I've a Total Gym and weight bench with some free weights. Also a mountain bike, which I need to take out some more...

 

to the guys who are trying to put together a home gym. all you need is a set of dumbells,(the ones with different weights), a sturdy chair, and a space big enough to stretch out on. Working with dumbells is better than barbells because they make you balance the weight as you lift it, thereby strenghtening tendons as well as muscles(very important!) You can work out your entire upper body with them. for legs, ride a bicycle or yell profanities at gang members. You can also work your calves with the dumbells. I personally think that the best muscle builders are push ups, chin ups, and dips. All of which can be done without weights.
to the guys with home gyms. Kinda tough to impress the girls while alone in your house aint it? That is why we work out right?

 

I can never seem to build any size or strength with pushups. Just too many reps and not enough weight.

How does one go about doing chin ups and dips at home? Do you use a chair for dips? I'd like to get one of those bars that mount in your doorway for pullups...

 

as far as chin-ups (pull-ups) go i do them on the bar in my closet

 

I do 5 sets of 10 curls with free weights mon.-fri. and on top of that shoveling dirt at work during the day since I'm a dirt man.


Dan

 

ryaneverk2, stand in front of the chair facing away from it and just like you were going to sit down except that your hands grip the sides of the seat. now put your feet out in front of you so your toes are pointing up and your knees are straight, heels on the floor, now lower your body so your "posterior" goes below the front of the chair until you cant go any lower, then push yourself up until your arms are straight. repeat until you can do no more. coffee tables sometimes work too. chin ups can be done from a rafter in the garage, or a beam on the patio cover.(be careful)
if you're not bulking up and you want to, there are a couple of things you can do. first, no weight gain drinks! i used to work at golds gym and ive seen the sand in the urinals. you need to eat a high protein diet, and when i say protein, i mean complete proteins(look it up) my favorite is brown rice and lima beans with a dab of soy sauce. you need at least 6000 to 8000 calories a day and you have to burn them off. when doing any exercise to build muscle the rule is: the last rep is 10 times more important than the first rep. meaning that the last rep that you almost cant finish is doing more for your body than the first nine did. when i say push yourself i mean until your arms are shaking(dont hold your breath; you'll blow your o-ring out). then do one more. dont rest too long in between sets, no more thatn say 2 minutes.
when you do pushups, do as many as you can then go to your knees and do as many "girl" pushups as you can.
the most important thing is to VISUALIZE your body getting bigger as you do the exercizes. i mean see it in your head, this will lead your body to produce the results your brain already sees. get it?

 

Wow, good advice, Matt. I'm definitely going to give that a try. I have always heard that dips do some serious work on the sides of your back (lats?). I still need to get some dumbells though.

 

do it dude! just dont be caught flexing your arms in a shiny window just to show off, they'll all laugh at you. i know they did me!

 

About every 2 days, I do 25 push ups, 20 crunches, lifft 30 pounds on each arm 10 times, and do other assorted exercises.
BTW, I am 5' 8", 155 pounds, and 14 years old.

 

Matt offered some excellent advice.

 

tdister, thanks. im glad to know that the time i've spent reading on this subject is doing someone some good.

 

I have negelcted my body for quite awhile now, within the last couple of months I have got a pass to the swim club and bought a mtn bike and having been riding 12-16 miles a day its a good start.

 

I recently purchased crossbow (now refered to as the cross bar) and love it. i use it 3-4 times a week for about 30-45 minutes for each day. my first set is light at 12 reps. my second set is 10 reps and add 10-20 lbs and my last set is 10 reps with another 10-20 lbs added. i've stopped eating junk food and drink plenty of water.

 

I have a Crossbow and a Treadmill and I use them each every other day. Been doing that for the last two years. Coupled with a low carb diet I have lost 129 lbs. Yes, I feel great, still want to lose another 50 to get down to 225.