Muscle building at home

ATC110

I've been given a barbell and two dumbbells and want to use them at home.

I had intended to do bodyweight training only but having the weights now can do a mixture of both.

Couple of questions:

Can anyone recommend a relevant app to use?
Do I need to get a bench?

Thanks in advance.

Mars Bar

You don't need a bench anyway if you get creative. I got an IKEA shelf that someone was selling g for €3 and I raise using the big plates I can't lift. It's not very deep but enough to get more than just going bench on the floor. I could even make it in to an incline up against the couch :pac:

AllForIt

No, you don't need to get a bench.

You can do chest flys on the floor and dumbell presses too. And triceps extensions with your barbell (I prefer to do that on the floor even in a gym, it's easier to let the weight down when your done). You just need something to put under your head to make it a bit more comfortable. A doubled up towel would do. I use a thick piece of foam from an amazon box

I do barbell 'bench' press using 2 chairs. No I don't mean I lift the chairs, you just rest the barbell weights on either chair and you get in the middle of them lying on the floor. My chairs have a hollow bit in the middle which is handy as they don't roll off.

You can of course dead lift with your barbell and of course shoulder presses without any other equipment. And bicep curls.
You can also do deadlift variations with the dumbbells.

So there's loads of stuff you can do with what you've got. If by 'app' you mean something to list exercises, dunno, but I'm recommend familiarising yourself with the exercise I've mentioned. Youtube is great for that I found as a beginner.

Going forward you might want to get a pull up bar and some exercises bands which you can anchor to the pull up bar. I'd prefer you to get those than a bench.

Mars Bar

For chest fly exercise I have the board raised and a band threaded underneath and let me tell you the burn is almost sickening because there is zero let up in the tension.

Alf Veedersane

I wouldn't even be overly concerned with putting together a makeshift bench. Push ups with a tempo or with a long pause (or both) or using a band for resistance...you'll get a good workout that way.

murphyebass

You can get a bench for €50 odd in Argos that folds away neatly.