Is going to the gym necessary at all?

I currently go to the gym, but most of the exercises I do there I can do with a dumbbell. I was wondering if I get some dumbbells for home and work out with those and eat right, will I still gain muscle. Obviously I wont be getting the proper machine workout and everything else offered by the gym, but is it safe to invest in some dumbells?? Also if I make a 3 day workout plan, alternating from upper body, lower and then upper each week, should I do some aerobic activity like running on the days when I rest or the days where I workout? When should I basically run and do some abs workout?

Also does anyone know of any links online where I can get a good set of adjustable dumbbells for a good price?
 
I currently go to the gym, but most of the exercises I do there I can do with a dumbbell. I was wondering if I get some dumbbells for home and work out with those and eat right, will I still gain muscle?

If you do dumbell lifts in the gym you will gain muscle, if you do the same dumbell lifts at home you won't gain muscle:p

just kidding... yeah you can get dumbells if that's all you use in the gym anyways.
 
lol thanks, do you know of any good workout plans for strictly the dumbbells??

Also when should I incorporate running/abs in a week? On the alternate days from my workout days or the same days??
 
I am a true believer that you don't need to have a gym membership to make gains as long as you are willing to make up for the lost equipment through creativity. If you have a bench press, and squat rack with enough weights you are good to go and wont need to ever step inside a gym, if you don't ( like me ), you can be creative and make best with what you have and still make gains.
 
I have dumbbells and they came with a good workout chart but I still go to the gym. The gym is not really that expensive and provides a great atmosphere. Listening to some of the other guys accounts have certainly motivated me to keep going on.
 
the gym keeps me 'in the mood' too.
plus, the gym has a squat rack, power rack, and all the cardio crap plus free cardio classes. not bad for $30 a month.
 
This is the equipment I use:

1. I have about 450lbs (approx) of Olympic style cast iron weights (Gold's Gym, brand)

2. Olympic stainless steel long bar (45lbs type), a short "S" bar, a "tri" bar, two stainless steel, DB's

3. Olympic style Bench which declines and inclines, and has a squat rack. It also has a preacher pad, and a front leg extension device. I have never used the front leg extension device, come to think of it.

4. A mobile flat bench which inclines and declines

5. A upright recumbant bike with a back rest. It has a gauge for inputting one's age, wgt, etc. It will display heart rate, calories burned, and time in exercise.

6. A self made dip station. My friend and I welded this together "several" months back, and it looks like a traditional dip station one would see in a catalog or online.

What's interesting here is that for many months I used a "car cloths rack" for my dips (we have to be inventive in our requests....HEHEHE :) ). I have been wanting to put dips in my workout for some time, but flat didnt have the equipment or money--at the time. One day I got of my car, and the "car cloths rack' caught me eye. I took it out and looked at it. Since it telescoped out, I was hoping it would come apart into two separate sections. It did. It was made of steel, and the only question was: Would it support my weight and the stess of sets/reps. I had 4 rather high jack stands in the garage. I gather you can figure out what I did-------"worked perfectly"!

7. I have a rail on my wall in front of my stationary bike. It has two pics. Me and the person I want to look like. In between the two pics are numbers and months. When I lost the majority of my weight (over 30+ pounds), I would update the pic in successive weeks, but would leave the old one behind to see the progress. If I pushed myself in a workout, I would move it forward one peg, if I didnt, it went back one peg.

8. A golds gym weight stacker (next to my stationary bike)

9. A Swiss Ball

10. Several Stretch bands, at varying stengths

11. Telescoping Push-up bars

========================================================


Personally I like the convenience and the gym equipment starring me in the face at home. Its me and the fitness equipment with no brain. To me it prevents alot of complications that could prevent going to the gym and getting to equipment that I may need.

Some dont like it because it could cause procastination, etc. To each their own.

Is mind over the things necessary to get the job done, over and out.



Cheer cheer, the New Year; do not fear a new you will appear.


Wish you the best in all that you set out to do in life and in fitness.

Be GREAT earn your fitness FATE!


Chillen
 
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dumbbells

I also like the convenience of working out at home. I have a set of olympic weights and a squat rack and love it. I also thought of getting barbells and yes you can do everything you need with them to get a good full body workout. I've looked into it but I got a sweet deal on my used equipment recently and I have the room (sort of in my garage...lol) but I would certainly think about getting dumbbells if I wanted it to take up less space and still get a good workout.

I've looked at dumbbells and found that are definitely what I would get. You can start out with the elite 5-50 pounds and you can upgrade them to 130 pounds I think. I've seen several reviews of people that love them and say they are way better than the bowflex crap. They are not cheap at around $350 for the set but they are about the same price as the bowflex and very upgradable. They are a little different but read about them and you will see why they just seem better!

Of course you should also get a utility bench which shouldn't be that expensive, maybe $100 or less if you get a used one. I bought my whole set which includes Bench, squat rack, and 300+ pounds of olympic weights with bar for $300 on craigs list.
 
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