But for those looking for more specific instructions, the following is a good list of equipment that you can invest in overtime to gradually build up your gym. Now note that none of these things are absolutely essential to get started except the pull-up bar and possibly the dumbbells depending on your interests and goals.
Here is how to start…
Pull Up Bar: A pull up bar is the bare minimum you need to start training and building muscle. The reason for this is that the majority of muscles can be trained using bodyweight alone. By performing press-ups you can train the chest and the shoulders, by performing sit-ups you can train the abs, etc.
However, the parts that are hardest to train without equipment are the biceps and lats. These are ‘pulling’ muscles meaning you need to be pulling something in order to work them. Seeing as you can’t pull the floor toward you, that means you either need to hang or curl. Once you have a pull-up bar, you can train your entire body – though it will be easier if you get a couple more items too.
Dumbbells: Dumbbells are incredibly versatile and are used for much more than just bicep curls. They can also be used for all manner of presses, for triceps, for rows that work the lats, etc. You can also use them to add weight to your body while you train your legs. Make sure to get dumbbells that can be increased in weight. Start with 20lb worth and buy two sets (giving you 40lb total) if you already have a good level of strength.
Bench: If you want to take your training to the next level, then look at invest in a bench. This will allow you to use your dumbbells in a much more efficient manner in order to do dumbbell presses, flyes, and all manner of other moves. The best bench will be one that has an adjustable back, this will mean you can sit on it or lie on it and that will, in turn, mean you can do isolation curls and other moves with it as well.
On top of this, look into getting yourself a bench that can fold up in order to be put away. This way, you can tuck your bench under a bed or behind a wardrobe and it doesn’t have to get in your way as a result.
Exercise Mat: This is not completely essential but you will find that training without an exercise mat can cause your floor to become slippery with sweat and can make a mess in your home. What’s more, is that a mat will make it easier for you to perform moves like sit-ups without hurting your back or buttocks on the hard ground! This is also good for stretching and more.
Skipping Rope: For simply burning calories on the spot, there are few things better than the simple skipping rope!
Kettlebell: Now you’re beginning to get more advanced. For training legs and burning calories, kettlebells are incredibly useful. That’s because they will allow you to perform kettlebell swings and all manner of squats (such as goblet squats). This, in turn, will mean you can build leg strength without needing a bar to perform deadlifts and squats. That’s good news, because performing deadlifts and squats requires a lot of space in your room and are expensive to set up. A kettlebell can also be used for all manner of functional strength exercises, including things like one armed presses.
Gymnastic Rings: We already touched on the amazing benefits of gymnastic rings. The great thing is that these will let you do all the same exercises that TRX does but for a fraction of the price. In fact, they let you do a lot more seeing as TRX isn’t really suitable for dips!
Bench Press: For those that really want to get serious, a full bench press will eventually be a good investment. This will mean getting a bar as well, in which case you might want to move into permanent set up so that you aren’t loading and unloading the bar every time you want to lift.
Kommentare