Home Training Basics

Home Training

If you’d rather start your bodybuilding program at home, you’ll want to purchase the right equipment to make real muscle-building workouts possible and to ensure that they’re safe as well. Here are the basics for a good home gym:

-At least a 7′ x 7′ area
-Chinning bar
-A comfortable, adjustable bench with uprights and a leg extension/leg curl
-110-pound iron barbell set
-Extra weight (start with four 20- or 25-pound plates)
-Calf block

For more on home training see IRON MAN’s Home Gym Handbook at www.Home-Gym.com.

Get Started Routine
Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday

Squats 2 x 10*
Stiff-legged deadlifts 2 x 10
Standing calf raises 2 x 10
Bench presses 2 x 10
Pulldowns or chins 2 x 10
Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 10
Seated dumbbell presses 2 x 10
Dumbbell upright rows 2 x 10
Lying triceps extensions 2 x 10
Standing barbell curls 2 x 10

*2 x 10 means you do two sets of eight to 10 repetitions before you move on to the next exercise. Before those work sets, do one warmup set with about 80 percent of your work-set poundage.

Note: Rest one to 1 1/2 minutes between sets; use a watch or clock with a second hand to time your rest.

We’ve covered all the exercises over the last 10 issues, and we’ve even provided start/finish photos of each one. You have no excuse. If you haven’t started, get to it. There’s no better time than the present. You’ve got the info; now muster the motivation. Once training is a habit and you look better than ever, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start training earlier. See you at the gym. IM