Most people in the world aren’t completely happy with their bodies. Yet, few do anything to change things. Some don’t even believe it’s possible to significantly change their appearance. And, even if it were possible, then surely it wouldn’t be possible to do it at home, because after all, that’s what huge gyms crammed full of multi-thousand-dollar equipment is for, right?
Wrong. As a matter of fact, while machines can certainly add a new dimension to your workout, they are not the core of building muscle. To build muscle, all you need is ever-growing resistance.
Let me explain…
If you were to lift a heavy book 10 times for 3 sets, for one week and you found it very physically challenging – particularly towards the end reps of the last set – then the chances are, with good, sufficient nutrition (good protein, carbs, fats, etc, making up more calories than you normally eat) your muscles would grow.
Then… the next week, you’d do the same again – only use a heavier book.
Now, this is no different to weight lifting. And, weights are nothing more than a convenient and efficient way to add progressive resistance.
Of course, you could quite easily build muscle at home using various household items (such as push ups with a backpack loaded with more and more books) but there are obvious limitations to this.
My advice is get your self a bench, and a squat rack to use in conjunction with one another – or instead of a squat rack, even better would be a power rack. And simply work out using a barbell and dumbbells. Nothing fancy, but, by using compound exercises such as squats, dead lifts, rows and bench presses and various assistance exercises, no gym membership in the world could beat what you can achieve in your own garage or home.
Just be sure you don’t neglect nutrition – that’s the absolute key to it all. Keep reading articles on the site, and educate yourself before starting. That way, your results won’t suck and you won’t become despondent and give in before you’ve even had any real chance of achieving something.