Lifting Heavy on a Budget

You should try posting in the "Eat Train Progress" group.

You can make an awesome adjustable "sandbag" for lifting for relatively cheap. http://youtu.be/OIIuvdW6IXE That will walk you through it. I think they have videos for other DIY workout equipment. Good luck with it!

ETA: For an example of what kind of workout you can do with a sandbag, check out http://youtu.be/J4KtudiUT7o

I once lifted my neighbor's TV. Carried it all the way to the pawn shop. I got my workout in, made some money too..

If you are that price restricted, I would recommend doing body weight exercises for awhile until your financial situation improves.

No need to join a gym if you don't want to. You have everything you need with your own bodyweight and a pull-up bar. Some folks will tell you that bodyweight exercises will get to a point then stop, but that is only if you don't know how to make the exercise more intense by changing it up - for example push-ups, close hand push-ups, etc until you are doing one arm push-ups. There is no more limitation in bodyweight exerciese than there are in weights.

Your choice. I would recommend to you a workout manual called Convict Conditioning showing progressive bodyweight exercises from easy to unbelievable. That and some kettlebells and good form and your all set.

I think it's superior to weights, but then I'm hooked!

Convict Conditioning is pretty good...I'd start with that, if you can master that, you may not need any "equipment" at all.

But if you really want some "equipment' the first question is do you have the room for it? If you do, you can get an "olympic" 300lb set of weights with bar at D1cks sporting goods for about $200. This would let you do everything you needed except squats if you followed Stronglifts or a similar program.

You can also build your own Squat/Bench Rack for about $80 from wood instead of buying a station ($3-400)...if you do some googling you can find out how... (Depending on your ability to build things safely, you may need some help with that).

You would need a bench, and those can be bought second hand or off of craigslist for dirt cheap (just make sure you research what you are buying to make sure it's sturdy first)...You may be able to get everthing rather cheaply on craigslist if you search it for a while.

I've also seem some real good buys at yard sales. Especially this time of year, people do their spring/summer yard sales and the stuff they bought at christmas that they aren't going to use they sometimes sell real cheap.

I've been keeping my eye on Craigslist...you can find weights & equipment pretty cheap. Also Goodwill & second hand sporting goods stores. I bought two used 20lb dumbbells for $22 the other day. Not bad.

Convict Conditioning is snake oil --- stick with material from Ross Enamait, he's at least got credentials.

But for bare minimum equipment other than bodyweight, I'd suggest a kettlebell. Get a single 35# and you'll grow in to it.

So CC is bogus...

...but a single KB is legit?

Convict Conditioning is snake oil --- stick with material from Ross Enamait, he's at least got credentials.

But for bare minimum equipment other than bodyweight, I'd suggest a kettlebell. Get a single 35# and you'll grow in to it.

So CC is bogus...

...but a single KB is legit?

Problems with CC:

1) We don't know who Paul Wade is.
2) The programming is horrible according to anyone familiar with the basics of strength training.
3) The one-arm handstand pushup is merely theoretical.
4) The one-arm pushup progression doesn't lead to a straight-body one-arm pushup.
5) Uneven squats.
6) Weightlifting is not inherently bad for your joints.
7) The amount of people that have gained a lot of strength on it could've gained the same amount of strength in like two months. I mean, I got my one-arm straddle pushup within a month after I had started working in the lower rep ranges with a better progression.
8) The concept of slow reps to build 'real strength' is nonsense.
9) The concept of slow reps to build joint strength is nonsense.
10) Unless you have shoulder issues, there is no problem in relaxing your shoulders in a dead hang.
11) Doug Hepburn lifted weights.
12) Bert Assirati lifted weights.
13) In fact, everyone that's displayed in the book lifted weights.

It costs less for a gym membership than it does for all the equipment needed to "lift heavy".

In the short term, yes. In the long term, getting your own stuff is much cheaper. Figure in the freedom you get to use your own gym any time of day and to play by your own rules and it's tough to beat having all of your own stuff.

You don't have to get everything at once. Start with a kettle bell and a jump rope or something else similarly simple. You can train at home one or two days a week. Eventually, you can add a bar and plates and anything else you need. Over time you stop going to the gym altogether.

Over the years, I've been collecting equipment. I have a full gym set up in my garage with mats, bench, squat rack, bars, plates, and a full array of strongman equipment. With patience, some fabricating skills, and a little luck, I've been able to put it all together for probably less than $500.

Some useful bodyweight sites if you don't want to buy books:
http://www.beastskills.com/tutorials/
http://www.alkavadlo.com/2010/05/14/mastering-your-body-weight/

Obviously most of this stuff is WAY beyond beginner level, but it'll give you an idea of what is out there to work towards.

I agree that Convict Conditioning is garbage though. Useful for learning the basics of bodyweight progression, but that's about it. The programming is bad, there is a lot of misleading information, and the progressions from the basics to the "master steps" suck for the most part.

If you want to get a book, Building the Gymnast Body and Overcoming Gravity are much better.

I really do dislike the advice I am about to give, but I think it is what is needed. If you have one near by, join planet fitness. 10 bucks a month.

Do you have a car?

Equipment you'll need:
1) A vehicle
2) An empty parking lot
3) A bored friend (not necessary, but helps) willing to sit in the car
4) Rope (the heavy duty kind)
5) Gloves
6) Shoes

Take the car to the parking lot, put it in neutral, and push it for a mile (check the odometer)
Then tie the rope to something sturdy, and pull it for a mile

Should take about 5 hours or so.

For progressive loading, will she need to keep buying bigger cars? Maybe keep loading it with more friends?

Make sure the parking lot is relatively flat, especially if going solo.

Make sure that friend is trustworthy...(and not like most of my friends who would apply the brake frequently).

Have a response ready for people who stop and offer to help.

(I've actually seen people do this...many times actually.)

Progressive loading would be finishing the distance in a shorter amount of time or increasing the distance travelled.

Yes to flat surfaces, but I kind of assumed someone wouldn't try this for the first time in the hillier parts of San Francisco.

Having bad friends actually helps. When I used to do this my buddy (who charged me an entire freaking case of beer just to sit there!) would steer the car towards any hint of a hill he could find. I got strong as hell with it.

I generally just tell them that my car was b*tching that it was my turn to do all the work.

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