Home exercise equipment

[Ty_Webb]

Hi all,

I'm interested in getting some stuff to put in my basement to help me work out and lose weight, gain strength and gain some swing speed. Right now I have some adjustable dumbbells and a mat. I'm thinking about getting a power tower and a kettlebell or two. I am however not well informed on this stuff. Is there anything else I should be considering? It's going to go in my basement like I said and I have some space, but if I take up too much of it, I'm gonna get shot. I was also looking at TRX stuff and I'm wondering if I can get that and the power tower and use the power tower to hang the TRX stuff. I don't think I want to be attaching things to the wall.

Budget is reasonable, but not unlimited. I'm also going to be on my own, so a bench and a barbell is probably not a good idea since I won't have a spotter. I don't want to find out the hard way that I can't bench what I just pulled off a bar.

Thanks!

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

I'm interested in getting some stuff to put in my basement to help me work out and lose weight, gain strength and gain some swing speed. Right now I have some adjustable dumbbells and a mat. I'm thinking about getting a power tower and a kettlebell or two. I am however not well informed on this stuff. Is there anything else I should be considering? It's going to go in my basement like I said and I have some space, but if I take up too much of it, I'm gonna get shot. I was also looking at TRX stuff and I'm wondering if I can get that and the power tower and use the power tower to hang the TRX stuff. I don't think I want to be attaching things to the wall.

Do you have the ability to swing some SuperSpeed stuff?

https://superspeedgolf.com/collections/all-products?aff=40

TRX stuff is good. A Bosu ball, a hand roller… a little thing to get your heart rate up (could even just be skipping/jumping rope), and you're 95% of the way there.

[Ty_Webb]

6 minutes ago, iacas said:

Do you have the ability to swing some SuperSpeed stuff?

https://superspeedgolf.com/collections/all-products?aff=40

TRX stuff is good. A Bosu ball, a hand roller… a little thing to get your heart rate up (could even just be skipping/jumping rope), and you're 95% of the way there.

I have the super speed stuff. My ceilings are only 8’ high so I have to do that outside. Which means not now because it’s about 4 degrees at the moment. I’ve got a treadmill I’ve been using for cardio. I’ll look into the other things. Thanks!

[Denny Bang Bang]

@Ty_Webb I’ll second the Bosu, they’re great for core and balance and don’t take up much space.

Also, if you have a tablet or smart tv in the basement, check out Fitness Blender on YouTube.  Lots of great, free workouts.

As far as the free weights, I have a half rack in my home gym and when I don’t have a spotter (which is half the time) I set the safety bars at a height just where I won’t be stuck in case I fail on a lift (e.g. on bench presses, I set the safety bars just barely above my chest).  If you’re comfortable with that, barbells might not be out of the picture for you.  The thing to consider would be the height of the rack (may not be able to get away with pull ups on certain racks if your ceiling is only 8ft)

Edited January 6, 2018 by Denny Bang Bang

[Mr. Desmond]

A lot of losing weight is more about what you put in your mouth in my experience, and getting the heart rate up makes you feel good, releases endorphins, makes you more mentally alert, in better physical and heart shape. Burning calories helps, too.

SuperSpeed is a great suggestion if you have room

The balance things, too.

I have an Air Assault Indoor Bike, a Concept 2 Rower, Kettlebells, and a Teeter Board, and a heart rate monitor. I find the bike gets the heart rate up for 20-30 minutes cycling high intensity training. I then use the rower for lower intensity for 5-7 minutes before I get bored, then weights, then back to rower, then finish off with bike, interspersed with more weights.

I once did jump rope all the time - need more room.

Skilz has a a Golf Strong Program starring Tony Finau and Anna Nordquist  - that will get you going. I have that, too, but I've run out of room.

[Patch]

About losing weight is mostly simple math for most people without any other medical issues. 3500 calories equal 1 pound. If you eat a 900 calorie Mac Jack Whopper burger, you need burn up 4400 calories to lose one pound. 

Gaining strength from exercise is great way to lose weight, as long as you burn the extra calories. 

Good luck on your journey. 

Edited January 6, 2018 by Patch

[Ty_Webb]

Thanks all - I'm down about 75lbs already, which I've done almost all with diet. I've got that side of things locked up. This is more about me wanting to make sure I don't lose any strength as I go. And if I can build up a little bit of speed at the same time that would be great. The Bosu ball looks interesting. I'm going to try to pop over to Dicks tomorrow and take a look at their stuff. I think some kettlebell swings and using the kettlebell to help with some squats will give me a good start. The power tower would let me add dips and pull ups as well and make push ups a little easier. The one I'm looking at also enables rows, which would be also useful. From what I've read it sounds like I should be trying to do explosive movements to build speed rather than slow movements. Is that accurate?

[Buckeyebowman]

I'm sorry, I don't understand the math. If one eats a 900 calorie burger, and 3500 calories equals a pound, they should gain about 1/4 pound. But then you state that they need to burn about a pound and a third's worth of calories to lose that original quarter pound!

I realize that there are "maintenance" calories, but can't the burger be counted toward that?

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

About losing weight is mostly simple math for most people without any other medical issues. 3500 calories equal 1 pound. If you eat a 900 calorie Mac Jack Whopper burger, you need burn up 4400 calories to lose one pound. 

1 hour ago, Buckeyebowman said:

I'm sorry, I don't understand the math. If one eats a 900 calorie burger, and 3500 calories equals a pound, they should gain about 1/4 pound. But then you state that they need to burn about a pound and a third's worth of calories to lose that original quarter pound!

@Buckeyebowman: 3500 + 900 = 4400. So to lose a pound, you have to burn not only the 900 you consumed, but an additional 3500.

Pretty simple math there, really. Chalk it up to a brain fart on your part?

[Mr. Desmond]

2 hours ago, Patch said:

About losing weight is mostly simple math for most people without any other medical issues. 3500 calories equal 1 pound. If you eat a 900 calorie Mac Jack Whopper burger, you need burn up 4400 calories to lose one pound. 

Gaining strength from exercise is great way to lose weight, as long as you burn the extra calories. 

Good luck on your journey. 

Too many of those Whoppers and even if you exercise, better get blood work and see the cardiologist on an annual basis. You might think you're in great shape, 'till that cardiac event takes place. Been there, got the scars.

[Denny Bang Bang]

5 hours ago, Ty_Webb said:

From what I've read it sounds like I should be trying to do explosive movements to build speed rather than slow movements. Is that accurate?

That’s accurate.  Focus on ground based, multi plane movements (e.g. hang cleans, jump squats, etc.).  You can accomplish that with variations for dumbbells and kettle bells

[Typhoon92]

Don't go crazy on equipment.  Dumbbells are great and can be used the same as kettlebells by holding them by the end.  I physioball would be good because u can do hip lifts etc.. and dumbbell presses like u would with barbells.

A bench with an adjustable back would be good.

Do you have a finished doorway?  Get one of the pull up bars that hooks on.

A big suggestion if u have a tv is P90x..or even Body Beast.  My wife has been doing them for years...has all the programs and loves them.  Take a about an hour and she's sweating like a contestant on Jeopardy.  I know a lot of LD guys that do it.  My son who never worked out is addicted to it. U use the equipment I mentioned.

Me, I go to Crossfit...almost 10 years now.  I'm not good at doing it at home.  Her workouts are similiar to mine.

 

[No Mulligans]

On the pricey side but this is my favorite cardio machine: http://amzn.to/2qxIbie

[Billsy]

I would suggest work on Flexibility- stretch daily.

hamstrings 1st

then stretch arms and shoulders. 

Then core strength. Start with planks for 30secs. Everyday then the next week 45. Keep building.

Buy stuff when you can plank for 1min without rest. 

[Ty_Webb]

2 hours ago, Typhoon92 said:

Don't go crazy on equipment.  Dumbbells are great and can be used the same as kettlebells by holding them by the end.  I physioball would be good because u can do hip lifts etc.. and dumbbell presses like u would with barbells.

A bench with an adjustable back would be good.

Do you have a finished doorway?  Get one of the pull up bars that hooks on.

A big suggestion if u have a tv is P90x..or even Body Beast.  My wife has been doing them for years...has all the programs and loves them.  Take a about an hour and she's sweating like a contestant on Jeopardy.  I know a lot of LD guys that do it.  My son who never worked out is addicted to it. U use the equipment I mentioned.

Me, I go to Crossfit...almost 10 years now.  I'm not good at doing it at home.  Her workouts are similiar to mine.

 

Fair enough. I have the Bowflex 5-52.5 adjustable dumbbells that I bought for when I was doing P90X a few years ago. I'm lighter now but much weaker than I was when I was doing P90X. I just don't have time to do it. I spend 3.5 hours a day commuting four days a week and have two small children, so I have maybe 30 minutes of spare time a day and I tend to use that to eat dinner. Can't fit an hour plus a day of P90X into that. While I am lighter now, I'm not light. I'm still around 250 and I'm worried about the pull up bars that hook on. 

I think one of the pluses of using kettlebells is it really builds up your grip strength. I have also heard that grip strength is one of the factors in swing speed. I think kettlebell swings are going to be pretty good for my core, my back, my grip strength and the muscles that you use to swing a club. I can use them for deadlifts too. I don't think the bowflex dumbbells will work for that. At least I don't think I'll be comfortable doing that.

[Typhoon92]

Ty, with the Dumbbells do " Romainian dead lefts" ( RDL).  Also so one legged rdl's...good for core stability.  Put the Dumbbells on your shoulders to do squats. Bent over rows too.  I always loved the idea of the bow flex Dumbbells.

You can do cleans etc... With the Dumbbells too.  Do push-ups on the Dumbbells and do a push up then a row with each dumbbell, then do another pu, row- row...good stuff.

Didnt know u did P90x already...nice.  Body Beast is good to follow if u have the time.  Your commute sucks.

[Ty_Webb]

12 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Ty, with the Dumbbells do " Romainian dead lefts" ( RDL).  Also so one legged rdl's...good for core stability.  Put the Dumbbells on your shoulders to do squats. Bent over rows too.  I always loved the idea of the bow flex Dumbbells.

You can do cleans etc... With the Dumbbells too.  Do push-ups on the Dumbbells and do a push up then a row with each dumbbell, then do another pu, row- row...good stuff.

Didnt know u did P90x already...nice.  Body Beast is good to follow if u have the time.  Your commute sucks.

I did it about 6 years ago now. I got P90X2 and P90X3 as well, but never got round to them. I'll look into those exercises. I like the sound of the pu, row-row, although I'm not sure I should be resting my weight on those dumbbells.

[Typhoon92]

18 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

I did it about 6 years ago now. I got P90X2 and P90X3 as well, but never got round to them. I'll look into those exercises. I like the sound of the pu, row-row, although I'm not sure I should be resting my weight on those dumbbells.

 

 

Doing even regular push-ups on Dumbbells I prefer because of the wrist position...it actually seems easier.  My trainer suggested it to me.  All your weights not on your hands.  I'll have to try to send u the video someone took of me  doing push-ups suspended on 4 med balls.

Edited January 6, 2018 by Typhoon92