Help with resistance training

[Joli]

My gym is closing at the end of October, so I am figuring out a home routine I can use instead. Can anyone recommend a good home gym? Would free weights be better? I use some free weights, but some of the shoulder and tricep exercises put too much stress on my joints, and don't seem as effective as the pulley systems at the gym.

Hmmm... I wonder if I could find a pulley system to bolt to my wall. What do you think?

[LisaS]

I like free weights.
If you want a hi-lo pulley system, you can get them integrated with your squat rack if you want - like these.
http://newyorkbarbells.com/4510.html
http://newyorkbarbells.com/92563.html

my guess is that you could do just as well with a power cage & some resistance bands to give you the same motion as the pulleys.

[laughingW]

Weighted clubs approach: Intu-Flow by Sonnon. Instead of using isolation exercises and different weights/reps per body part, swinging a club uses a fixed weight and different torques/speeds in 3D around the body to add resistance. Its a blast and i gave away all my "linear lifting" stuff.

http://www.conniesclubbellcafe.com/if_ext1.gif

http://tinyurl.com/o6wsy

(yes, I'm a coach in this system, make money off it and proud to say so)

Mistress Krista's home gym article, for a good conventional approach:

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=47

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/images/home_gym.jpg

[cmcole]

Resistance bands are usually fairly inexpensive, plus want ads in the newspaper can usually be a source of inexpensive items - because someone thought they were going to use them, and didn't.

Evaluate what you plan to do before purchasing, though, so you don't end up with a bunch of "useless" stuff.

[LisaS]

Craigslist is also a good source for inexpensive equipment.

[laughingW]

I forgot to add a 3d home workout I like! T-Tapp. It's an isometric, bodyweight-only approach. But it's still resistance because you are pulling and tugging at bones which is what they like to stay strong.

t-tapp.com

Teresa Tapp, the founder, really is into rehab and women's issues too. This stuff is the real deal. I would do it myself except I like flinging the clubs around better and I don't want to spend all that much time on strength training.

http://www.t-tapp.com/images/tt_43672.jpg

[Joli]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I think I will stick with the weights. I really enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get when I can increase the weight to the next increment. Somehow it doesn't feel like work to me. Everything else I've ever tried.... does. Maybe I should also break out the belly dancing disc I bought some time ago and see what that's like. :) At this point, though, my belly would keep on dancing without me. :eek:

LaughingW, thanks for the link to Mistress Krista's website. The title sounds a little S&M ;) but there's good info. LisaS had pointed me there some time ago. Thanks for the reminder.