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I
receive
emails everyday from aspiring lifters all over the world,
and one of the most common questions I'm asked is
Do I
have to join a gym in order to build a strong, muscular
body?
The answer, my
friend, is no. With the right equipment and planning you can
follow an equally effective bodybuilding program from the
comfort of your home without ever having to set foot in a
gym.
In fact, my first
2 years of bodybuilding were spent working out with basic
equipment in my basement, and I saw incredible results doing
this. |
Maybe you can't afford a
gym membership due to your financial situation.
Maybe you lead a busy
lifestyle and would prefer to save time by training at home.
Maybe you're simply too
embarrassed or uncomfortable to train in a regular gym setting at
the moment.
Whatever your reason,
don't worry!
I currently workout at a
gym with my training partner but have to say that my years spent
lifting at home were fantastic.
I didn't have to worry
about the travel time to and from the gym. I could simply slip
downstairs whenever I felt like it and all of my equipment was there
waiting for me.
I could listen to whatever
music I wanted to, as loud as I wanted to without having to worry
about those around me.
I could grunt, yelp and
scream through my sets if I was in the mood without disturbing
anyone (hey, squatting to failure isn't easy okay?) or train
shirtless if I felt like it.
When the workout was over,
I could sprawl out on the floor in exhaustion and know that my post
workout shakes were just a few steps away, and that I wouldn't have
to hobble to my car and spend anymore time driving home.
It was great.
The only real disadvantage
is that your exercise selection will decrease because you won't have
access to certain pieces of machinery such as a leg press or calf
machine. You can purchase certain machines if you have the money to
spend and plan on training at home over the long term, but for the
majority of people this simply won't be possible.
The good news is that
planning out a proper bodybuilding routine does not require the use
of any fancy equipment, and all of the machine exercises that you
would regularly perform can be swapped for freeweight substitutions.
Here is the basic
equipment that your home gym should contain:
1) An adjustable
barbell with freeweight plates A cast iron set is
probably a good idea, and you must also make sure that you purchase
enough weight so that you can continually progress from week to
week.
2) Adjustable
dumbbells This is much more efficient and
cost-effective than purchasing an entire set of dumbbells. You
should be able to buy the barbell and dumbbells together in a single
set.
3) A bench with
incline adjustments A good sturdy bench is a must-have
for performing bench presses and other seated movements. If possible
you should purchase a bench that can be set on an incline and that
also contains safety catches if you plan on training alone.
4) A chin-up bar
These can usually be purchased for 15-20 dollars and can be
placed inside of a door frame.
5) A squat rack
This is usually the trickiest piece of equipment to purchase, as
a full squat rack can be pricey. Squats are an irreplaceable
movement and should always be a part of your workout routine,
especially if you don't have a leg press machine handy.
If you can't afford a
squat rack then you'll have to be creative. The bottom line is that
you must have some sort of apparatus that will allow you to safely
unrack a loaded bar and drop the bar onto a safety catch (or the
floor) if your strength gives out during the lift.
Don't ever squat without a
safe place to drop the bar! Most full squat racks will also provide
a chin-up bar on top, so you can kill 2 birds with one stone if you
decide to purchase one.
So there you have it; the
5 pieces of basic equipment that are needed to set up a home gym. As
long as you have these basic tools in your arsenal you can perform
an equally effective workout without ever having to join a
traditional gym.
If you're all set to go
and need a highly effective, step-by-step workout routine to follow,
visit my webpage below. I can teach you exactly which exercises to
perform and the ideal number of workout days, sets and reps you
should use to get maximum results from your efforts. I can even
customize a specific workout plan for you based on the equipment
that is available in your home gym...
About The Author
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Once an awkward,
pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is
now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and
creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program
online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail
System".
If you can spare
just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new
head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive
gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and
co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of
months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com |
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