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Setting up workouts at home

S Freud

S Freud

Diamond Member
The job I work during the summer doesn't allow for much spare time. I don't want to waster the $40 a month at the gym. I'm looking for what I would need to get an effective workout at home.

I work from 7am and get home around 930pm. What do I need? Dumbbells? Bench? I don't want to spend a fortune and space it somewhat limited in my one bedroom apartment.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks 🙂

My goal is to gain mass while adding strength.

P.S. Also if you guys have any ideas as far as diet goes. I take a lunch box with me but drive machinery all day long so I don't have access to a microwave or anything. Any ideas for this?
 
What are your goals? Gaining strength? Adding mass? Losing fat? Improving performance for some sport/activity?
 
Originally posted by: brikis98
What are your goals? Gaining strength? Adding mass? Losing fat? Improving performance for some sport/activity?
Click to expand...

Sorry I should have stated that in the OP. I would like to gain mass mainly while also adding strength I feel they go hand in hand.
 
Originally posted by: S Freud
Sorry I should have stated that in the OP. I would like to gain mass mainly while also adding strength I feel they go hand in hand.
Click to expand...

Well, for both goals, weight training is typically the best way to go. A routine consisting of heavy, compound lifts with a barbell (namely the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and power clean) combined with a few bodyweight exercises (dips & pull-ups) is typically the most effective way to add strength and mass. Assuming you're a beginner, the routine in Starting Strength is one of the most effective & popular choices. The book is also the best resource I've seen for teaching all the lifts mentioned above and worth every penny. Alternatively, Stronglifts 5x5 is a nice free alternative.

In either case, the equipment you need will include:

* Power rack
* Barbell
* Plates
* Bench
* Somewhere to do pull-ups and dips (could be attachments on the power rack)

That's really about it. You can train every inch of your body incredibly effectively with these tools and they can often be purchased cheaply on craigslist. Note that if you are going to do o-lifts (which I highly recommend), you should consider getting some bumper plates to supplement the iron plates.

Edit --> forgot to mention the diet aspect. Start by reading the fat loss sticky. Yes, it's tailored at losing fat rather than gaining muscle, but still contains a lot of relevant information. The main thing you need to do to gain muscle mass is to get yourself in a caloric surplus. Don't just guess how many calories you eat, as you'll usually guess wrong: use the sites mentioned in the sticky to track your calories instead. Extra energy is turned by your body into mass, so your goal is to convince it to make this mass primarily muscle and not fat. Do this by:

1. Weight training (as explained above)
2. Eating sufficient protein (~1g per pound of lean body mass, as discussed in the sticky)
 
Join a gym. a br apartment is not gonna adequately accommodate a power rack and a bunch of plates

if you are buying new

power rack = $400
barbell = $150
set of weights = $400
bench $100

if you can score something off CL than you might be able to pull some thing for under $500 but that is about the minimum investment you are looking at
 
Originally posted by: mchammer187
Join a gym. a br apartment is not gonna adequately accommodate a power rack and a bunch of plates

if you are buying new

power rack = $400
barbell = $150
set of weights = $400
bench $100

if you can score something off CL than you might be able to pull some thing for under $500 but that is about the minimum investment you are looking at
Click to expand...

I am currently a member at one gym but with my summer job it leaves me very little time to go. That's why I am considering the option of working out at home.
 
Originally posted by: S Freud
Originally posted by: mchammer187
Join a gym. a br apartment is not gonna adequately accommodate a power rack and a bunch of plates

if you are buying new

power rack = $400
barbell = $150
set of weights = $400
bench $100

if you can score something off CL than you might be able to pull some thing for under $500 but that is about the minimum investment you are looking at
Click to expand...

I am currently a member at one gym but with my summer job it leaves me very little time to go. That's why I am considering the option of working out at home.
Click to expand...

Well, what's your budget and how much room do you have in your apt?
 
For a one BR apartment, I'd recommend adjustable dumbbells, an adjustable bench, and a pull up bar you can stick in a door frame. That's enough to get a decent workout in given your space limitations.

Definitely check out craigslist as you can find some really great deals on there for used equipment.
 
If you're just starting out with weightlifting you can get by pretty cheaply at first because you won't have to initially invest a lot of money in weights.

Wal mart sells some cheap dumbell handles with screw on fasteners that are good for light weights, but when you get heavy you'll want something more solid. They also sell relatively inexpensive iron weights in 2.5, 5, 10, and 25 lb increments. The iron weights seem to be as good in quality as any other I've seen, but the plastic weight sets they sell are crap. The important thing is that you can buy more weights as you become able to lift them. You'll still end up spending a lot of money on weights in the long run, but it softens the blow a bit IMO. P.S. If you hate Wal-mart you can probably get similar stuff from a number of places.

Also note that all the weights and bars I'm mentioning are of the 1in size and will not work with olympic bars, which generally will support more weight and are desirable when you get strong enough that the weight limitations of 1in barbells start to hold you back. Consider that an olympic weight set (barbell and ~300lbs of weight is a good start here) will represent an entirely new investment when you reach that level as none of your old weights will work with it if you start off with the 1inch variety. With that in mind, If you can find a set of reasonably priced dumbells and/or barbell that can accommodate olympic weights from the get-go AND you know a place where you can get olympic weights piecemeal as you need them you'll be ahead of the game.

You'll also want a decent bench, a pull-up bar of some sort, a set of sturdy high back chairs for dips, and eventually a dip belt to use with pullups and dips. You can get by initially without a power rack with dumbell squats and then front squats once you get a barbell, but your legs will eventually get too strong for you to be able to get enough weight on your shoulders to challenge them. You'll want a power rack at that point.

I started out practically from scratch (hadn't lifted in ~6 years and had no equipment) and My home gym progression went like this:

Month 1 - Lucked into a bench that no one was using and bought a set of 2 dumbells and around 100 lbs of weights ~$100
Month 2 - E-Z Curl Bar and ~20 more lbs of weight. ~$40
Month 3 - Pullup bar and ~50 more lbs of weight. ~$60
Month 4 - ~20 lbs of weight ~$20
Month 5 - Replaced cheap dumbells with new ones and bought 10 lbs in small weights ~$25
Month 6 - Nothing
Month 7 - ~50 lbs in weights. $50
Month 8 - Replaced cheap dumbells again (notice they're wearing out faster as weight goes up - get decent dumbells ASAP) ~$15
Month 9 - Dip belt $20
Month 10 - Get Good barbell and new dumbell handles as a christmas gift.
Month 11 - ~50lbs in weights $50
Month 12 - Realize that I'm going to have to buy a whole new barbell and weights because I'm getting too strong for the equipment I'm using. /facepalm
Month 13 - Get gym membership rather than invest in olympic weights and power rack. Home gym demoted to secondary status. Hundreds of dollars in equipment gathers dust. /doublefacepalm
 
For lunch pack lots of sandwiches. You can use canned meats (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc) or do what I do: cook like 10lbs chicken breast every week and freeze it, and pull out how much you're going to eat for the next day. I also like to eat PB&J and have a little chicken on the side.
 
Originally posted by: gar655
Powerblocks, bench, door frame pull up bar, maybe some elastic bands as well.
Click to expand...

I have a simple weight bench and some old rusty dumbbells, it is my dream to pick a set of these.
 
If budget is a concern, definitely use craigslist. You can find stuff 2/3s off as compared to new. Play it again Sports also has good used stuff for craigslist-like prices. I ended up buying the following powerrack new for $400 delivered because they don't show up too often on craiglist and I didn't want to wait.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/92563.html

I love having the powerrack, but have the space in my garage. In a 1 br, you'll have to decide if you want that being an eyesore and taking up space. A matter of priorities I think.

And I recommend this site. A lot of info about exercises and equipment. One of his ideas is a "self spotting rig" to attach dumbells to a pullup bar via rope if you don't have a powerrack. Neat idea, although I'll throw in the disclaimer that you need to make sure you do it correctly to avoid injury.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/homeEqpt.htm
 
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