Fullbody Home Workout: Build Muscle With Limited Equipment

I receive quite a number of questions each month regarding how to build muscle at home using limited equipment. Because of this, I decided to build a sample workout and guide.

Let me start off by stating the obvious: muscle building requires you to get a lot stronger than you currently are. It doesn’t matter what equipment you have, as long as that equipment is challenging enough to allow for progressive resistance.

I will start off with an assumption: that you have access to the following pieces of equipment:

• Dumbbells – A set of adjustable dumbbells.
• Pull Up Bar – A pull up bar that either hangs on the back of a door, or in the door jamb.
• Chairs – 2 sturdy folding, or dinner chairs.
• Stairs – A set of stairs, or an aerobics step – something that is sturdy and allows you to step up onto it.
• Back Pack – A sturdy back pack.
• 50 Pound Bag of Softener Salt – Yes, you read that correctly – a 50 pound bag of water softener salt.

Now, if you don’t have any of these items then I suggest you get them. They are inexpensive and will help you quite a bit. A pull ups bar can be purchased at Wal-mart or Target for a few dollars, and a 50 pound bag of softener salt should run you no more than $10.

I also suggest than if you don’t have “spin lock” dumbbell handles, that you pick a pair up. These can be purchased virtually anywhere, and are cost-effective as well.

Over time you will want to start purchasing more 10 pound plates for these dumbbell handles. If you are using a limited budget, search around on Craig’s List. You can often find plates being sold for pennies on the dollar.

What if I can’t afford this minimum level of equipment?

If you don’t have dumbbells with “some” weight, then it’s going to be extremely difficult to build muscle. Find a way to secure some spin lock dumbbell handles, by hook or by crook. Sell something – DVDs, old video games, etc. Find a way! You need some resistance to build muscle.