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

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  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,720 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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: 41,874 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    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!

    Like you I only have heavy dumbbells. I have bought the book New Rules of Lifting for Women and I'm saving to buy the equipment so I can get started on it.

    In the meantime I'm doing a dumbbell routine with weights as heavy as I can manage: http://produmbbellworkouts.com/dumbbell-routines/full-body-high-volume/

    There are links to videos for each of the moves and it provides you with a really simple programme alternating every couple of days. I've found it really good and I've already increased the weights substantially in just six weeks. Might be worth a go until you have got your heavy lifting equipment.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    To future answerers: The OP asked about heavy lifting programs. Heavy lifting is more than just picking heavy things up and putting them down. Heavy lifting programs are powerlifting-inspired lifting regimens that revolve entirely around compound exercises. There is no isolation training and you don't work in splits (meaning work different muscles on different days). You train full body every workout for low reps of high weight (3-5 reps). The idea behind heavy lifting is to train primarily for functional strength gains, not so much for bodily changes. The changes you want to see in your body will happen as a result of the diet you observe while undergoing this training regimen.

    Please avoid responding with DVD workouts because all you're accomplishing by responding to a question about the above information with (place DVD workout here) is showing you don't know enough to be advising people on these matters.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    WOW thanks for all the replies! I will definitely be looking into some of these options. :smile:
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    The idea behind heavy lifting is to train primarily for functional strength gains, not so much for bodily changes. .

    Well, then maybe this isn't what I want. I want to change my body mass and drop body fat. That is my main goal right now. I have about 30lbs to lose and want to drop body fat more than anything.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    The idea behind heavy lifting is to train primarily for functional strength gains, not so much for bodily changes. .

    Well, then maybe this isn't what I want. I want to change my body mass and drop body fat. That is my main goal right now. I have about 30lbs to lose and want to drop body fat more than anything.

    You will accomplish that with a heavy lifting program provided your diet is straight. What separates heavy lifting programs from other styles of exercise are mainly the strength gains. You'll end up looking how you want to regardless, if your diet is straight and you're doing high intensity exercise of any kind. The difference is that if you do it this route you'll be able to get there with only 3 days a week of exercise and being a lot stronger in the end.

    That being said even I believe there are maybe better ways of going about it. But I'm a very outside the box thinker.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
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    The idea behind heavy lifting is to train primarily for functional strength gains, not so much for bodily changes. .

    Well, then maybe this isn't what I want. I want to change my body mass and drop body fat. That is my main goal right now. I have about 30lbs to lose and want to drop body fat more than anything.

    I'm just gonna leave this here....
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/844040-raspberry-ketones-for-the-rest-of-us

    And this...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics


    Both women who lifted heavy, saw MAJOR recomposition and still ate crap on occasion. Those two are my biggest inspirations for beginning heavy lifting.
  • scottdeeby
    scottdeeby Posts: 95 Member
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    One thing that you need for heavy lifting at home is a strong floor. Also, a lifting platform to protect said floor.
  • Vercell
    Vercell Posts: 437 Member
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    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.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    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. Also look into the book Starting Strength.

    I've been doing NROL4W at home because I didn't have a bench or squat rack. I just bought both with my tax money. As soon as the bench gets here I'll be switching to strong lifts. The only thing I don't like about lifting at home is not having anyone to check my form.
  • Vercell
    Vercell Posts: 437 Member
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    Well since she is trying to do something at home and not in a gym thats why I suggest pump and other suggest p90 x because she can start it out at home. If she get into lifting like you are suggesting she needs to be in a gym with someone to spot her Mr no it all.

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