lifting at home
 

I'm getting tired of having to drive to my gym every day, so I want to get some equiptment to lift at home.

I don't have any weights right now, and space is not a major concern. I do various freeweight exercises, squats, and bench. I don't want to sink a ton of money into building a sick home gym or anything, but I want to be able to do reasonable lifting the days I don't feel like going to the gym.

so

(1) Whats the min I need to do safe squats at home?
(2) what type of equiptment should I get? Are adjustable dumbbells preferable to a normal dumbbell set? etc
(3) should I buy this stuff at a local place or just order it online, and what websites/brands are best to get?

thanks

-Jeff

Re: lifting at home
 

If you don't want to get a power rack, how about squat stands?

Do you do deadlifts or power cleans? If I were building a home gym I'd make sure I could drop the bar from shoulder height without causing a huge racket/breaking something.

Re: lifting at home
 

To build your own gym its actually quite simple and inexpensive.

You can purchase a power rack from new your barbells shipped to you for less than $300. A power rack is the way to go as it will act as a spotter on different lifts. You can bench or squat in it with ease.

You need to get a set of weights. Look on Craigslist or a similar site in your area. Also a lot of fitness stores will sell a complete ply weight set for $200ish.

When on craiglsit look for a decent bench. You can find a good bench for $50 and if not wait one will be posted witihin a few days.

Since your working out at home you should do something to your floor. I took 4 sheets of 4x8 plywood and crossed them over each other. It provides a nice floor that I can deadlift on without ruining the floor below me.

Re: lifting at home
 

My suggestion is to start with a few key items, and then add more if you find you're enjoying working out at home. Here's my suggestions:

- buy Olympia/York-style weight racks (cybex, etc.), similar to what you'd get at the gym, not those cheaper "home gym" alternatives with smaller bars. That way whether you're working out at home, or the gym, you have a similar experience.

- buy a flat bench (ideally one that's adjustable into an incline or straight 90 degree angle, but buy quality over versatility) and a squat rack/with sidebars.
- depending upon how strong you are, get the minimum weights you need, which is probably 2-4 45 lb plates, two 25 lb plates, two 10 lb plates and two 5 lb plates.
- get 3 sets of dumbbells -- one that's close to the maximum you can bicep curl for a rep or two, one that's around half that weight, and one that's extremely light (eg. 45 / 25/ 15, or 30/15/5).
- That is absolutely all the equipment you need for a gym-calibur workout.

- if you want to add to it, buy a treadmill and/or your cardio machine of choice.

- if you want to go with a less elaborate "basics" setup, rather than a "gym substitute" one - just get the flat bench, minimal weights for it (pair back the list above based upon what you're currently pressing), and the dumbbells. I know you said you wanted something for squats, but you can get a more than capable leg workout with this minimal setup by doing lunges (with dumbbells or the the bar); and hamstring and regular (bent-leg) deadlifts; and you can still use the flat-bench bar for deep squats with lighter weight.

Edit: do NOT get adjustable dumbbells. Buying online is fine, and may be easier for you if there isn't a convenient gym retailer near you (if there is though, go to it first, as they can help answer specific questions).

Good luck.

Re: lifting at home
 

good input, thanks a lot

I'll probably forego the squats and just save them for the gym. I think the smaller setup is definitely the way to go for now. I'm probably just going to go to a local retailer to find the stuff that I need, might end up doing amazon or something though. I already own an exercise bike which I much prefer to treadmill. I'm not sure about the power rack atm.

btw, why no adjustable dumbbells?

Re: lifting at home
 

hey dess, whats wrong with adjustables?

Re: lifting at home
 

They're just generally less durable, lower quality products -- collars both tend to wear and they're a hassle to fiddle with, which just takes time away from actually exercising (and artificially prolongs your workout, and "taking too much time" just adds discouragement to people just starting out).

But mainly it's an issue of quality - the additional utility you might expect out of adjustable dumbbells is largely illusory. You're better off getting 3 (or even just 2) sets of complimentary dumbbells - also allows convenient supersetting, stripping sets, etc.

Re: lifting at home
 

[ QUOTE ]
hey dess, whats wrong with adjustables?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dess explained it great. Part of the attraction to adjustables is that they are inexpensive and they are space saving. If your budget allows a set would be great but he had an excellent idea of buying 3 sets and working on from there.

Re: lifting at home
 

Look into bands when you get all set up. They are a great way to keep your lifts explosive throughout your range of motion, rather than having part of the lift be a relatively easy glide. They are also good for just effectively adding weight, of course. You can even use them on their own. Well worth having around. You can even throw one or two in a bag and carry your gym with you.

Re: lifting at home
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
hey dess, whats wrong with adjustables?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dess explained it great. Part of the attraction to adjustables is that they are inexpensive and they are space saving. If your budget allows a set would be great but he had an excellent idea of buying 3 sets and working on from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Changing weights definitely adds a lot of "cool-down" time, which changes a work-out quite a bit. I find this very annoying and counter-productive.

On a minor note, I like the slightly rough texture on a cast dumbbell better than the smooth finish of a sleeve on an adjustable. On a not-so-minor note, I also like that I can do odd things with them, like swinging them and holding them vertically, without worrying what might happen to my foot.