I have been working out for 10 months now but recently moved out and won’t have access to any gym for the next two months.
I only have a bench, dumbells and a barbell, but I can go to a park to use a pullup bar and do dips (I really want to do pullups)
What do you think of the following routine?
UPPER A / LEGS / UPPER B / REST / UPPER A / LEGS / UPPER B / REST / REST
UPPER B:
-5x Superset Pullups (alternating with chinups) / Weighted dips
-5x Superset (combo upright rows/shoulder press) / Leg raises
-Crunches or decline crunches to finish off the abs
Any thoughts of the overall program?
Other questions:
-Should I add curl/skullcrushers in workout B and workout the arms as well?
-Should I start workout A with incline?
-Should I add jump squats or bungees in the leg workout?
-Are shoulder press and reverse flies enough for shoulders?
I’m not going to get into the programming aspect too much, but you have more options for training your legs than you realize. Also, you have a ton of upper body volume compared to lower body. I see people do this in commercial gyms and they end up with what I call a ‘lightbulb physique’. It’s not a good look to most people.
You have a lot more upper body pushing than pulling. This can lead to shoulder problems over time. I would nix either the db shoulder press or the incline press and replace it with chest supported db rows with your back angle different from the way you do barbell rows using your bench. Like if you do BB rows with your back nearly parallel to the ground do your chest supported rows with the bench at steeper than 45 degrees.
Personally, with all the volume you’re trying to cram into your upper a session, I would just opt for a classic push/pull/legs routine.
The barbell even without stands can be used in several different ways to help build muscle. You didn’t state a goal so is it correct that muscle building or improved body comp are your goals?
You can learn how to power clean and front squat from there. You can do Zercher squats. You can do hack squats which are killer for the quads. You can also place one end of the bb into a corner. Then load the other end and do something kind of like a goblet squat except it’s more doable to load it up heavy and it also teaches good squat mechanics. There’s good ab exercises with this set up too if you look them. Be sure to use a db at the end against the corner if you care about not tearing up that corner.
Get a swiss ball and you can do bodyweight leg curls with it. You can do leg extensions with your bodyweight. Here’s the vid below:
I train at home too with only free weights. I can do a lot of lower body exercises. My favorites are:
Clean from the floor and barbell front squat
Narrow stance goblet squat ( heels elevated )
Wide stance dumbbell sumo squat
Split squat ( holding the dumbbell in goblet position )
Barbell isometric leg extension ( sit down on the edge of a bench, lean back and hold a light ez bar on your shins in contracted position as long as possible )
Dumbbell leg curl on the floor
Swiss ball leg curl
Landmine RDL ( stick one end of barbell to the corner of the wall, hold the other end using a V bar and do a deadlift )
Dumbbell glute bridge
