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Working at home with free weights???

Tony Posts: 1 Joined: 2001/02/24	2000/12/08, 09:17 PM How can I simulate alot of the exercises that have assigned to me with free weights when half of the exercises are carried out on machine eg.seated flies(pec-dec)
Burnsy Posts: 1 Joined: 2000/12/12	2000/12/12, 01:51 PM Good question, I am experiencing the same problem and I am wondering that very same question. Lend a hand anyone?
I_sly Posts: 102 Joined: 2000/12/07	2000/12/15, 01:08 AM Well guys, in my opinion you need nothing more than a few free weights to build a first rate phisique. The free weights force you to learn proper form which is essential in development no matter what your goal. Too many people depend on machines and never learn form or basic compound movments. This is a big mistake because once they attempt to use free weights they end up hurting themselves. Free weights also develop stabilization muscles which you need to develop for balance. You can get exactly what you want from just free weights I cannnot say the same for machines. Just my opinion;)
Derek_R Posts: 19 Joined: 2001/11/10	2000/12/15, 01:09 AM well the best solution is work out at a gym,,,.. ppl tend to get lazy or distracted in there homes...so they dont work out as good as you would in a gym. To simulate movements at home is hard, but in Arnold Bio book he shows a hole bucn of ways you can bye just useing books or furniture, and in the book it gives you routines... my opinion would be to get a member ship at a club with a friend.
DD Posts: 13 Joined: 2000/12/15	2000/12/19, 11:53 PM Yes Arnolds book is excellent recomened to all. It is about lifting smart. Keep pumping
P_56 Posts: 5 Joined: 2000/12/27	2000/12/28, 08:19 PM I started working out in my home but found that I lacked the drive to do it. I just started again after a couple years off and found that joining a gym is just what I needed. Though I did have great gains at home to begin with.
Dvdgstwrt Posts: 39 Joined: 2000/12/15	2000/12/30, 11:33 AM Good question. I have a bench with leg curl attachment. I have two stardard length bars and one not so standard ( I cut it down for curl purposes) and two sets of dumb bells. There are free weight exercises for each machine (exercises that work the same muscles) Find a good free weight training book, one with all the different forms of exercises, and match the machine exercises. The Pec deck, for instance, is very similar to the fly. Squats are very similar to leg press. For instance, if your routine calls for dumbbell fly and pec deck, try doing the fly flat, and the pec deck inclinded. If your routine calls for full squats and leg press, try doing the squats flat on the floor, and the leg press, do a half squat with you heels on a two by four. Some things I added to my equiptment are: a six by four (for standing calf raises and squats, toes on the board for calves, heels on the board for squats) three four by fours nailed together to make a block four by 12 by 12 for seated calve raises (which I use my short bar for, padding my knees with the bar across) I even use a tool belt, with two pockets, with small plates while I do chin ups (I forget the name of the machine this replaces) You can be quite creative when comming up with ways to add to your equiptment whith out buying every machine there is. For further information, and ideas, please e-mail me at Dvdgstwrt@aol.com tell me the exercise(s) you want to do, and what equiptment you have available. Cheers
tt_rocker Posts: 389 Joined: 2001/01/25	2001/01/16, 09:55 AM another advantage you get from free weight is isolation. Nothing isolates your muslces more than FW. The next best isolation equipment would be the cable machines. Machines in my point of view makes the exercise a little easier...I can't cheat with FW as I do with the machines.
dhillon Posts: 7 Joined: 2001/02/02	2001/02/01, 10:42 AM in my opinion the people who say they get distracted at home are not serious enough to be doing it, as if you want maximum gains from free weights you have to give it 100% concentration when doing the exercises.If you want to become bigger work your ass off doing the basics like bench press,squats and dumbell curls before making the jump forward to machines and other complicated exercises.