Anyone train with dumbells in their apartment?

Chianti

Chianti

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Apr 24, 2010
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I've lost 16kg (35lbs) over the last year through eating less, eating healthily
and jogging 5km every other day. I'm down to my target weight, but I've still
got 1-2kg of flab on my stomach, so it looks like I need to start getting in
shape - losing the flab whilst maintaining or increasing the muscle mass.

If I could find a completely empty gym, I'd go. But the fact is, I hate using
gyms that are full of people (and they're generally too expensive). So I'm
thinking of buying a set of dumbbells for my apartment (like maybe 8, 12 and
15kg).

I don't want lift weights with a bar, or buy a bench - there isn't enough room
in my apartment and I've got to be considerate about the noise too.

Has anyone here successfully got into good shape using just dumbbells?
Any recommended workouts?

Also, would something like Beach Body Insanity help too, or is that really just cardio?

Thanks.
 


intheirchairs.jpg
 
15kg is pretty light and you'd probably grow out of them pretty quickly.

I think you'll need a bench at least to get every muscle group working, I'm sure you'd be able to find a way without one but it'd be so much easier with the bench. I hear good things from kettle bells, do you have a local park? I've never trained with them personally but I have mates that do it pretty frequently and enjoy it over the dumbbells/barbells.

Maybe if you worked chest muscles with body weight pushups (alternating your hand placements to hit different area's) you could then use the dumbbells to hit your bi's, tri's and use them for lunges to hit legs then find a couple of older thicker books to do calves, get a solid back chair and you can hit shoulders with presses, then do traps with some shrugs.

If you just want to do basic training you could make it work, again you'd need heavier weights for some of those lifts, lighter weights would be fine for a couple of exercises but again each to their own. :D

GL :D
 
Chianti said:
I've lost 16kg (35lbs) over the last year through eating less, eating healthily
and jogging 5km every other day. I'm down to my target weight, but I've still
got 1-2kg of flab on my stomach, so it looks like I need to start getting in
shape - losing the flab whilst maintaining or increasing the muscle mass.

If I could find a completely empty gym, I'd go. But the fact is, I hate using
gyms that are full of people (and they're generally too expensive). So I'm
thinking of buying a set of dumbbells for my apartment (like maybe 8, 12 and
15kg).

I don't want lift weights with a bar, or buy a bench - there isn't enough room
in my apartment and I've got to be considerate about the noise too.

Has anyone here successfully got into good shape using just dumbbells?
Any recommended workouts?

Also, would something like Beach Body Insanity help too, or is that really just cardio?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Unless you build a gym at home with a power rack you won't have enough equipment to train properly. Join a gym if you're serious about working out, if you're not then don't.

Working out with dumbbells up to 15kg or whatever will do sweet FA for your physique.

If you want to train seriously you need to train with a bar, and do the big compounds (bench/deadlift/squat/overhead press) at a bare minimum.
 
reducing fat around stomach is big pain in ass.just do normal exercises with equipments like abking pro etc .dont use any dumbells for reducing fat around stomach.it add weights dont decrease IMO.
 
Bro, you need to get out of your apartment more anyways. The fact that you state "there are too many people at a gym" worries me. Why do you WANT this awesome "Beach Body" anyways? To please yourself only?

People at gyms will actually HELP you, and MOTIVATE you and HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.

You will befriend REAL PEOPLE, instead of Gay Webmasters, and you might even get LAID once in a while.

Good luck, bro.
 
Kettlebells, TRX (check online for selfmade versions if you are cheap) and sandbag training (definitely make this yourself).

::emp::
 
Check out scooby's blog. He's old and corny, but reasonable to listen to and he's all about working out from home. Watch his vids as they'll show you what to do and how to work out at home
 
It's cheesy as hell, but the P90X stuff really works if you need to follow a video routine. I have a cousin that does it and has been ripped for years just doing the cardio and weight based videos. You could also look at resistance bands instead of dumbbells if space truly is an issue. I have a small incline bench and a dumbbell rack in my home office but if starting from scratch I would buy the adjustable dumbbells.
 
Get yourself an olympic barbell. I have a powercage in my garage and have up to 140kg and am nearly at the point that I need more weight.

Your exercises depend on your goals. I want to be "built" so I eat almost my bodyweight in protein and do the three most important compund lifts: Squat, deadlift and bench. Always go deep, don't be one of those gym-fools who do half/quarter depth reps.

Sign up to Fitocracy it's an incredible place. Imagine a social media site with access to thousands of like minded people. The motivation I've received from it is amazing. You get points and levels on your progress, incredible reward.

Look up Starting Strength - it's an excellent place to start.
 
galacon said:
Bro, you need to get out of your apartment more anyways. The fact that you state "there are too many people at a gym" worries me. Why do you WANT this awesome "Beach Body" anyways? To please yourself only?

People at gyms will actually HELP you, and MOTIVATE you and HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.

You will befriend REAL PEOPLE, instead of Gay Webmasters, and you might even get LAID once in a while.

Good luck, bro.
Click to expand...

lol. It's just for me. I'm early forties and married with children. I don't want to get ripped, just to diet the fat off and ensure that I'm not losing muscle along with it. The gyms in aMerica may awesome places, but the ones where I live are full of uneducated, ghetto, macho, 18-25yo boneheads!

Thanks for all the replies so far.
 
Most gyms are full of people who have no idea what they're doing. Even the staff at gyms I've been to are bean poles who think C.V. is everything. You don't need a gym, but being around others can be nice. It's your call.

Read and watch clips on the internet and master you form.
 
I'm the same- hate the gym.

I got some pretty good results from P90x, but you will want to get at least some more weight. The cardio wasn't hard enough though (except for the Plyo day) so I combined it with Insanity.

Basically you will do the 3 days of lifting for P90x, and then use 3 days of cardio for Insanity.

This will get you better results.
 
Whether to do CV work or not depends on how much time you have available. Proportionally weight-lifting is superior. Not only does a 1 hour lifting session use more energy than a 1 hour run, but lifting packs on muscle and makes you stronger, which will require more energy to maintain and also your metabolism uses calories for up to 24 hours after lifting.

If you have lots of free time though, you can throw in CV days too. You need rest days after lifting heavy so you'll be out of action during this period.
 
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