home gym thread!

[ElFenix]

if i get some of these and an adjustable bench can i do most anything? also has the benefit of not taking up much space

 

[Pepsei]

I have a used bowflex. Check out my muscles... I could still pick up white womenat this age if I wasn't married already.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Pepsei
I have a used bowflex. Check out my muscles... I could still pick up white womenat this age if I wasn't married already.

yeah, but that is expensive and won't fit under a bed or in a closet

 

[Sluggo]

Neat system.

I have seen several versions of these, they are easier to use than they look.

Brief description from promuscle.com

Quick-Change Dumbbells By Ironmaster

...These may be the greatest Quick/Change Dumbbells on the market today!

...You can have a set of dumbbells starting at 10 lbs., adjustable in 5 lb. increments up to 120 lbs. All in seconds! (Plate changes take 2 seconds.) Ironmaster Dumbbells feel just like professional dumbbells. They are open around the handle so as not to restrict your freedom of mobility while lifting, and, like all Ironmaster products, these babies are strong!

...Ironmaster Dumbbells will last a lifetime and even carry a lifetime guarantee even though they are less expensive than anything else on the market. This product is rugged and one of the easiest to work of adjustable dumbbells. Unlike so-called high-tech dumbbells and mechanisms to change the weight, the Ironmaster dumbbells were built for real bodybuilders and power lifters.

...Ironmaster's particular system is so compact, it can be kept anywhere; small apartments, college dorm rooms, in the office, in a walk-in closet, just about anywhere you want. The quick-change bench is compact but yet still big enough to get the job done, too. Men as tall as 6'2'' are extremely comfortable with this quick-change bench. If you add the crunch sit-up attachment, (also a leg hold down for declines), you have a 'mini-gym' in your home.

...This product is shipped in several boxes with easy-to-assemble directions. Call 800-882-7993 for information or catalog.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Quick change dumbbells are nice and convenient but ungodly expensive.

Regarding the weight set - for a beginner, yea you'll be able to do pretty much any barbell/dumbbell lifting. I think your goal of having a portable bench to stow away in the closet/under the bed (laff) somewhere isn't very good though. At best you'd just have a bench that would fit those space requirements - won't even have stands to put the barbell on for benching and such.

 

[stev0]

for the most part, make sure you get a decient bench though 🙂 and maybe think about a bench with the foot thing on the end of it.. like this. you would be able to do decline bench a lot easier with something to hook your feet into.

just to get an idea...
flat bench
incline bench
decline bench
incline flys
decline flys
military press
the list goes on and on 🙂

might i also suggest a few rubber matts to place on the floor, underneith the bench and around it.

 

[RagingBITCH]

It's called a leg extension 🙂

I'd suggest getting a bench with a squat rack as well but he sounds like he doesn't have a lot of room.

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
It's called a leg extension 🙂

I'd suggest getting a bench with a squat rack as well but he sounds like he doesn't have a lot of room.

a squat rack would require a large bar and plates though... atleast to do squats with good form.

for legs he could just grab a dumbell in each hand and do lunges

 

[RagingBITCH]

By squat rack I meant the kind that's built onto the supporting arms for the bench that even a standard size bar would fit on.

I've done the whole home gym route and have been hitting the gym for a year and a half now (no regrets, wish I had joined sooner) - I'm just trying to maximize what he can do with his home set, which isn't much, but at the very least you wanna be able to do your bread and butter excercises.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

Given the choice, I'd also prefer going to the gym than bringing the gym home.

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
By squat rack I meant the kind that's built onto the supporting arms for the bench that even a standard size bar would fit on.

I've done the whole home gym route and have been hitting the gym for a year and a half now (no regrets, wish I had joined sooner) - I'm just trying to maximize what he can do with his home set, which isn't much, but at the very least you wanna be able to do your bread and butter excercises.

my bad 😛 imo the dumbell exercises are better, i've switched most of my chest exercises to dumbell and get better results than when i use the bars.

to each his own though, i guess.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

here's mine: http://www.objext.com/therest.jpg

 

[dfi]

I would say that a bench press and a barbell are the absolute bare essentials. Dumbbells are a luxury if you are cash strapped. By the time you add shipping to those dumbbells you are looking at close to $85. I looked around at some local garage sale and was able to get a bench and barbell for $100.

If you're going cheap, you'll have to stick to the basics. Luckily, the basics work well. I do bench, row, pull-downs, pull-overs, squat, deadlift, and military press. If you don't get a bench or maybe find a way to do dips, you're have a hard time working chest.

If I really didn't have room for a bench, I would still get a barbell. Rows, military press, and high rep squats of whatever weight I could get behind my head. Use 2 chairs and a rope to do weighted dips and hope the chair backs don't break. Put a pull-up bar over a door way for some fun. Maybe some plate raises and shrugs.

dfi

 

[dfi]

Btw, home gym rules. I workout outside in the fresh air, I workout whenever I want, and no one is ever in my way. I don't feel a need to impress anyone but myself, or to try more weight than I can handle. No distractions so the workouts are done faster. And I save so much time in travel.

dfi

 

[sonambulo]

with a power rack, an adjustable bench, a thick bar and a 350 pounds of olympic plates, you're good to go. if you're building a home gym, then a high quality power rack is the best piece of equipment you'll ever buy. you can do every exercise you need with it.

then again if you don't have the space...then bench and olympic 'bells is the way to go. back to the other hand...a home gym that you have to setup every day can kill motivation in less than 90 days. if you have the space for a power rack you should really take the opportunity.

make sure you set aside enough money to buy an excellent set of trainers and some chalk. you'll save yourself a lot of problems if you plan on living over 40.