Home work-out routine?

Hey Guys,

First time poster, long time lurker. I've been trying to gain weight and get stronger from my home. I am 19 years old, 5"7 and weigh 56KG (123lb). Does anyone have any advice on how to gain weight and how should I go about doing my work-out routine? I want to strengthen all muscle groups.

The equipment I currently have are an ab shaper and I plan on getting a pair of 20kg dumbbells.

I'd love some advice :)
 
OK that will be difficult with limited kit.

First off let me point out that you shouldn't try building up until you have a sensible base level fitness incorporating cardio and endurance. Cardio is anything where you are active for a duration and generally breathing freely, there are exceptions, but I am not writing a book here. Endurance would be easy with the kit you have and would consist of some circuits using the weights and your bodywieght to do compound exercises with little or no rest, either sets of 10+ or for 1 minute each repeating the circuits 3 times or more.

If you have already done that things become more difficult. Building muscle is best achieved using rep ranges 10 to 6, with heavy weights, it will not take long before squatting with 20kg dumbells feels incredibly light, and single leg squats are only safe with heavy weight when you are used to doing them.
There are some really good bodyweight routines on the forums and adding the dumbells for additional load when doing these will be good.

I train at home but have a substantial amount of kit. I have trained in gyms for a couple of decades so knew what I would need and bought it. If you find the bodyweight work doesn't suit you, and the cost of getting kit is too high, I would have to advise a gym. That said try the at home stuff first, if nothing else it will mean you have a good based to train from when going to a gym.
 
Probably one of the most effective pieces of workout equipment you can buy would be a good set of gymnastic rings to do some bodyweight training. Great thing about bodyweight training is, no matter who you are, how much you weigh, and what your fitness level is, you can always get a decent multiple muscle group workout from bodyweight training, leading to better overall functional strength as opposed to using muscle isolation machines.

Just so you know, there is no such thing as a machine that can really shape or "sculpt" your abs. Yes, you can build them up with muscle, but ultimately, abs showing and having that good 6 or 8 pack is a function of body fat level. I would focus more on developing functional strength through compound movements, as opposed to using muscle isolation machines like most of the "ab" devices out there. You'll be stronger in the end, and your abs will look better as a result.
 
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