Women --- do you lift at home?

I am so very intrigued by "heavy lifting". I really enjoy strength training, and not so much cardio.

I work out at home. For equipment I have:

A simple bench with leg extension/curl and barbell rack, weights, a barbell, dumbells, curl bar, physio ball, floor mat, elliptical.

Is it reasonable to lift "heavy" at home, alone?

My husband and I take turns sneaking in 30-60 minute workouts while the other gets the kids ready for bed. Its the only way we've been able to consistently work out. The crappy part is we have to keep changing our weights back and forth!

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Replies

  • Of course it is. That's awesome that you guys are able to do that. As long as your form is right, you're good. Once you start getting nearer to your one rep max, you will want to have your husband out there to spot you. Plus, training with spouses is fun. You get to yell at each other and it's constructive :)

    You can always bail out of a squat, or drop a deadlift. If you're benching alone, you can leave the collars off of the bar and tip it to drop the plates off if you get into trouble.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    its' do-able- just gotta get the right set up- a power cage is a great option.

    All Out is also correct about dumping-

    which brings up a point
    >>> learn to fail lifts properly<<<

    I only lift at the gym though- no room- and I hate lifting at home. Or working out at home- not a fan.
  • jetortola
    jetortola Posts: 198 Member
    Good stuff - thanks for the pointers! I have some research to do (re: failing lifts), and some additional foam floor tiles to buy (re: dropping plates).

    I don't think we could squeeze in a power cage or squat rack. :-(

    So that leads me to my next question --- if I progress in my strength to the point that I would need such equipment to push it further, what will happen if I don't? Will I stall? Will I decline? Could I then increase reps to continue to challenge myself?

    I realize that some is better than none, but I don't want to feel like I'm heading down a dead-end street.
  • DeterminedFee201426
    DeterminedFee201426 Posts: 859 Member
    yes i lift at this pt only 5 pound dumbells mostly once in a while ill lift 22 pound weights at home
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Good stuff - thanks for the pointers! I have some research to do (re: failing lifts), and some additional foam floor tiles to buy (re: dropping plates).

    I don't think we could squeeze in a power cage or squat rack. :-(

    So that leads me to my next question --- if I progress in my strength to the point that I would need such equipment to push it further, what will happen if I don't? Will I stall? Will I decline? Could I then increase reps to continue to challenge myself?

    I realize that some is better than none, but I don't want to feel like I'm heading down a dead-end street.

    the beauty of a bar bell- you can always add more weight ;)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I lift at home and had my husband build me a squat rack...there are lots of specs online that can be done using wood or metal piping.

    I have a bench, bars, plates and now the squat rack.

    I bought pads for the floors and of course keep adding in plates and extra bars (got a new standard bar and curl bar for my bday)

    Squat racks do not have to be big.

    As for lifting at home and the safety aspect there are ways to do it.

    I don't always have a spotter, so I will either lift lighter knowing I wont fail or I work out a setup...

    For example some people fill up 5 gallon pails with sand/concrete and stick 4x4s in them prior to it hardening and use that for a rack as it is compact. Having crates set for squats just in case of fail is a good idea as well.

    Benching I have yet to come up with a setup for that....my husband needs to modify my squat rack a bit.

    But there is always the "roll of shame"...not fun but it works.
  • mrssalambo
    mrssalambo Posts: 1 Member
    I workout at home and do Stronglifts. My husband and I actually do it together and swap weights between sets. We have a half rack, bench, and a barbell/weights. So far so good and it's pretty time effective when we do it together. Plus it's a nice quiet time for us when the kids are in bed.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    I lift heavy at home, always have. If you have the room and the right equipment, it's just as good if not better (IMO) then going to a gym to lift.