Recommendations for home weights and bench?

So I've been doing cardio for about 8 months and eating less calories to lose weight.

I'm now 5'3 125 lbs, I used to be about 160 lbs.

I still have a good amount of fat on me, especially around my stomach area. God I hate this so much!

Anyway people have recommended that I try to gain muscle instead of trying to lose more fat. So I really want to do this at my home rather than a gym, just like my cardio.

So I have read about routines that deal with:
Squats
Benchs
Military Presses
Deadlifts
etc

This is the type of full body workout I want to do.
What do you guys recommend for weights and benchs?
What do I have to know about buying one before I do? What kind how much $$ etc?

Also, do you NEED a squat rack to do squats? So I will need to purchase one as well?
 
So I have read about routines that deal with:
Squats
Benchs
Military Presses
Deadlifts
etc

This is the type of full body workout I want to do.
What do you guys recommend for weights and benchs?
What do I have to know about buying one before I do? What kind how much $$ etc?

Also, do you NEED a squat rack to do squats? So I will need to purchase one as well?

I'm assuming you just listed exercises that would be out of a fullbody workout and that those aren't the only ones you're going to do. Because you didn't list any pulls.

Anyway, You can generally find some acceptable benches and stuff at walmart.com, and probalby a squat rack or two. I got one for sale at walmart that came with an incline decline bench that came with a useless preachercurl extension, and a squat rack. I can pretty much do all of my exercises with it but the squat rack isn't too sturdy. It was about $150.

If you really wanna be safe, or you're doing alot of heavy weight low reps, I'd recommend lifting wiith a partner or buying a power rack, which will be far more expensive than a squat rack.

You pretty much need a squat rack to do squats, because if you can military press the bar over your head to do squats, you definitely aren't using enough weight.
 
well, you can construct your own contraption to substitute as a squat rack, but some kind of safe construction should be used to replace a squat rack, unless you are power cleaning a lot, and then front squatting that.
 
Also, do you NEED a squat rack to do squats? So I will need to purchase one as well?

You don't HAVE to have a squat rack to do squats. You can just use your free weights if you have them. Place a couple of 25-lb weights on the floor and stand on them with your toes on the floor, heels on the plates. Make sure they are far enough apart that you feel comfortable in a normal squat stance. Then grab a pair of dumb bells, about 8 or 10 lbs each and hold them up shoulder level. Do your squats like that.

You can also do some reps standing flat on the floor. Lower the dumb bells back to your side and do some reps that way.

You can purchase equipment if you have the money, but if you are limited on space and funds then by all means make do with your limitations.
 
You don't HAVE to have a squat rack to do squats. You can just use your free weights if you have them. Place a couple of 25-lb weights on the floor and stand on them with your toes on the floor, heels on the plates. Make sure they are far enough apart that you feel comfortable in a normal squat stance. Then grab a pair of dumb bells, about 8 or 10 lbs each and hold them up shoulder level. Do your squats like that.


Umm... no. While that particular way of doing squats is okay, there is no reason someone should be doing squats with a total of 16 or 20 pounds of weight. You cannot do real squats without a squat rack.
 
there is no reason someone should be doing squats with a total of 16 or 20 pounds of weight. You cannot do real squats without a squat rack.

I just used that as an example. You can use how ever much weight you can handle. Granted, it's not the ideal way to do squats but if you can't afford a rack and it's all you have then you make do with what you've got.
 
Well, I am pretty weak and I tried doing squats with the barbell and I really suck at it. I think I will try dumbell squats for now since I aquired a bench but I have no squat rack. Even body weight squat I can feel it in my legs so I think it will be a while until I need anything heavier.

The equipment I have is:

Treadmill
Dumbells
Bench
Barbell and Weights

What I have planned right now:

Alternating 3 days a week MWF

Workout A
3x5 Dumbell Squat
3x5 Barbell Bench Press
1x5 Barbell Deadlift
3x8 Weighted Ab Crunches

Workout B
3x5 Dumbell Squat
3x5 Barbell Standing military press (can I lift this form the floor?)
3x5 Barbell Pendlay Rows
3x8 Weighted Ab Crunches

1 day/week add some dumbbell curls.

on 3 off days per week ~45 minute of medium cardio on treadmill


If this is ok to do and I start doing this will I lose fat as well?
I really hate how my stomach area looks, its still really fat when I sit down even though I'm 5'3 125 lbs.

Also, say I never really did any lifting before this. How heavy would I lift to start with. (Just give me a ball park, say for Pendlay rows, 50 lbs? 70 lbs? 100 lbs?)
 
I just used that as an example. You can use how ever much weight you can handle. Granted, it's not the ideal way to do squats but if you can't afford a rack and it's all you have then you make do with what you've got.

If you had to use dumbbells for al eg exercise you'd benefit much more from stepups, bulg squats, lunges. But there is no way you'd get enough weight on dumbbells for squats, your arms just couldn't hold it.

and matt, I'd urge you to read the weight training 101 thread. You need to balance pushes and pulls, and Always start with the heaviest lifts, like deadlift.
 
Place a couple of 25-lb weights on the floor and stand on them with your toes on the floor, heels on the plates.

Why??

You've got the right equipment so dont limit yourself on movements. No squat rack, ok use dumbells. Use dumbells to OH press, this way you can do 1 arm at a time and use both hands to lift it to your shoulder if needed. Get what I am saying...
 
I really hate how my stomach area looks, its still really fat when I sit down even though I'm 5'3 125 lbs.

Is it only fat when you sit? Everyone's stomach bulges when they sit. I think 125 is probably ideal for your height. How old are you? You would probably do better to work on strength rather than weight loss.

And I agree with Dave - do the heavy lifts first.

Tony, you can do them flat footed as well. Standing on the weights is just a variation, but you've got the right idea.
 
Back
Top