[Shiver]

Due to some financial constraints it looks like I'm going to have to hold off on finding a gym membership or more equipment for awhile and make do with what I've got.

Primary goal is gaining lean muscle / gaining strength (BF staying between 12 - 14%), and with the limits in weight I've got, the strength gains could be a major problem....

So I've got:

+ basic bench (incline/decline)
+ dumbbells (10's, 20's and 40's)
+ curling bar and 110lbs of weights one of my buddies is supposed to drop off later in the week since they've sat docile in his basement for far too long.

I don't have large muscles on me at all right now. I'm 'wiry' so to speak, slender and muscled, but not a ton of strength. I can see the 40's and even the 20's being useful for some lifts for awhile.

Just hoping to get some insight into the best ways to use the above equipment to continue to try to gain while I find my way out of this financial mess and into a gym after that.

I like simplicity -- two to three workouts per muscle group and move on...

Thanks folks!

[MikeNYY420]

WOuld you be most interested in a full body routine or a split? So it sounds like strength isn't a big concern to you right now? Do you have a barbell. I'd make you up a routine bro, but I'm beat get back to ya tomorrow.

[Shiver]

I'm definitely looking for strength gains, but given the limited weight I have to work with I can't honestly set goals for strength gains until I can access more weight.

A 4 or 5 day split with 2 - 3 rest days would be cool -- but anything you can come up with I'd be game to try. I used to have a dedicated routine about 9 years ago now... and could move a decent amount of weight for a 15 year old, but I fell off and never got back into pushing steel until now.

Old records I can remember (these may be off give or take 10lbs):

Bench Press: 170 x 3 sets 6/4/4 -- I remember this one distinctly because at the time I was a cocky teenager that tried to throw 190 on the bar after this (without a spotter to add to the pain) and pretty well tried to kill myself via iron to the chest. Stupid kid. :(

Deadlifts and Squats for reps: 190 -- I ran out of weights at this point.

Curling dumbbells: 60lb approx

These are old though, and I don't think I could match them right now.

I just realized I can wander down to one of the local parks and use the tall straight "monkey bars" to do pullups on and full decline situps/crunches. Could incorporate chinups --> moving into one-arms once my strength has gained on this. Jog to park, do core / shoulder / back workout, job home. Oh joy!

Hmm...

Don't have a barbell at this point, just a 40" curling bar (guessing length -- I'm still at work).

I'll see if I can't track down a longer bar to work with -- someone I know has got to have something they're not using.

Frustrates me to no end as I've finally started to see mass gains, meaning I can start to actually try to turn that into larger muscle gains and I get garrotted by finances -- which pulled the plug on the Golds membership I wanted to grab and if my luck really runs out .... *waves goodbye to sups*.

Thanks for any help though!! Much appreciated.

[TylerDurden389]

99% of the people on this board are gonna suggest going to the gym, but me personally I've only joined a few gyms in the 10 years I've been doing this. I've always preferred working out at home. You can find equipment and such real cheap on craigslist (and sometimes ebay). If you do wanna join a gym though, try and find one thats a smaller owned place rather than a big name chain (ballys, etc..).

[MikeNYY420]

Any routine will be better with a barbell you really need to find one and then you can do a ot with what you have.

As for the split try something like this. For when you get a bar.
SUnday- Chest tris
Bench press
Incline bench
Close grip bench
Over head tricep extensions

Monday- Legs
Front squats (with as much weight as you have anyway)
Hack squats
Dumbell/ barbell lunges
Stiff leg deadlifts

Tuesday- Off

Wednesday- Shoulder, trap
Shoulder press
Military press
Bent over dumbbell raises
Barbell shrugs
Farmers walk

Thursday- Back bis
Pull ups if you have a place to do them
Deadlift (Not sure if you have enough weight for this or not)
Barbell bent over rows
Dumbbell rows
Good mornings

Friday- Either off or abs and cardio

Saturday- ^ same

Hope this helps, you should be able to gain both size and strength from this, just vary the reps.