Time to Start Lifting

PurpleVeteran · 2016-07-09T14:37:28+00:00

Dick's has a 300lb olympic weight set for $200. Add an olympic dumbbell for $35 more while you're there.

Order a T2 Power Rack for $300. Or check Craigslist for a deal on a used one.

Finally, get a decent bench from Amazon for $90 and maybe a rubber mat for $35 to put underneath.

For $660 (or $360 without the rack), you have a 24/7 gym in your garage or basement. Since getting mine in Feb, I've picked up a couple more plates and some accessories, but the initial investment was more than worth it.

IASGame · 2016-07-09T10:56:06+00:00

Why wait indeed. Join the gym now, one that has a good power rack, barbells and weights for compound lifts.

After a few months you can decide if you want to have a home gym instead.

However because some people are poor or stubborn, bodyweight exercises are a decent alternative for some of the compound lifts. But you will need to learn more exercises to do the progressions, so it isn't a good alternative for everyone.

briareos_uk · 2016-07-09T23:02:53+00:00

Skinny dad-bod here. Two years into marriage and fatherhood, 8-ish years into extreme self inflicted betadom, 34 years into a male failure-to-launch life. If my friends and family compiled a list of "people unlikely to pick up weights" I'd be at the bottom, just above grandma. Three months back I was the king of the procrastinators:

'I'll be fine, I'll join a gym in the new year, when I have money, I mean... I look alright, right now, right? I'm not fat, I'm not particularly unhealthy'.

So I'm new to this relative to the more seasoned posters in MRP but what I've learned so far is that, in the short term, it doesn't fucking matter. You simply get up, you find something heavy, and you pull it and you push it around. Or you get on the floor and you do pushups. It costs you nothing and you can only gain from it.

I don't have the space or the money for a gym membership right now, but that didn't stop me getting a barbell and weights for free from a buddy who'd thrown them in his closet - thankfully those guys are in every group of friends. I've got those weights and enough sturdy work surfaces around the house to get some bodyweight excercise on the go; it's become the core of the engine that's pushed me forward during unplugging.

I'm not lifting heavy yet but the confidence transformation alone has been huge. Plus... it keeps me busy for 90 minutes 6 nights a week while wife sits there and watches shit on the tv, gets older, fatter, and likely hamsters about why I'm doing all this. I'm moving forwards and she's moving backwards.

Those shitty vinyl-covered weights are worth their weight in gold to me, but they could be anything. Just... Start.

screechhater · 2016-07-09T11:36:00+00:00

Lift now. As in right now.

Benefits are very numerous But a few of the top are

Confidence builder for very aspect of MRP doctrine

Bone density

Appearance

Taking care of yourself.

Removal of your presence from her, easy step in dread (Don't forget to introduce yourself to the staff and actually talk to them)

I own free weights at home and just bought a rower to help me with my insane work schedule

Whatever you decide - be consistent, push yourself and you need supplements

stonepimpletilists · 2016-07-09T11:54:07+00:00

What are you doing in those 10 minutes now?

Take it serially or piss off.

dandar4600 · 2016-07-09T13:39:18+00:00

Stronglifts 5x5 has a buyer guide on their websites where you can buy equipment to get started fairly cheap. That is if you have a room in your house to put it. You can also search craigslist but it's more miss than hit in my experience.

WhiteTrashKiller · 2016-07-10T16:55:26+00:00

Body weight exercises.

Pushups- regular, wide arm, diamonds

Situps- regular, inclined, crunches

Squats- regular, closed leg(feet, knees together)

Calf raises- stand on a curb or step on your stairs max out til your legs shake and you cannot do another.

I chose to answer this in light of your lack of ability to fucking use the search option. Are you 3?

Here: body weight exercises. Copy and Paste!

Stop being a CUNT and use the search button!

Countpudyoola · 2016-07-11T13:30:20+00:00

...and in the meantime: burpees

ex_addict_bro · 2016-07-09T14:35:53+00:00

OK.

You wanted this, so I will give it to you:

Don't lift.

And if you lift, buy some shit you can't use, place it at home somewhere, don't have a trainer who could show you how to use it, lift shitty, make shitty form, if ever.

Pussay! Fucking Eskimo! TOOO COOLD TO WALK!

ParadoxThatDrivesUs · 2016-07-09T13:34:20+00:00

I lift at home. Bought everything through craigslist for cheap. You need a pull-up bar, a rack that lets you do bench press and squats, a barbell, and at least 200 lbs in weights to get started.

SteelToeShitKicker · 2016-07-09T13:53:45+00:00

Depends on your budget. I have probably, if I total everything up, around 3k$ in my home gym.
If your budget is small, you can forego a power rack if you go with dumbells and a bench only. If you want barbells, you must buy a rack or risk being choked under the bar.
Craigslist is a great source of used gym equiment.

redearththeory · 2016-07-09T15:52:22+00:00

If you've never lifted before you should join a gym with proper equipment and get a little bit of personal training (like 4 sessions) so that you have proper form when you move into heavy weight on bench, squat and deadlift. I understand that going to the gym for the first time is more intimidating than going walking by yourself. Consider overcoming that fear to be the first step in a long war against your own ego.

A_Rex · 2016-07-10T03:32:19+00:00

Don't buy a few things to bring home and "get started". It'll be that proverbial fucking treadmill everyone owns but never uses. Join the damn gym with proper equipment (read: must have at least more than one squat rack), take a lesson or 2 to learn proper form, and make going to the gym part of your routine. It is just another thing you do, like going to work and eating dinner.

Also, a home gym removes a great dread "get up and leave the house when wifey is being a cunt" option. Don't cut off your own options

The_Litz · 2016-07-10T06:41:43+00:00

Your journey only starts on the day that you have a barbell in your hand.

Going to a gym has the added benefit of removing you from the house. Dread right there.

GargantuaBlarg29 · 2016-07-11T14:54:15+00:00

Check if you have a store that buys and sells used sporting goods (pads, helmets, snowboards...) ive gotten a few dumbbells from them for cheap but ive seen entire benches and racks in there before

jerry_rigger · 2016-07-11T16:21:39+00:00

Why have to drive ~10 minutes to get to lift?

To get you outta the fucking house and around other people that aren't your wife.

druganswer · 2016-07-09T14:57:44+00:00

In my personal experience I have found that lifting at the gym ends up with a much better session. Much less hamstering to stop early or do a half assed workout. Much less "I'll start in 30 min" and never starting. etc.

schmeeza · 2016-07-14T05:12:53+00:00

I'm not much of a gym person so I've been using my own weight-set in the garage for a year and a half now. I started off with the olympic barbell and dumbbells (from Dick's) last year and then added a weight bench (from Amazon) this year (and my mom got me a roll-out rubber mat).

I wake up at 5:30, warm up with sit-ups and push-ups and then go hit a weights workout targeting different areas for each day: arms, shoulders, chest & core, back and legs. My brother got me the Men's Fitness Exercise Bible so I created a workout routine for the targeted areas based upon the selections from the book.

Whole thing cost me $350 to $400, totally worth it. I know many people listen to music when they workout, but I love daybreak out in the burbs. Peaceful, quiet, no distractions and I often even close my eyes so I can focus inward on form and breathing.

After the workout, I make a protein shake (milk and Jay Robb vanilla whey powder) and stick in the freezer. Clean up, get ready for work, kiss the family bye and by the time I leave, I pull out the tasty thick like milk-shake drink and pound it. Off to work, and it will be a great day!

Title	Time to Start Lifting
Author	logger1234
Upvotes	7
Comments	25
Date	July 9, 2016 10:20 AM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askMRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/askMRP/comments/4rzrri/time_to_start_lifting/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askMRP/time-to-start-lifting.207331 https://theredarchive.com/post/207331

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