To the people who workout at home.....

2013sk
2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I am thinking of giving up my gym membership & making a mini little gym in my bedroom. I have just seen a good body sculpture cross trainer for sale.

I also already have a yoga ball, gym floor matt, skipping rope, Davina McCall boxing gloves & pads, Wrist/ankle band weights. Thinking of buying some free weights too.

I just wanted to know the following:

A) What equipment do you use?

B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

D) How long do you workout for?

E) How many times a week?

Thanks very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also your general feedback about workout out at home over the gym. I just feel I can get my workout in a lot better around my schedule if I do it at home to suit me. And I really think if I put in the dedication I can do a lot better than what I do at the gym.... at home... Also an added bonus of me saving £55.00 every month.

This cross trainer is £45.00 and will be mine forever.

Thank you x x x x
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Replies

  • MyRummyHens
    MyRummyHens Posts: 141 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    -Power cage, 2 barbells & weights, dumbbells, non-slip mats, bench (to do hip thrusts/Bulgarian slip squats), yoga mat

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    -I do yoga 3x per week using a DVD as I can't get to classes

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    - I've got about 80kg of weights, how much I lift depends on the lift itself, they aren't all the same... but I'm a tiny female, it depends on what is heavy for you

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps. <- I don't agree with this, less reps higher weights has worked much better for me

    D) How long do you workout for?

    -About 60 minutes

    E) How many times a week?

    - 6, I alternate weight lifting with yoga, so days 1, 3 & 5 are weights, 2, 4 & 6 are yoga, day 7 is complete rest.
  • patrickfish7
    patrickfish7 Posts: 190 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    Bench, barbell, e-z bar, dumbells, bands, bodyweight.

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    No.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    All weights up to 200 kg - Plates are 1kg, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 25

    D) How long do you workout for?

    50 mins per week. I run 3 x a week also.

    E) How many times a week?

    3 or 4.
  • ChrisM_1992
    ChrisM_1992 Posts: 8 Member
    A) What equipment do you use? I've got a treadmill, and dumbbell weights

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? Nope, I tried P90x cardio video one, think I almost died..

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? I've stopped now but trying to get back into it, before I got to doing bench press with dumbbells 25kg a side and squarts 30kg

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

    D) How long do you workout for? Weights used to take me about 30-40mins, treadmill I'm currently doing a training plan on the app Endomondo, each session is 20-40mins

    E) How many times a week? Weights used to be 3 times a week, treadmill is 3-4
  • redpandora56
    redpandora56 Posts: 289 Member
    I gave up the gym about 3 years ago when I realised I was only really going for the spin classes and therefore wasting money. Bought my own spin bike for when I had the craving, and then have been stockpiling my own stuff since. I don't miss the gym at all.

    A) What equipment do you use?
    I have a spin bike, mountain bike, 3, 5 and 7 kg medicine balls, resistance bands, yoga mat, running shoes, cross training shoes, and adjustable dumbells up to 40kg.

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?
    Sometimes - i have insanity, turbofire, and a selection of jillian michaels DVDs that I use when I am not feeling creative or self motivated - they keep me going. Otherwise, I have some music tracks to do my own spin sessions, or go on a run.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?
    It depends. I'm still not as strong as I like so I'm working on upping weights, but do a lot of bodyweight exercises and use between 10-15lbs on things like ripped in 30/30 day shred.


    D) How long do you workout for?
    Again it varies - sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes an hour. Depends on what I'm doing, how much time I have etc. - probably average about 40 mins most days

    E) How many times a week?
    5, sometimes 6. Again depends on lots of things - time, energy, what I'm doing. Right now I'm about to change focus in my workouts, to increase running speed and start getting my strength back up after slacking on weights etc while training for a 10k. So I'm doing 2 runs a week, one long & slow and one interval, plus 3 cross training days (probably going to mix between 30 day shred, ripped in 30 and cycling.)
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    - dumbbells, non-slip mats, yoga mat, home trainer and plain simple my staircase + the hills outside

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    - No! I bought one, but barely use it. Hasfit has free videos online. http://hasfit.com/

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    - At this very moment 30 pounds

    D) How long do you workout for?

    - Appr. 45 to 60 minutes mainly, sometimes just 30 minutes

    E) How many times a week?

    - 5 to 6 days a week, one day rest.

    I live in the Arctics, we haven't got gyms here.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?
    This is everything I own (not using it all right now): stationary bike, stepper, pilates ball, jumping rope, 2 dumbbells (5 lbs each)

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?
    I am currently doing 30 days shred

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?
    I haven't got anything heavy to lift and I've never been into such techniques, so I only use those dumbbells

    D) How long do you workout for?
    30 mins. at the moment

    E) How many times a week?
    Anything from 0 to everyday. It depends on the period.
  • jtm4210
    jtm4210 Posts: 108 Member
    I quit the gym a couple of months ago and I'm still adding bits of kit to my home gym - I love it! 24hr opening, my choice of music and post-workout snacks in the kitchen :)

    A. 50kg weights set (barbell and dumbbells), Swiss ball, gym mats. I use a dining bench with a thick towel at the moment - does the job fine until I get a proper bench, and a sturdy kitchen step - much cheaper than a gym step!

    B. No DVDs but I've just started following The New Rules of Lifting for Women on Kindle - highly recommended read for a beginner lifter!

    C. I've only just started "proper" lifting, so I'm on low-ish weights at the moment. Squat with 15kg on the barbell, deadlift/row with 20kg on the barbell, shoulder press with 5kg dumbbells etc. Likely to increase over the next few weeks! I'd also say that higher weights with fewer reps is the way to go.

    D. 30-40 minutes in the mornings before work.

    E. I lift Mon, Weds and Fri, and run Tues, Thurs and Sat. Rest day on Sunday :)

    Enjoy your home gym!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member


    A) What equipment do you use? 10LB DUMB BELLS / YOGA MAT

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? ALL MY WORKOUTS ARE YOUTUBE - 30 DAY SHRED/ JESSICA SMITH DOES LOADS ON THERE AND CASSEY HO DOES GREAT POP PILATES ...FITNESS BLENDER ALSO GREAT :)

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? 10LBS, PLENTY OF REPS

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps. - I WOULD GO HEAVIER BUT THATS ALL AVAILABLE TO ME

    D) How long do you workout for? - 45 mins - 90 mins

    E) How many times a week? 5 or 6 days/week

    Thanks very much!!!!!!!!!!!!! - you're welcome :-D

    Also your general feedback about workout out at home over the gym. I just feel I can get my workout in a lot better around my schedule if I do it at home to suit me. And I really think if I put in the dedication I can do a lot better than what I do at the gym.... at home... Also an added bonus of me saving £55.00 every month.

    This cross trainer is £45.00 and will be mine forever.

    Thank you x x x x
  • janetay01
    janetay01 Posts: 1,299 Member
    Equipment - a cross trainer, rowing machine, weights at 5lbs each, jump rope and a foam roller (not sure yet of the benefits of that one!)
    DVD's - Jillian Michaels, various wii console workouts, fitnessblender on the laptop and currently a pre-natal workout dvd - a bit more calming and sedate than normally works for me but needs must :)
    Weights - 5lbs - but not really using much at the moment - I've not yet built up the strength for heavier ones :laugh:
    Workout time 30 - 60 mins depending on what I'm doing - generally 30 mins on the cross trainer and 30 mins dvd or 40-45 on the cross trainer alone
    Number of days - 3-4 on a good week although not had so many of those recently - must be more disciplined.

    You ask about the benefits of working out at home - my view: cheaper (once you've paid the initial outlay for the equipment), more flexibility to work out on your own time and terms, no fighting over who gets to use the equipment next, hygiencally better, comfortable in your own envirnoment (and by that I mean anything from not feeling pressure from those around you to being able to listen to the music/watch the tv programme that you want to!).

    One thing I would caution against is a particularly cheap piece of equipment and £45 for a cross trainer sounds low. We spent about £300 on ours 7 years ago and it has lasted well but even at that price, certain parts seem to fail on it on a regular basis (and we have now found that the model isn't supported any longer so when it goes again we will have to buy a new one). I guess this will happen with whatever you buy but I would be wary of going too low in cost.

    Hope this helps.
  • csman49
    csman49 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Factor the workout to the equipment that you have available.

    I LOVED my powercage! I could push my comfort zone in (relative) safety! But, circumstances changed and i needed the space in the lounge again (child), so i sold it and got a basic bench and a squat rack (doubles as bench press rack etc). Still had bars and weights. One thing i would suggest, is get a set of 20 or 25kg plates, else you'll soon run out of 2.5/5/7.5/10kg plates!
  • davelfc49
    davelfc49 Posts: 29 Member
    I use a vision elliptical, I'm very happy with that as it folds up so it uses less space. I also had to factor in how many clothes, coats I could hang on it.

    I also use Bodylastics resistance bands.

    I don't have a lot of space and these do not take up much space at all.
  • katesch9
    katesch9 Posts: 130
    I started using Fitness Blender a couple months ago and it's awesome. Tons of videos, all different types of exercise, all free.

    The equipment I've acquired so far:
    -yoga mat (definitely essential if you don't have carpeted floors)
    -physioball
    -4kg dumbells (I could use a little more variety.)

    I work out 5-6 times a week, usually for about an hour. It's a lot more consistently than I ever worked out at the gym, and the videos are way more interesting than the elliptical. The only thing I miss is the range of weights and weight machines available.
  • dnamouse
    dnamouse Posts: 612 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    I don't have room for a power rack, but I have a squat rack, bench, 2 bars, dumbbells, mats, exercise ball, steps + about 100kg in weights. We also have a pool which I use daily in summer (it's winter here at the moment)

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    No DVD's. I follow New Rules of Lifting for Women for my weights. Basically zero cardio other than walking with a friend at the moment due to schedule. I will start swimming again in about September.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    I'm teeny tiny, 4'9, so my weights will be small in comparison to someone of average height. But I lift as heavy as I can go and still complete my reps with good form.

    D) How long do you workout for?

    About an hour at a time for lifting, 30-40 minutes walking.

    E) How many times a week?

    3-4 times a week lifting, walking 1-2x a week.


    I work from home, so having a gym set up in the garage means I have no excuses. A workout is scheduled into my work day and it's a lot easier to go downstairs and open the door to the garage than have to drive somewhere and worry about child-care etc.
  • rf1583
    rf1583 Posts: 65
    A) What equipment do you use? Power rack Cage, multi functional trainer machine that I use for lat pulldowns, tricep push downs, etc., powerblock dumbbells, barbells, standing calf raise machine.

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? No DVDs. I follow a muscle building workout routine. I don't do cardio because I'm trying to hang on to every calorie I can. It's hard enough eating in a surplus!

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? I lift as heavy as I can until I hit all my sets and reps with perfect form. Then I increase the weight and do the same thing continuously increasing once all sets and reps are hit with perfect form.

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps. - toning is not a thing. If you want that toned look you need to build muscle by lifting heavy, progressively overloading your muscles by continuing to increase weight as you can, and eat in a calorie surplus to gain.

    D) How long do you workout for? I workout for about an hour 4 times a week, every other day in an upper/lower split.

    I love working out at home. I know I wouldn't keep up with it if I had to go to the gym. Plus I'm right on time during the week so doing it at home saves time. I also like just being on my own or with my husband without any other distractions and people around.
  • toolzz
    toolzz Posts: 163 Member
    The best investment I ever made was buying powerblock adjustable dumbells - worth every penny.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?
    Pull up & dip station

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?
    NO

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?
    I weigh 79.5 kg

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

    D) How long do you workout for?
    30-45 mins
    E) How many times a week?
    3-4

    I would keep your rep ranges in the 5-10 range and maybe if you wanted totake 1 workout a week & bump that to 12-15. But I wouldn't do all light weight reps
  • LividMuffin
    LividMuffin Posts: 47 Member
    I just finished college where I've been going to gym and although I love going to gym, I want to try to save money by training at home during the summer. We have all the equipment I need so I really want to give it a shot (although the gym environment pushes me to train harder so I will see how it goes). I want to lean out a bit so the plan for the next couple months is to add cardio 3x a week to my lifting schedule, dreading it already..:D

    A) What equipment do you use?
    Spinning bike, squat rack with barbell & plates, adjustable dumbbells, pull up bar, kettle bells, bench

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?
    There are some good spinning classes on Youtube, occasionally some kettle bell class too

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?
    The plates for barbell go up to 60kg but it depends on what I do (squats & deadlifts are heavier than bentover rows or bench press) either way I always try to go as heavy as I can. The dumbbells are adjustable up to 8 kg each which is fine for now and the kettle bells are 10 &12 kg.

    D) How long do you workout for?
    Usually around 80 minutes when I'm in the gym, quite curious to see how long will it take at home!

    E) How many times a week?
    The aim is 5x a week lifting, 2x short HIIIT cardio & 1x longer run or cycle
  • fit_gal
    fit_gal Posts: 167
    I have 3kg hand weights and two lighter ones which I stopped using because they're too light. I have a Pilates mat and a Pilates DVD. I also do cardio with Just Dance on the Wii. In the past I've used a Wii workout game called My Fitness Coach. I've also got wrist/ankle weights which can be used round the house when doing the housework.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    Punching bag, power rack, olympic weight set, recumbent bike

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    No

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    As heavy as I can lol

    D) How long do you workout for?

    About an hour of lifting, 30-40 minutes on bike or punching bag

    E) How many times a week?

    Try to lift 4x per week, 4-5x cardio
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    A) What equipment do you use? Barbell, bench, dumbbells, kettlebell

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? Yes, turbo fire, T25, Jillian Michaels, fitness blender & Be Fit (last 2 from Youtube)

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? Barbell only goes up to 100lbs, do deadlifts on those. Dumbbells up to 40lbs

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps. No, heavier weight, less reps.

    D) How long do you workout for? About an hour a day

    E) How many times a week? 7, lift 3/days w/short cardio, long cardio 2 days/week, Kettlebell 1/day and Yoga and/or Pilates on Sunday.
  • cyndiee1
    cyndiee1 Posts: 24
    A) What equipment do you use? Elliptical, pull up/dip station and my feet (walking and agility with dogs)

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? Tried DVDs and get bored with them...same thing over and over. I now use FitStar app on iPad, which the subscription is a dynamic workout and I love it.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? My workouts are bodyweight

    D) How long do you workout for? 1/2 per day on workouts and 1/2 walking.

    E) How many times a week? 7 days walking, 5 days workouts and/or agility
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    -Olympic weight sets (bar & bumpers)
    -Adjustable Dumbbells
    -Kettlebells
    -Squat Stands
    -Spin Bike
    -GHD
    -Heavy/Speed Bags
    -Torque F1 Cable Machine

    Yes, I literally have a full gym in my house. I've been slowly adding to it for the past 8 years, plus I also do Personal Training out of my home.
    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    No.
    How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    Depends on the lift, but anywhere from 75% of my Bodyweight to over 150% of my Bodyweight
    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

    Toning is the absence of fat and the presence of muscle. You need to LIFT HEAVY to gain muscle. All you'll do with lighter weights with more reps is spin your wheels and get nowhere. Calorie deficit is how you lose fat.
    D) How long do you workout for?

    My lifting sessions usually last 60-70 minutes, cardio 20-30 minutes.
    E) How many times a week?

    6 days/week
  • Sedna_51
    Sedna_51 Posts: 277 Member
    A) What equipment do you use? Currently: Incline walking treadmill, exercise mat, light dumbbells; may get a kettlebell and resistance bands in future

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? Yes, most of my routines come from Fitness Blender (via youtube or FitnessBlender.com)

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? I'm early in my training & don't have much room in my apartment, so just 3 and 5 lb dumbbells for now.

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

    D) How long do you workout for? 30-40 mins

    E) How many times a week? 4-5

    Also your general feedback about workout out at home over the gym. I work out at home mostly because I don't have the money for a gym membership at the moment; that said, I do like that fact that I can better fit workouts into my day at home. I can also alter workouts or take a break if I need one without feeling self-conscious (I have asthma & a few other health problems).
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    A) What equipment do you use?

    I do a bodyweight strength routine (http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/start-bodyweight-basic-routine.html) plus a couple dumbbell exercises (one arm rows and overhead presses.) For the pullups, I made a bar by looping ratchet straps over the beams in our basement and threading a pipe through them. I use the treadmill sometimes but prefer running outside.

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc?

    I do the 20 minutes Winsor pilates routine (found on Youtube) as a warm up on strength days.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg?

    For rows I use 24# (~11 kg) and for OHPs I use two 15# (~7 kg) dumbbells. Once I get up to 3 sets of 8 reps I up the weight.

    D) How long do you workout for?

    My strength workout takes 25-35 minutes plus 20 minutes pilates plus stretching. Running is however long it takes to go 2-3.5 miles plus stretching. On any day, I'd say I'm exercising for an hour to hour and 15 minutes.

    E) How many times a week?

    6. Three days strength, three days running.
  • sabolfitwife
    sabolfitwife Posts: 423 Member
    Hi there. I am also growing my home gym as I can't afford a gym membership.

    My equipment:

    Elliptical
    Barbell with 5 lb. plates (4 plates = 20 lbs. plus the 11 lb. bar)
    Dumbbells
    Resistance band
    Kettle bell set (5, 10, 15 lbs.)
    Boxing gloves/Punching bag
    Weighted jump rope


    DVDs:

    I have so many different workout DVDs. Insanity, 30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, Hip Hop Abs, a kettle bell training disc, and a Biggest Loser disc as well. I alternate DVDs when I don't really know what to do for a workout. And they all work well in making sure I get a good sweat session.

    How heavy:

    Currently I do high reps with low weights, as I only have the above weight sets. I want to get heavier dumbbells and heavier plates to add to my bar. I know the biggest part of weight lifting is consistently increasing your weights, and I can't wait to do that and see the results.

    How long:

    I try to always get a 30 minute workout in, if not longer. My goal is to work out 5-6 times a week.

    Hope this along with other replies helps you in your decision to stay at home!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    if you're pressed for space for a bench and barbell, you should look into kettle bells. very versatile weights.
  • merisaOct3
    merisaOct3 Posts: 197 Member
    You've gotten a lot of good responses to your specific questions, so I'll just add this:

    Giving up a gym membership was LIBERATING for me! I now workout 4-5 times per week in the morning, plus I usually add an evening or two workout, and I've been making sure to walk more during the day.

    I love being able to wear whatever I want and be ready to workout by simply walking to the basement and tying my shoes (if I feel like wearing shoes).

    I still add in a yoga class or a group fitness class or a bootcamp session once or twice a week out at a local gym.

    BONUS! I was getting ringworm fungal infections from the dirty gyms, and that's not happening anymore.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    A) What equipment do you use? 5 pound hand weights

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? I use Latin Dance Fitness on YouTube.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? 5 pounds.

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps.

    D) How long do you workout for? 20-30

    E) How many times a week? I run two days, take one day off, run two days, etc. I lift weights T/Th/Sat, do my Latin dance M/W/F
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    bump
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    A) What equipment do you use? Elliptical, endless jogging paths in my community, squat rack, barbells, bench, Olympic weights, Olympic bar, curling bar

    B) Do you use any dvds, insanity, 30 day challenges etc? No.

    C) How heavy do you lift if you use weights... ie what kg? Stronglifts got me up to 65 lbs for everything except deadlift. Deadlift was 105 lbs. Deloaded, about to start again.

    I would prefer to tone, so I am thinking lighter weights but more reps. THIS IS A MYTH. Toning? There is no such thing.

    D) How long do you workout for? Walking: 30-90 mins, Elliptical: 15 mins - 45 mins, Strength: 20-40 mins

    E) How many times a week? Walking/Elliptical: 2-3X/week. Strength will be 2X a week. Was doing 3X per week but my knees were not pleased.

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