Minimum equipment for muscle gain

Yucca

Yucca

Yucca

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Nock/Leicester
Hi all

Been a gym goer for years and usually do mostly lots of big compound type moves. Bench press, deadlift, shoulder press, lunges, fireman’s walk, barbell row, lat pull down (on machine).

Built loads of muscle and got down to about 11% body fat. But have not been to the gym now since lockdown 1. Iv lost considerable muscle and put body fat on.

I’m thinking the best minimum equipment I can buy for home is a barbell and plates. And the single best full body move (excluding squats) would be deadlifts.

Thoughts welcome.
 
You're probably right re: barbell and plates, but they don't come cheap. I've opted for low cost and got a kettle bell, resistance bands, pull-up/dip station and have managed to avoid losing too much muscle since being away from the gym. You can achieve a lot with bodyweight exercises and just need to be creative.
 
Don't underestimate bodyweight whilst you wait for the weights - funny sentence. :p A weight vest could be a great addition also. I just picked up a 10kg one and it's certainly helping to push myself.

Mentioned this guy before but covers beginner to advanced. If you fancy a laugh, check out his level 1-10 burpees. :eek:


 
Minimal equipment for muscle gain = bodyweight (i.e. callisthenics stuff) although you ideally need something to do pull-ups or hang rings off of, and two elevated parallel grips/surfaces for dips. For legs you're largely stuffed unless you're both creative and do everything single-leg and even then you really need additional load unless you've never trained legs in your life, but a solid chair/ledge/box will allow for a few different things like pistols squats, step-ups and single-leg box squats. Hip-hinges and hamstring stuff is the biggest faff with no real weight but there is stuff like foot-elevated single-leg hip thrusts, gliding hamstring curls, band-assisted nordic curls etc and if you fill up a water jug or sandbag or something then you can do single leg deadlifts/RDLs/Good Mornings.

I'm not 100% sure if I'd recommend over-paying for weights right now unless I was sure lock-down will continue on into something like June or September as if things open up in March or April then it might seem like an expensive purchase for a month or two's workouts.
 
Somnambulist said:
Minimal equipment for muscle gain = bodyweight (i.e. callisthenics stuff) although you ideally need something to do pull-ups or hang rings off of, and two elevated parallel grips/surfaces for dips. For legs you're largely stuffed unless you're both creative and do everything single-leg and even then you really need additional load unless you've never trained legs in your life, but a solid chair/ledge/box will allow for a few different things like pistols squats, step-ups and single-leg box squats. Hip-hinges and hamstring stuff is the biggest faff with no real weight but there is stuff like foot-elevated single-leg hip thrusts, gliding hamstring curls, band-assisted nordic curls etc and if you fill up a water jug or sandbag or something then you can do single leg deadlifts/RDLs/Good Mornings.

I'm not 100% sure if I'd recommend over-paying for weights right now unless I was sure lock-down will continue on into something like June or September as if things open up in March or April then it might seem like an expensive purchase for a month or two's workouts.
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This.

Whilst BW movements can get easy pretty quickly, adding a heavy rucksack can make quite a difference. 20kg added to a Bulgarian split squat is quite unpleasant...

Who knows how long this will carry on, but this lockdown won't be permanent. :)
 
I got barbell/dumbbell and plates, my workout partner VIA skype has resistance bands+ dumbells+ pull up bar.

anyone use resistance bands? seems like they are useful for doing some things you can't really workout properly without a bench

seems like a pull up bar is pretty much a must too

BTW where does everyone get their protein powders from these days?
buying protein at the supermarket via actual food seems expensive as hell
 
Macky said:
You're probably right re: barbell and plates, but they don't come cheap. I've opted for low cost and got a kettle bell, resistance bands, pull-up/dip station and have managed to avoid losing too much muscle since being away from the gym. You can achieve a lot with bodyweight exercises and just need to be creative.
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Which resistance bands did you get? Which kettle bell weight did you start with? I have seen so many options for the bands but unsure which ones. They do latex tubes, bands and fabric ones. I have begun walking more but want to also tone up and build up lean muscle from home and just generally get stronger.
 
ddoubleep said:
Which resistance bands did you get? Which kettle bell weight did you start with? I have seen so many options for the bands but unsure which ones. They do latex tubes, bands and fabric ones. I have begun walking more but want to also tone up and build up lean muscle from home and just generally get stronger.
Click to expand...

I've got these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/FitShark-R...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Then added a length of wood with 4 marine hooks at various heights and some carabiner clips

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Seems to work for a lot. The only thing i don't like resistance bands for is bicep curls. Always feels it's not a smooth motion and jerks at a certain point.
 
As per the previous replies - bodyweight exercises can be great, don't underestimate how much you can do - there are many different types of pressups etc.. if you have a small wall or the edge of your sofa or a chair etc.. you can do tricep dips... Obvs throw in sit-ups, squats, leg raises etc.. Do some guided yoga via youtube - see yoga by Adriene for example (she's quite nice too ;) ).

I was isolating outside London in the first lockdown and hadn't brought any weights with me - I started a routine doing bodyweight type stuff then going into the garden and using rocks etc.. can cause some cuts/bruises on your hands initially but it kinda works - I guess it's an extra dimension to it in a way - sort of like how you use more muscles to coordinate lifting a barbell vs say a smiths machine where the path upwards is guided for you, well with some awkwardly shaped big rock you've got some more issues making sure to grip it tightly etc.. vs a dumbell - but no reason why you can't do various exercises with the things up to exhaustion.

Also, check out your local parks - plenty of local authorities install basic outdoor exercise equipment there - even just basic stuff like various bars where you could do pull-ups or dips etc.. though you should hopefully find there is greater variety than that.

I mean technically, you don't really need to buy any equipment at all, but it is nice to have some weights at home and a bench at least.
 
body weight, plus maybe a weighted vest if you want to level it up.

if bodyweight isn't your cup of tea then a barbell and some plates, you don't even need a rack, deadlifts / rows/ cleans / clean and press / clean and jerk.

do big volume so you don't need a lot of plates.
 
A single fairly heavy Kettlebell might be a good idea. Clean and press will be good for shoulders and very versatile to use on lunges and loads of other stuff..
 
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