IOL Strength and Conditioning

Consider this a companion piece to Laree’s blog entry about transitioning to a home gym. In fact, Laree very gently nudged me into writing this. So without further ado, let’s establish some ground rules. The recommendations that will follow are the result of years of experience, both good and bad, regarding setting up the home gym. It is written from the standpoint of one who is interested in strength, some bodybuilding and most importantly - minimal investment of hard-earned dollars. What follows won’t appeal to all but should at least be considered as a good blueprint to follow in setting up one’s home gym.

PART ONE - THE MINIMALIST APPROACH

THE SPACE
Your training area needs to be level and free from obstructions. You will require a clear floor space of about 8×8 feet minimum. However, if you can free up the additional space, an area that measures about 12×12 feet is nearly ideal. The flooring should be protected, either by heavy carpet, floor mats or a wood lifting platform. Let’s examine each one of these in turn and I’ll try to influence you with my preferences.

Heavy carpet is the least desirable, in my opinion. Unless solidly anchored, it has a tendency to slip around and that is dangerous. Obviously, if the space you’re considering is already carpeted, you don’t have much choice. Also, carpeting just doesn’t give you a solid footing, which is critical to lifts such as the clean and press, squat or deadlift. A couple of carpet squares will protect your flooring somewhat, but is less desirable than the next option.

If you live near a feed store, farm supply or tack shop, you may wish to consider the purchase of either stall mats (used in animal stalls) or truck bed liner. Both of these items are available at a reasonable cost and the purchase of a couple of stall mats or a section of truck bed liner shouldn’t set you back too much…consider it money well spent to protect your flooring and deaden noise somewhat. Two sections measuring two feet square will be all that is necessary.

Finally, if you’re feeling flush and you contemplate overhead lifting and heavy lifts…you will assume the expense and build a lifting platform. This may be easily constructed in the following manner:

• Purchase four exterior grade 4×8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood. Two of these when placed side by side will create an 8×8 foot square. By placing the other two sheets on top of these and perpendicular, you will create an 8×8 foot square platform that is one and one half inches thick. Glue and screw them together, making sure to countersink the screws so that they are flush. If desired, you can anchor stall mats or bed liner where the barbell will contact the platform but this is optional. A platform such as this will protect your flooring, distribute weight loads evenly and give you a solid footing from which to lift. At today’s prices, this will cost about $100-$150 dollars and it will be money very well spent.

THE BARBELL
Your next choice will be the barbell setup. You have many options available here, but the overwhelming factor will be the amount of weight. You should try to purchase the most amount of weight for the least cost. The minimal amount of weight you should start with is 300 pounds (if you’re serious about this) and the more weight, the better. Having sufficient plates so that you can load up frequently used combinations without constantly changing plates around is a matter of convenience. It won’t take long for you to appreciate this fact.

Used weights may be found through garage sales, secondhand shops, eBay and the classified ads. Although not as cheap as they used to be, you should still be able to save around fifty percent off the cost of new plates by purchasing used. Don’t let rust deter you: Some time spent with a wire brush and spray paint will restore even the most severely rusted plates.

You will need to decide what type of bar and plates you are going to use. The “Olympic” type plates and bar are fairly common at most sporting goods outlets. They usually come standard with a seven-foot-long bar and plates with holes measuring from 1.97 to 2 inches. This type of bar and plate combinations is a good choice if you contemplate powerlifting and/or the use of a power rack, since a seven-foot bar is necessary to fit most power racks. On the down side, dumbbells for Olympic plates are fairly bulky and inconvenient to use.

A regular bar (also called an exercise bar) and plates is what I’ve come to prefer. This bar is usually 1″to 1 1/16″ inches and comes in a variety of lengths, up to seven feet. The plates for this bar have 1 1/16-inch holes…but some only have 1-inch holes. Check to be sure the plates fit the bar, especially if buying used. A pair of 14″ dumbbell rods is usually included. This type of bar and plates is usually more commonly encountered, especially on the used equipment market. Your pocketbook and personal preference will decide between the two types…or you might consider blending the two. A seven-foot Olympic barbell and plates, coupled with one-inch dumbbell bars and corresponding plates.

THE POWER RACK OR SAFETY CAGE
I’ve come to consider this item essential, especially if you’re going to train alone. A power rack is a multi-functional piece of equipment. It can be used for a variety of partial lifts, as well as functioning as a set of squat stands and bench press stands. There is normally a bar for chinning attached, or the option to attach a lat machine pulley. It is the only truly safe way for someone to bench press or squat without a spotter. For these reasons alone, I consider it essential.

A very useful power rack may be had for about $250 dollars, or if you’re handy, can be built for about half that price. There are plans in the IOL Wiki database for such a rack constructed from 4×4 lumber. It is rare to find these used and they don’t stay on the market very long. Generally, people who buy a power rack have carefully considered the purchase and won’t normally part with it, unless unusual circumstances force the sale. For similar reasons, used power racks don’t last long on the market before they are snapped up by someone that has been patiently searching for one. A power rack can also be used as the base unit for a variety of homemade training devices, such as a wrist roller, dipping bars and hyperextension/reverse hyperextension bench. Your creativity will only be limited by your imagination and pocketbook.

THE BENCH
Although I’m not a fan of bench pressing, these are my thoughts on a bench set up. A good solid flat bench is necessary. It allows for the performance of the so-named bench press, as well as allowing a variety of seated and lying movements. Over the years, I’ve come to prefer a simple, sturdy flat bench, eschewing the adjustable benches or the “43 in 1″ models that offer a variety of attachments. If an incline bench is necessary, one end may be propped up on a concrete block or sturdy box to obtain the desired inclination. After you’ve trained for a while, you’ll realize that you generally only use one or at the most two, angles when training…so the purchase of a more expensive adjustable bench isn’t really necessary.

If you’re truly frugal, a four foot section of 2×10 laid across a couple of concrete blocks, makes a sturdy and utilitarian flat bench. Pad it with an old blanket and you’re set. When considering a commercial flat bench, look for one with a wide footprint so that it is stable. It shouldn’t wobble around, nor should it be easy to move. Look for a board top that is at least 1/2″ inch thick and well padded with a firm, dense foam.

These four items and considerations make up what I call the Minimalist Approach to training. An awful lot of muscle and strength has been built with such spartan accommodations. Its simplicity allows you to sink your hard-earned dollars into the essentials for training and probably have enough left over to buy some Bomber’s Blend.

Click here to read part 2, the Lavish Approach