Building muscle at home — routine ideas?

OCDguy said:

bamagirl26 said:

Class-based gym sessions were my thing for years — Step, Body pump, Zumba, Core, the whole catalogue — but that was a long time back and there's no membership on my card these days.

What passes for training now is bike and treadmill cardio, and it isn't delivering. On top of that, a sports injury this year cracked my tibial plateau — schatzker type 2 — and surgery was never done.

Loading that leg fully is still awkward, yet I'd like to begin following along with videos at home to build strength and hold onto, or add, muscle while I'm on a Tirz.

So: anyone got home video routines they've actually stuck with, the motivating kind that don't demand a garage of gear? I've got therapy bands and a few dumbbells, and I'll spend a bit if it earns its place, though I'd rather not go big.

Appreciate it!
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Dumbbells take you a long way. With a fitness app on hand, full body dumbbell training is what I'd go for. Liftosaur is the free one I actually use! They've got a stack of free splits plus a discord server when you need extra help. Slot in some zone two cardio on a rest day, at least once a week…and if that appeals, liftosaur carries a female split aimed at firming up those booty muscles. Best of luck — keep at it and get strong!
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Much appreciated!
 
bamagirl26 said:

OCDguy said:

bamagirl26 said:

Class-based gym sessions were my thing for years — Step, Body pump, Zumba, Core, the whole catalogue — but that was a long time back and there's no membership on my card these days.

What passes for training now is bike and treadmill cardio, and it isn't delivering. On top of that, a sports injury this year cracked my tibial plateau — schatzker type 2 — and surgery was never done.

Loading that leg fully is still awkward, yet I'd like to begin following along with videos at home to build strength and hold onto, or add, muscle while I'm on a Tirz.

So: anyone got home video routines they've actually stuck with, the motivating kind that don't demand a garage of gear? I've got therapy bands and a few dumbbells, and I'll spend a bit if it earns its place, though I'd rather not go big.

Appreciate it!
Click to expand...
Dumbbells take you a long way. With a fitness app on hand, full body dumbbell training is what I'd go for. Liftosaur is the free one I actually use! They've got a stack of free splits plus a discord server when you need extra help. Slot in some zone two cardio on a rest day, at least once a week…and if that appeals, liftosaur carries a female split aimed at firming up those booty muscles. Best of luck — keep at it and get strong!
Click to expand...
Much appreciated!
Click to expand...
Any time!
 
Dumbbells get my vote. A pair of 10 pounds though is far too light for almost anyone, barring true beginners, the severely disabled or the extremely elderly. Guys ought to treat 50 pounders as the floor, and plenty of fit women should eventually work 20 to 30 pounders into the mix.

Nobody is claiming elite athlete status here either. The idea is to keep progressing until the weight demands real strength for the body lifting it.
 
cujet said:

Dumbbells get my vote. A pair of 10 pounds though is far too light for almost anyone, barring true beginners, the severely disabled or the extremely elderly. Guys ought to treat 50 pounders as the floor, and plenty of fit women should eventually work 20 to 30 pounders into the mix.

Nobody is claiming elite athlete status here either. The idea is to keep progressing until the weight demands real strength for the body lifting it.
Click to expand...
Dumbbells win, for me. The home gym runs from 5 up to 95's, with 4 or 5 different kinds collected across 20 years. Heavy, though, and a chore to move.
 
cujet said:

Dumbbells get my vote. A pair of 10 pounds though is far too light for almost anyone, barring true beginners, the severely disabled or the extremely elderly. Guys ought to treat 50 pounders as the floor, and plenty of fit women should eventually work 20 to 30 pounders into the mix.

Nobody is claiming elite athlete status here either. The idea is to keep progressing until the weight demands real strength for the body lifting it.
Click to expand...
Hmmm… Thank goodness I can claim the “just starting out” slot, because I'd rather fat didn't translate to “severely disabled”, nor 50 to “extremely elderly!” 🤣

My commute is long, and a lifetime of evidence says a gym won't see me even when it's close and I have the hours. 😀 So it's dumbbells and body weight at home. Getting jacked isn't the goal — holding onto whatever muscle I can while dropping fat on Reta is.
 
Apple fitness plus could be a good fit. Plenty of the class styles you already know, without any filler or hunting around.. resistance sessions there lean on bodyweight and dumbbells.
 
sonic_boom said:

Apple fitness plus could be a good fit. Plenty of the class styles you already know, without any filler or hunting around.. resistance sessions there lean on bodyweight and dumbbells.
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Apple Fitness gets a lot of use from me because it comes bundled in the family plus plan, or whatever the proper name is.
 
Another vote for Caroline Girvan! My dumbbells go up to 60lbs in a fairly complete set, though nothing like that is needed to begin. A chair, a few dumbbells, a couple of resistance bands, and you're set. Matching her weights would mean you're genuinely strong with endurance to spare.

Between us we've been through more Beach Body programs than I can count, and every one of them chatters constantly — honestly, I find it intrusive. My wife adores them, mind.
 
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