and it really gets you moving.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Les mills has a great weigh lifting program called pump and you can start with that and it has great music and it really gets you moving.

    Not a heavy lifting program.. It's circuit training. Totally different thing.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I get by with 4 db bars and a bit over 100 lbs in plates. You can do alot with just db's and a bench. You may want to look into P90X or the Chalean Extreme dvds.

    Also not heavy lifting programs. ChaLEAN extreme is circuit training. P90X is general purpose isolation training + bodyweight work and is highly inefficient.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    You'll need heavier weights.

    I have about 300lbs on an olympic bar, dumbells, barbells, etc, and do 5 days a week with my girlfriend.

    If our schedules don't work well together, she does her weight days at home, and can only do maybe 2/3 of her exercises with max weight. Her leg days suck at home without 80-100lbs, deadlifts, rows etc.

    She's trained about 2 months, and gone beyond 2x20lb dumbells.

    I pick up equiptment from Canadian Tire, and monitor the website weekly, saved hundreds this way.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I've said it before & I'll say it again . . .

    Convict Conditioning

    You Are Your Own Gym
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    As long as you are willing to acquire the necessary equipment. You cannot perform any type of heavy lifting program with the weights that you listed. I would get a cheap barbell, some plates, a squat rack and a bench and start running stronglifts 5x5. It will be the best investment you ever made. Look around on Craigslist for the equipment, there's no reason that it has to be expensive.

    This is what I did, except I don't have a squat rack and instead do barbell hack squats ( http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBHackSquat.html ), which isn't the ideal situation, but since I don't have the money or room for a rack right now, it'll do.

    I started with an inexpensive bench and barbell set that had 80 pounds worth of weights, and bought more as needed. I'm up to about 180 pounds in weights now and will probably need more soon. I wish I would have bought used from Craigslist, but I was stubborn and impatient. :smile: I got all my stuff at Sears or Dick's Sporting Goods on sale.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Also... I'm not aware of any actual HEAVY lifting programs that come on DVD.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Do push-ups, pull ups and jump squats. Your own heaviest weight is your body.

    Yeah, never done P90X, but I like that suggestion if you can't get a gym membership or buy expensive equip. If you can invest in a good cardio machine, not a bad idea (unless it collects dust).
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    I've said it before & I'll say it again . . .

    Convict Conditioning

    You Are Your Own Gym

    This bar sign knows what's up.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Also... I'm not aware of any actual HEAVY lifting programs that come on DVD.

    Beachbody has brought out a programme called Body Beast - it is HEAVY lifting - they have two versions - a lighter and a real heavy one......

    btw - I am NOT a beachbody coach - but know a few people doing the programme and loving it :-)
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    Heavy lifting workouts require significantly higher amounts of weight and use of a squat rack and a bench. If you don't have these things you simply can not do it out of your home. You can do workouts using weights, but they are not orthodox heavy lifting programs.

    Edit: The people who recommended P90X above have no idea what a heavy lifting program is and only know about DVD workouts. Ignore them. No offense to them, but they're stepping way outside of their area of knowledge to address a heavy lifting question.
    Wrong. All lifts can be modified to dumbbells. No squat rack required. I know, because I do SL 5x5s using Olympic dumbbells.


    Agreed about P90X, though. That's cardio, not heavy lifting.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    Do push-ups, pull ups and jump squats. Your own heaviest weight is your body.

    Except when you need to lift more than body weight. Which you do if you're going to lift heavy.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    You'll definitely be able to start something but will need more equipment soon.. I've only got dumbells with varying weights but already I could do with more weight. Am hoping hubby buys me a bar and bench for my birthday in May :)

    You could use what you have and some own body weight workouts to build your strength while saving for more equipment.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    I don't see why you can't start a low-weight program at home, then work up from there. We all had to start somewhere. Then as you progress, at some point you will need the gym since you might run out of room in your house. lol

    The only thing that concerns me about beginners lifting at home is the safety factor. At least at a gym, the trainers and instructors can show you how to do so safely so you don't injure yourself. Not sure, but maybe there is a Youtube vid about lifting safely? Others would know, and I'm sure they'll weigh in after me. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You can lift heavy at home, but as others have stated, you'll need to acquire the proper equipment. Heavy lifting programs like Starting Strength (my biased personal preference), SL 5x5 (very similar to SS), and such focus on functional strength and compound lifts that require a barbell, squat rack, and bench along with plates to progressively add weight. This is how you make the strength gains. Note, the term heavy is a relative one...basically, with these programs you do sets of 5....that 5th rep should be almost fail once you get going.

    You can do other resistance type training at home, including body weight resistance, body building and things like P90X...these all serve a purpose, however, these should not be confused with a heavy lift, functional strength training program like SS or SL. Apples to Oranges and it all really depends on what your goals are.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Also... I'm not aware of any actual HEAVY lifting programs that come on DVD.

    Beachbody has brought out a programme called Body Beast - it is HEAVY lifting - they have two versions - a lighter and a real heavy one......

    btw - I am NOT a beachbody coach - but know a few people doing the programme and loving it :-)

    It's a mass gainer program which again is not a heavy lifting program. On some days they have you doing heavy weights yes but heavy lifting programs are by nature structured ENTIRELY around compound lifts. NO isolation training at all.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    If you have no idea where to start The New Rules of Lifting is a really good book to read - it has some good starter programmes.

    For really heavy lifting you will need weights higer than 25lbs - especially for a lot of leg work.
  • cosplayerkyo
    cosplayerkyo Posts: 30 Member
    That was my mistake; I saw this thread more as a "work out at home question"

    P90X is not a heavy lifting program.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    I am weird about doing free weights in the gym. I was gifted a bar and plates, and the hubs took me out and got me a nice bench/rack, and I am happily doing my strong lifts 5x5 three times a week at the house. :)
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Also... I'm not aware of any actual HEAVY lifting programs that come on DVD.

    Beachbody has brought out a programme called Body Beast - it is HEAVY lifting - they have two versions - a lighter and a real heavy one......

    btw - I am NOT a beachbody coach - but know a few people doing the programme and loving it :-)

    It's a mass gainer program which again is not a heavy lifting program. On some days they have you doing heavy weights yes but heavy lifting programs are by nature structured ENTIRELY around compound lifts. NO isolation training at all.

    Technically agree with you on the definition - but you have to realise for the majority of people on here - especially the newbies that has never picked up a weight in their life heavy lifting means "I pick it up - it is heavy - I put it down"..... and I do it again till I am tired ;-)

    Over a period of time some of these people learn more, get stronger and go on to become truly awesome powerlifters etc - but dont shoot down the poor person that is just starting and wants to learn ..... it is a journey to go through :-) :-) :-)
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I've said it before & I'll say it again . . .

    Convict Conditioning

    You Are Your Own Gym

    My husband, X-Convict, showed me all the "penitentiary skillz". LOL, that's why I look so hardcore when I work out! :glasses:

    I'm all for convict conditioning! He's even welded his own benches and weight racks.

Categories