Home weight bench
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Hi all, sorry but this is probably a pretty basic or dull topic for many of you. I have had a good run at weight loss recently and am not far away from my target weight. This will make me look pretty skinny.
Now that the flab is off I would like to get a little bit of definition however I am not interested in getting "big" at all.
I quite enjoy running for cardio but because of work, commuting and family constraints, regular gym visits are not practical for me. Can anyone recommend a basic weights set up that I could fit into a garage? Arms, chest, shoulders, back, legs.
Many thanks in advance.
Now that the flab is off I would like to get a little bit of definition however I am not interested in getting "big" at all.
I quite enjoy running for cardio but because of work, commuting and family constraints, regular gym visits are not practical for me. Can anyone recommend a basic weights set up that I could fit into a garage? Arms, chest, shoulders, back, legs.
Many thanks in advance.
If you've got room, get a cage, then you will be able to work out without a spotter as long as the safety bars are adjusted correctly. Other equipment you will need is a bench and barbell and plates. You will easily be able to work out your whole body with that.
I've got a similar set up but I only have a normal squat rack / pullup frame, so I have to be careful when I work out.
If you get a bench make sure its not too high. Mine is too high, but has a place to put my feet, problem is, its not very stable.
I've got a similar set up but I only have a normal squat rack / pullup frame, so I have to be careful when I work out.
If you get a bench make sure its not too high. Mine is too high, but has a place to put my feet, problem is, its not very stable.
Loads of videos on stuff you can do with minimal/no equipment on Youtube, one of my favourites is dips, a bench is handy but chair will do, basically lifting yourself up with your arms behind you and legs out in front, good for triceps.
The main thing is do you have space for stuff, if you have to put it away, you never end up using it. I have a man shed with bench, squat rack, pulldown etc but to be honest I prefer the gym, more gear and its more social, the home stuff is good for nipping in if you cant get to the gym.
You dont need to do massive weights, set PB's and compete with the numbers you see on here, some of the guys on here have been training 20 years, just lift what you are comfortable lifting, push a bit but dont over commit on things like a bench press, if you can do three or four sets of ten at a weight that challenges a bit, then you will make progress, no sense in injuring yourself to compete with someone you will never meet who is a wall of muscle.
I got most of my stuff second hand, scan Ebay, I got a bargain, loads of gear, including a rowing machine and a bike, sold those and it pauid for the benches, weights and rest of it, weight stuff is expensive, especially iron weights,, however, if someone isnt using it and really wants the space then they will almost pay you to take it away, I got a load of disks and bars when at the tip, guys was skipping them so asked if I could have them and he was happy as it was easier than lumping them to the skip.
The main thing is do you have space for stuff, if you have to put it away, you never end up using it. I have a man shed with bench, squat rack, pulldown etc but to be honest I prefer the gym, more gear and its more social, the home stuff is good for nipping in if you cant get to the gym.
You dont need to do massive weights, set PB's and compete with the numbers you see on here, some of the guys on here have been training 20 years, just lift what you are comfortable lifting, push a bit but dont over commit on things like a bench press, if you can do three or four sets of ten at a weight that challenges a bit, then you will make progress, no sense in injuring yourself to compete with someone you will never meet who is a wall of muscle.
I got most of my stuff second hand, scan Ebay, I got a bargain, loads of gear, including a rowing machine and a bike, sold those and it pauid for the benches, weights and rest of it, weight stuff is expensive, especially iron weights,, however, if someone isnt using it and really wants the space then they will almost pay you to take it away, I got a load of disks and bars when at the tip, guys was skipping them so asked if I could have them and he was happy as it was easier than lumping them to the skip.
Don't worry about getting big! Aim to get as big and strong as you possibly can (follow a novice bodybuilding or powerlifting programme) and you'll put on no more than a few kilos of muscle in a year. And that's if you work bloody hard and eat a lot.
Building significant amounts of muscle is very hard, so your problem is much more likely to be gaining very little than it is suddenly becoming Mr Olympia.
I wouldn't be overly excited about bench press or barbell squats and so the need for a bench and a cage. If you're not strong, I would focus on the following for 3 months first:
Press ups (look up proper form from a respected trainer - most people do them wrongly)
Pull ups
Dumbell or kettlebell goblet squats (easier to learn than barbell squatting and safer) - you'll just need a set of dumbell weights or a few kettlebells
Single arm rows
Single leg deadlifts
There are loads of guides on all these exercises.
Aim to continue a set until you think your form is about to suffer or you will probably fail the next rep. If that means 8-12 reps, great; if not, that probably doesn't matter much as long as you get 20-40 reps in total across the sets of that exercise.
If you're not putting on muscle after a couple of months, you're either not trying very hard or not eating enough (unless you are a genetic freak).
Building significant amounts of muscle is very hard, so your problem is much more likely to be gaining very little than it is suddenly becoming Mr Olympia.
I wouldn't be overly excited about bench press or barbell squats and so the need for a bench and a cage. If you're not strong, I would focus on the following for 3 months first:
Press ups (look up proper form from a respected trainer - most people do them wrongly)
Pull ups
Dumbell or kettlebell goblet squats (easier to learn than barbell squatting and safer) - you'll just need a set of dumbell weights or a few kettlebells
Single arm rows
Single leg deadlifts
There are loads of guides on all these exercises.
Aim to continue a set until you think your form is about to suffer or you will probably fail the next rep. If that means 8-12 reps, great; if not, that probably doesn't matter much as long as you get 20-40 reps in total across the sets of that exercise.
If you're not putting on muscle after a couple of months, you're either not trying very hard or not eating enough (unless you are a genetic freak).
TameRacingDriver said:
^ Good advice, but if he's not strong then he probably wont be able to do pull ups, and if he's anything like me, trying to do something like a one-legged deadlift would probably result in a head injury 
Fair point, but there are lots of pull up progression videos out there. Start with body rows, progress to band-assisted pull ups, etc.I agree with ORD above. Like the OP, I'm naturally quite weak in my upper body and I need strength for many of the sports that I do, but I don't want to get too big or too heavy, because I hate the feeling of it and it's a bad thing for the sports I do. I found that doing the sports wasn't getting me strong enough, so I have dumbbells, a weights bench and a pull up bar that I use, plus I do body weight exercises on the floor. All have been brilliant and I'd highly recommend it.
My aim over the past few years has been to increase my strength, whilst staying around 70kg. Sure, putting on muscle has put on some weight, but not that much and I find it's perfectly possible to balance things. I think many people out there kid themselves that their high weight/BMI is down to muscle; you'd need to be very determined and doing very regular weights and eating the right diet to put on serious weight in muscle. I reckon I'm carrying no more than 2-3kg extra. For reference, Usain Bolt's BMI is about 26 and he does more gym work than most of us ever will, and it shows!
My aim over the past few years has been to increase my strength, whilst staying around 70kg. Sure, putting on muscle has put on some weight, but not that much and I find it's perfectly possible to balance things. I think many people out there kid themselves that their high weight/BMI is down to muscle; you'd need to be very determined and doing very regular weights and eating the right diet to put on serious weight in muscle. I reckon I'm carrying no more than 2-3kg extra. For reference, Usain Bolt's BMI is about 26 and he does more gym work than most of us ever will, and it shows!
RobM77 said:
I agree with ORD above. Like the OP, I'm naturally quite weak in my upper body and I need strength for many of the sports that I do, but I don't want to get too big or too heavy, because I hate the feeling of it and it's a bad thing for the sports I do. I found that doing the sports wasn't getting me strong enough, so I have dumbbells, a weights bench and a pull up bar that I use, plus I do body weight exercises on the floor. All have been brilliant and I'd highly recommend it.
My aim over the past few years has been to increase my strength, whilst staying around 70kg. Sure, putting on muscle has put on some weight, but not that much and I find it's perfectly possible to balance things. I think many people out there kid themselves that their high weight/BMI is down to muscle; you'd need to be very determined and doing very regular weights and eating the right diet to put on serious weight in muscle. I reckon I'm carrying no more than 2-3kg extra. For reference, Usain Bolt's BMI is about 26 and he does more gym work than most of us ever will, and it shows!
I would be quite surprised if UB's BMI is that high. He is very tall and lean. I would think 24-25.My aim over the past few years has been to increase my strength, whilst staying around 70kg. Sure, putting on muscle has put on some weight, but not that much and I find it's perfectly possible to balance things. I think many people out there kid themselves that their high weight/BMI is down to muscle; you'd need to be very determined and doing very regular weights and eating the right diet to put on serious weight in muscle. I reckon I'm carrying no more than 2-3kg extra. For reference, Usain Bolt's BMI is about 26 and he does more gym work than most of us ever will, and it shows!
I think BMI is a reasonable guide for most people. If you are lean and have a BMI of about 24-25, you're probably at the kind of physique most men want. I am 83kg at the moment and would have a BMI of 25 at 80kg, which would be very lean for me (around 10% body fat).
2-3 kgs of muscle is quite a lot. The typical bloke would look vastly better and be vastly stronger if he gained 3kg of muscle (especially if he also dropped 3kg of fat). 3kg of muscle might take a beginner 3-6 months of really good training, depending on his age, diet and genetics.
I dont think people realise how hard it is to get "big", it requires total commitment to all aspects, but mere mortals can improve their strength and alter their shape, I have been training fairly regularly for a year, I have started putting more effort in and you do see improvements but slack off and it soon reverts.
Nobody really it going to turn into the hulk by mistake, it takes years of training or steroids (and you still have to train) to get big.
Not everyone want to get properly big though, it respect and admire those guys but it isnt something I aspire to, even if I could summon up the dedication.
Nobody really it going to turn into the hulk by mistake, it takes years of training or steroids (and you still have to train) to get big.
Not everyone want to get properly big though, it respect and admire those guys but it isnt something I aspire to, even if I could summon up the dedication.
ORD said:
I would be quite surprised if UB's BMI is that high. He is very tall and lean. I would think 24-25.
I think BMI is a reasonable guide for most people. If you are lean and have a BMI of about 24-25, you're probably at the kind of physique most men want. I am 83kg at the moment and would have a BMI of 25 at 80kg, which would be very lean for me (around 10% body fat).
I think BMI is a reasonable guide for most people. If you are lean and have a BMI of about 24-25, you're probably at the kind of physique most men want. I am 83kg at the moment and would have a BMI of 25 at 80kg, which would be very lean for me (around 10% body fat).
I agree completely that for the vast majority of people, BMI is a great guide.My mistake: Usain's height is 1.95m and he weighs 94kg, which is a BMI of 24.7.
At the stage the OP describes, I wouldn't bother with weights. Go for body-weight exercises; and there are loads of free apps to help you.
A couple of good, structured regimes are:
1. 7 Minute Workout app - a great daily blast which will leave lungs and muscles begging for mercy.
2. 100 Pushups app - ok, this one has a straight 100 press-ups as its goal, but don't worry about that. It takes whatever you can do today, even if that's just 1, and builds you up steadily.
Both of these would be good introductions to 'getting fit' and 'getting stronger'. If you catch the bug, move on to a gym - home or public - and if you find you hate exercise, you've not wasted a penny.
A couple of good, structured regimes are:
1. 7 Minute Workout app - a great daily blast which will leave lungs and muscles begging for mercy.
2. 100 Pushups app - ok, this one has a straight 100 press-ups as its goal, but don't worry about that. It takes whatever you can do today, even if that's just 1, and builds you up steadily.
Both of these would be good introductions to 'getting fit' and 'getting stronger'. If you catch the bug, move on to a gym - home or public - and if you find you hate exercise, you've not wasted a penny.
ORD said:
2-3 kgs of muscle is quite a lot. The typical bloke would look vastly better and be vastly stronger if he gained 3kg of muscle (especially if he also dropped 3kg of fat). 3kg of muscle might take a beginner 3-6 months of really good training, depending on his age, diet and genetics.
For me it's been quite a long journey over many years. At Uni I was just under 60kg, then I spent ages at 67kg through my 20s and early 30s. I made a push to gain muscle a while ago (initiated by the "100 press-ups" thread on PH actually!) and went up to 77kg, but that felt awful (climbing stairs, cycling up hills, climbing etc - all felt awful and I started to get knee pain too), so stopped the weights, retained the cardio and went back down to 67kg. I then started doing weights again, but with a bit more planning and measurement involved, which has resulted in me now creeping up to circa 70kg whilst retaining the same waistline and appearance, but still strong enough to do all the sports and DIY I do without injuring myself or aching constantly. In an ideal world I'd like to be 67kg and the same strength, but I think that would require giving up alcohol and flapjack, which will never happen!RobM77 said:
ORD said:
2-3 kgs of muscle is quite a lot. The typical bloke would look vastly better and be vastly stronger if he gained 3kg of muscle (especially if he also dropped 3kg of fat). 3kg of muscle might take a beginner 3-6 months of really good training, depending on his age, diet and genetics.
For me it's been quite a long journey over many years. At Uni I was just under 60kg, then I spent ages at 67kg through my 20s and early 30s. I made a push to gain muscle a while ago (initiated by the "100 press-ups" thread on PH actually!) and went up to 77kg, but that felt awful (climbing stairs, cycling up hills, climbing etc - all felt awful and I started to get knee pain too), so stopped the weights, retained the cardio and went back down to 67kg. I then started doing weights again, but with a bit more planning and measurement involved, which has resulted in me now creeping up to circa 70kg whilst retaining the same waistline and appearance, but still strong enough to do all the sports and DIY I do without injuring myself or aching constantly. In an ideal world I'd like to be 67kg and the same strength, but I think that would require giving up alcohol and flapjack, which will never happen!One thing is for sure: if the OP gains 2-3kgs of muscle (spread evenly over his body) and burns a little fat, he will look and feel vastly better.
Crikey I weigh probably 100 kg and have no problems climbing up stairs! OK I admit it would be easier still if I were lighter but its mad to think of someone seriously struggling at < 80kg unless they were seriously weak or had a disability.
I agree its very hard to get big. I've been doing weights on and off for years and am fairly well built but certainly not "big". It is crazy hard to get properly big off weights and I for one have nowhere near enough dedication to make it happen; if anything all I want to do is lose a bit of weight (while not losing any muscle). Mainly though I just lift for health benefits.
I agree its very hard to get big. I've been doing weights on and off for years and am fairly well built but certainly not "big". It is crazy hard to get properly big off weights and I for one have nowhere near enough dedication to make it happen; if anything all I want to do is lose a bit of weight (while not losing any muscle). Mainly though I just lift for health benefits.
It wasn't difficult to climb stairs or cycle uphill at 77kg (I can do a huge leg press in the gym!), but after you've done it for years at 60-67kg, doing it with 10kg more feels like an unnecessary effort. Imagine going from a high end carbon road bike to a steel framed eBike - it's a similar feeling! I'm much happier down at 70kg. However, I'm happier stronger at 70kg than I was at 60kg and unable to do a single press-up.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff