Strength Training at Home, Any good or waste of time?

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  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Lots of things can be done at home. Just get an Ab roller wheel, and a door gym. It's what I use on days that I can't go to the gym. So many things can be done with just you body weight as well. Lot's of youtube videos on that. Best of luck!
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
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    I train at home. I did actually think it was a bit of a disadvantage until I saw a post on here asking the same question ... The vast majority of people in there who seemed successful and did well were on home set-ups

    The few times I have been to gyms, away with work etc. I have found the equipment doesnt provide me anything I dont have in a fairly cheap home set-up

    It's there when I need it and there are no ques...

    I have a bit of a low opinion of my ability, but I thought I was better than most people at the gym I went to - which is a little bit of a boost... you dont get that at home, but, then again I'm doing it for me - not to feel better than others

    Gyms have a certain social aspect, then theres a pool but I think for most it's £50 coming out of the bank account every month that gives bad value.
  • katejenkins1
    katejenkins1 Posts: 210 Member
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    I workout from home. My schedule (and my purse) really doesn't allow me to go to the gym.
    I've been building my home gym slowly. So far lots of DVDs, Eliptical, weight bench, bands and a couple of hand weights.
    I've picked out the weight set I'm going to get so that should get me close to done.

    The gym doesn't really interest me, I really hate working out in front of people and I really only use a couple of the machines and the weights anyway. The cost of the eqipment is probablythe cost of a year membership at the gym.

    It all depends on how you get motivated. If the you think you might get demotivated by staying home, then it is a waste of time and money. It works well for me, I am more likely to find an excuse not to drive to the gym. No excuses for me if all I have to do is get my rear out of bed in the morning and walk down the stairs lol

    Good luck with your journey!
  • yksdoris
    yksdoris Posts: 327 Member
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    Strength training doesn't necessarily have to involve weights; you can do a lot with your own body weight with lunges, pushups, squats and suchlike. That said, for the first time, before deciding to go buy a whole equipment set, you can try filling a 0,5 l bottle (coke, fanta, water, whatever) with water, screw the cap back on and voila: you've got 0,5 kg dumbbells. Just don't drink the water while excercising, lol. You can simulate a lot of excercises with these already, that'll give you a good idea what sort of weight you're able to handle, how your body reacts to it and whether weight training in general is something for you.
  • LCFulmer
    LCFulmer Posts: 183 Member
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    I do a combination of hand weights (10 lbs - 25 lbs); kettle bell and my own body weight... Its all up to you and how much effort you are willing to put in. Strength training (in my opinion) should be considered an important part of your workout routine. I've completed P90X and pushed myself, because of that I'm now doing straight leg pushups. I'm so proud of myself and so is my husband.:smile:
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    Being totally broke, I do my strength training at home! I don't have adjustable weights (yet), but lots of dumbbells I use. I've been using Muscle & Strengths dumbbell workout online, which consists of 6 exercises, 3 reps each, 3 days a week. Most are compound, the last two usually isolation work for abs. I love it!
  • Altruista75
    Altruista75 Posts: 409 Member
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    I've done absolutely ALL of my working out at home! I love it and couldn't imagine doing it any other way!
  • RachelX04
    RachelX04 Posts: 1,123 Member
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    bump for later..
  • Moonblood
    Moonblood Posts: 199 Member
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    I've never stepped foot in a gym. I have free hand weights that go up to 30 lbs. I do a combination of P90X / P90 and Jillian Micheals. I've definitely got some muscle tone. Just make sure you challenge yourself!
  • skoshness
    skoshness Posts: 175
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    Actually, you don't need any weights at all! Here's a large collection of workouts, most of which don't use any equipment! All you need are a good pair of shoes, and your own willpower!

    http://www.youtube.com/user/ZuzkaLight?feature=g-user-u

    marking this for later thanks :smile:
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    If you're really tight with money, check out www.6weeksixpack.com. He gives the same diet advice as on MFP with a P90X-style training schedule ie HIIT with and without weights.
  • fdlafon
    fdlafon Posts: 259 Member
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    marking my spot to read thru this later tonight!
    Looks like some great suggestions in thefew responses I read.
  • crafty30
    crafty30 Posts: 132 Member
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    Lots of inspiration here, thanks everyone! Looking at some of your profile pics, there are some amazing results so it obviously works! Cant wait to look at some of the videos and books and start buying some stuff so I can get started properly! I am quite motivated working out at home and am happy to push myself so I should do ok I hope... :-)
  • chickentunashake
    chickentunashake Posts: 165 Member
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    Definitely affective, works for me. Just get different sizes of dumbbells, get pull up bar for pull ups, great for back and arms, do push ups, great for chest and arms.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
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    As others have mentioned, You Are Your Own Gym is a great body weight program. I've been using the app for it (made for both iPhone & droid platforms) and it has the whole program set up for you--timers and counters included. Couldn't be any simpler:smile:
  • PrfctGdess
    PrfctGdess Posts: 257
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    This is so funny you posted this topic - I just logged on to search/ask the SAME THING! :-) So thanks, I'll be spying on the responses for my info, too :P
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Strength training at home is tricky because no matter what you do it is very likely you will never be able to work your legs as hard as you can your upper body. People who do bodyweight based programs specifically often run into imbalances because of the fact that you need to be doing squats with a barbell loaded with roughly equivalent to your bodyweight on it in order to work your legs as much as basic pushups work your upper body. The end result is that you end up training your upper body with extremely strength intensive exercises, but the lower body work you end up doing is more of an endurance oriented nature (low weight, high reps). I mean think about it. Your legs were built to support your weight and then some. Doing bodyweight squats doesn't do all that much. Certainly not compared to the effect pushups have on your upper body.

    Basically, you do need some form of heavy resistance on top of your bodyweight in order to work your legs sufficiently, and a pair of moderate weight dumbbells doesn't cut it.

    This is why I am investing in a sandbag fitness system. It will take care of that issue with at-home training.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    People who do bodyweight based programs specifically often run into imbalances because of the fact that you need to be doing squats with a barbell loaded with roughly equivalent to your bodyweight on it in order to work your legs as much as basic pushups work your upper body.

    I wouldn't call it an imbalance. It's not like pushups are going to cause anyone's upper body to become huge, and nobody doing a lot of body weight squats and lunges will have really tiny legs. Sure, you'll get better upper body workout than a lower body workout, but not to the point that there are actually any real issues.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    People who do bodyweight based programs specifically often run into imbalances because of the fact that you need to be doing squats with a barbell loaded with roughly equivalent to your bodyweight on it in order to work your legs as much as basic pushups work your upper body.

    I wouldn't call it an imbalance. It's not like pushups are going to cause anyone's upper body to become huge, and nobody doing a lot of body weight squats and lunges will have really tiny legs. Sure, you'll get better upper body workout than a lower body workout, but not to the point that there are actually any real issues.

    Wasn't referring to aesthetic imbalance but functional imbalance. You're not doing a whole lot to increase/build strength in your legs beyond a certain point which you hit pretty early on, but there's a lot you can do to make tremendous strength gains to your upper body with just bodyweight exercises.
  • mathteacher2010
    mathteacher2010 Posts: 85 Member
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    Hi; something I haven't seen mentioned here; I do (TRX) gravity straps workouts at home. All you need is a doorway and your own body weight as resistance! You can buy an expensive or less expensive set. These workouts have done a great deal for me in just a few months, and it only takes about a half hour to do the session. The workouts can also be adapted to increase the difficulty as you become more fit.

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