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Turning your home into your own private gym eliminates a lot of the excuses that are holding you back from sticking to a regular weight training routine. There are so many benefits to training with weights and when you can do it at home, you call the shots. Let’s take a look at the best ways to start weight training at home.
Benefits Of Weight Training
The most obvious benefit of weight training is increased muscle strength. People are often put off by this type of training because they fear they may become too muscular, but as with any other type of physical activity you only get out what you put in. Putting on muscle requires a concerted effort. Alternatively, training with lighter weights and more reps is a great way to tone up and lose weight while also strengthening muscles, but not getting too big.
Training Programs
There are a huge number of ways that you can train with weights to achieve a vast range of fitness goals. Have a think about the goals you’re trying to achieve, then search the web for the best hints, tips, and training programs to achieve that goal. Powerlifting is targeted almost exclusively at building strength. This is going to involve a lot of weights, a big diet, and mostly compound lifts like the deadlift, squats, and bench press. Bodybuilding is more focused on muscle growth, requires a more restrictive diet, and utilises isolated workouts for balanced muscle growth. High intensity weight training for weight loss, toning, and overall strength and fitness might use less weight but the focus shifts to keeping your heart rate up while you workout, spending less time between sets, and doing more reps each set.
Equip Yourself
The equipment you invest in will depend entirely on the training program you intend to follow. First and foremost you need weights. For higher rep workouts you can get a set of kettlebells or fixed weights. For bodybuilding and powerlifting you definitely want to get barbells and weight plates. A power rack also gives you the most versatility as a station for racking weights. This will set you up nicely for squats and adding a bench gives you access to seated and lying exercises like the bench press. Outside of this, all the equipment you add to your own home gym will depend on the space you have available to you and the direction your training is taking you. 
Health And Safety
Weight training isn’t any more likely to cause an injury than other types of training programs, but it can be more dangerous. It’s important to consider safety measures when setting up your home gym and workout program in order to reduce the risk and severity of injury. Who’s spotting you? You could find yourself in trouble if you don’t have someone to take the weight when the last rep is too much. It doesn’t have to be another person. Even just a bench press or squat rack with safety spots is a step in the right direction. Before you jump right to the heaviest lift you can, spend some time building up to this by practicing good form. Watch videos of proper form and technique then practice in front of a mirror. Then there’s also the consideration of muscle fatigue. There’s no concrete rule for how much weight training you should do and how many rest days to have in between. There are some bodybuilders who train daily, but it’s important to give your muscles time to recover after working out. This will only further increase your strength gains. Try making a routine that uses unrelated muscle groups each day. For example, leg day one day, then a day where you workout your chest and triceps. Start with the heaviest compound lifts so your muscles are at full strength for this then work down to lighter, isolated lifts.
Go Hard At Home
You’re about to embark on an amazing journey that will elevate your health and fitness to a level you’ve never seen before. You might not even recognise yourself. It can’t hurt to take notes and pictures to document this development. To remind yourself what you had before, and what you’ve become. Good luck. 
