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Showing posts with label home gyms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home gyms. Show all posts

Friday, 6 April 2012

A holiday for some...

Another day in the gym for others. Today is Good Friday - a religious holiday in many parts of the world. For me, regardless of whether or not I have a day job, if I am off and available it's gym time. I do, however, have something of a schedule but at the moment said schedule had me training today. If, by chance, you have family commitments then get up VERY EARLY and get your sh*t done.

To be fair this article is less about training regardless of what the wife, kids and god might have to say about it. Putting aside any theological thoughts it's more about a level of dedication and consistency. I'd imagined the gym (still Beef's in Strood - talking of which the Gym owner was almost nice asking me why I hadn't signed on as a full member?) might be a little busier than it was. Perhaps more work bank holidays than of old or, more probable, it's likely that 'hey the suns out' or some other excuse came up. I did, as you might have done had you gone in, take advantage of the extra elbow room so to speak. What's the betting it'll be busy tomorrow morning?

For sure a day or two out wont make that much of a difference but add up all those 'days or two', all the little excuses and missed sessions, fucked meals and late night pizza and beer and you can look in the mirror (if a bodybuilder) and see why you haven't quite hit the heights you'd dreamed of. 

I'm lucky in that most of what might be called hard core gyms (my preferred type) tend not to close as often as the public or mass market ones. Hours can still be restricted but that's as much about the banks to put their daily takings in being closed early as it is the food shops they get their nosh from doing the same. Those of you with home gyms have even less of an excuse. Hell do a session out of sequence (say a Wednesday AND then a Thursday and take an extra days rest than Wed/Fri and then off) if it helps. 

Life can and will throw up obstacles which make doing what we want to, gym wise, hard. Don't then make so many choices of your very own that your also the reason why you aren't quite getting where it was you wanted to go. 

Those of you, not always the genetic freaks, who are dedicated and apply themselves in the gym and nutritionally without too many reasons not to, day in and day out, will be surprised what you can achieve with steady, plodding application and the least excuses.

Sunday, 1 April 2012

My next home gym

Couple of if's and when's but what the heck...
  1. If and when I get my house in the area (ish) I want
  2. at the price I hope to pay
  3. and not too far from a decent gym
Then I fully intend having a half decent home gym. Now in an ideal world we'd be looking at a change of use commercial space (old shop, small warehouse) with living accommodation attached / over. But needs must and so a half decent sized garage or outbuilding or decent sized cellar. The bigger (and taller) the space the better. Doesn't need lots of natural light but some and if not exactly heated some insulation against bitter cold might be nice. Throw in a little additional storage and I'd be good to go.

  • Now as to what I'd want in there:
  • Power rack - a must. Inc a front cross-brace as a chinning bar.
  • Decent adjustable bench
  • Decent Olympic bar. The deeper the knurl the better.
  • A shed load of Olympic plates. 20's, 25's and 50's x many pls.
  • Long ass dumbbell handles (I'd prefer a full set but needs must).
  • O' plate holders
  • Impact absorbent rubber matting - perhaps on a platform?
  • CHALK!! (see previous whinging post)
That's your basics covered. There's a shit load you can do with that.

Now as for added extras:

  • A thick bar. Hollow a la the Apollon's Axle.
  • Fat handles
  • Grippers, grippers and more grippers
  • V-bar
  • Euro Pinch. I've always liked using this and ain't half bad on it (No 2 in the world)
  • Rolling Thunder - the 2011 model
Not needed but nice if I can are the following:
  • Lever squat type machine (as sold by Powertec etc)
  • Leg press - double pinned. Good for 800-kilos pls.
  • A decent mirror - for form, illumination and making the space look bigger
  • Hi-Fi - sounds to workout to
  • hi-low plate loaded cable machine - big ass load capacity. Smooth running (double ratio set up is.
That's my 'for now' list. I'm sure I can think of more soon. What would you have?