Getting the most from a basic gym... Help.

SpatialPlanning

There is a gym that I use in my apartment complex. My goals are really just to get in shape and stay in shape, get progressively stronger, add a little size.
Me;
6'1, 74kgs, relatively fit

It has;

Treadmill
Bench Press station
Pair of Dumbbells
EZ bar
One short bar (not sure what you call it - Benching bar but shorter)
One extra bench
Small Dumbbells weights sets from 2 x 10kg down to 2 x 1kg
Bar weights 2 x 15kg, 2 x 10kgs, 4 x 7.5kgs, 4 x 5kgs, 4 x 2.5kgs, 4 x 1kgs

So far I have been doing the following about twice a week;

1km run @ 16kmph as a warm up
Bench press - 3 x bar +50kgs, then to failure @ Bar +30kgs
Bicep curls with 30kg on EZ bar, 3 x 8
Curl + Overhead press @ 10kg, 3 x 8
Deadlifts, 3 x 8 @ Short bar + 60kg
Tricep dips with feet up on another bench, 3 x 10
1km run @ 14kmph

In total it takes about 50mins.


Any advice on how I can better use whats available? There are no squat racks, pull up bars (low ceiling), Tricep dip bars...

Thanks in advance.

nice_guy80

you have back muscles as well!

anywhere you can do chin ups, horizontal chin ups?
you can also do rows.

with the dumbbells you could do lots of single leg work - lunges, split squats, side lunges, single leg deadlifts

Alf Veedersane

nice_guy80 wrote: »

you have back muscles as well!

Everyone knows your back is like the legs of your upperbody...you don't need to do it.

Chancer3001

Curls get the girls.

Bench, bicep curl, sit ups, repeat.









Ps - I'm joking OP

Alf Veedersane

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Curls get the girls.

Bench, bicep curl, sit ups, repeat.

Chest and bis!

It's practically one word.

Chestandbis

SpatialPlanning

Nice 1. Cheers!

In keeping with some of the above advice, I'm going to ditch the deadlifts and spend the extra time on creative variations of bicep curls. To make this especially effective I will make sure to stare at myself intently in the mirror as I do them...;)

Re: Back - Forgot to mention the rows! I usually do it with the bar +30 after my last bench. I'd use dumbbells but it annoys the biceps outta me to have to play musical weights between exercises.

Re: Deadlifts - should I do this every session, like I currently am, or is it better to alternate that with something else (like lunges?)?

Alf Veedersane

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Re: Deadlifts - should I do this every session, like I currently am, or is it better to alternate that with something else (like lunges?)?

I definitely wouldn't be deadlifting more than once a week.

nice_guy80

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I definitely wouldn't be deadlifting more than once a week.

Bro, do you even lift?

Alf Veedersane

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Bro, do you even lift?

No. What's it like?

I'm too terrified to try.

Chancer3001

You should try.

You'll get massive and get all the girls.

Alf Veedersane

Chancer3001 wrote: »

You should try.

You'll get massive and get all the girls.

All of them?

That sounds tremendous. I must try this lifting lark.

Zombienosh

Get some squats in there.

Chancer3001

Yeah all the girls.

Then your newfound social life and stud status will impact negatively on your training and you'll shrink and your muscle will turn to fat.

Then you'll get no girls again.

Circle of life.

Alf Veedersane

Chancer3001 wrote: »

Then your newfound social life and stud status will impact negatively on your training and you'll shrink and your muscle will turn to fat.

Then you'll get no girls again.

The No-Pants Dance is a hell of a workout though.

JJayoo

Reverse lunges with the barbell. If you do sets of 20 it won't take much weight to humble you. This also means that you don't have to lift a huge amount of weight onto your back which might put you off squatting when you don't have a rack.

Chancer3001

try benching and deadlifting heavier.

Going by some of your other exercises you should be well able. Especially the deadlift.