Q: I am 50 and started weight training for the first time during a trial membership at a national health club chain. My finances do not allow me to join, so how can I convert what I have learned to a workout with weights in the home?
– Janice, Denver
A: Learning the proper way to handle weights and getting a taste of how good strength training can feel are valuable experiences. What you can take home with you is another matter because the equipment available to large health clubs often is designed to be specific to certain parts of the body. Otherwise, the basic principles of lifting, as they pertain to form, will be the same regardless of equipment used.
You can find some excellent “multi-gym” pieces at stores like Busy Body, which cater to people who want to work out at home. Most multi-station pieces offer a leg press machine, pull down/push down equipment, ground-level pulling apparatus, and configurations for the chest and shoulders. Many are compact and can fit into a corner area of the garage or basement. Otherwise, exercises that you learned at the gym, especially for the legs, will have to be duplicated with free weights. Squats and lunges will take the place of presses with the leg machine, for example.
Great workout equipment can be obtained for $500 or less by purchasing a Swiss ball, an aerobic step with a couple of risers, dumbbells, and resistance bands. Swiss balls (also called “exercise” or “stability” balls) have become very popular in recent years and can be found just about everywhere.
The best on the market is the FitBall from Ball Dynamics of Longmont. It is burst-resistant, made in Italy and reasonably priced. Ball Dynamics can be reached at 800-752-2255 or on the Internet at balldynamics
.com. They also sell books and DVDs to teach and illustrate excellent workout routines.
Another great piece for the home is the VersaBall FX, an exercise unit that encloses a Swiss ball in a special chair with attachments for resistance bands. A book of exercises for strength, flexibility and core strength improvement is included. This (and lots of other great stuff) can be purchased from Power Systems, 800-321-6975, or online at power-systems.com.
Dumbbells always are handy to have around for home workouts, but storage is the usual conundrum. A Minnesota company has eliminated the clutter and expanded the strength training possibilities for folks who wants home gyms with a superior product called the PowerBlock. It employs the same principle as a Russian nesting doll but is a complete set of hand weights. Call 507-451-5152 or go to powerblock.com.
The new Fitness section will bring changes to certified personal trainer Linda Buch’s columns. Instead of answering a weekly question, she will write longer pieces helping readers get and stay fit. Look for her piece on getting back on a bicycle in the next few weeks.
Write Linda Buch at The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 or LJBalance@aol.com.
