Advice for home equipment for a newbie

Spudzilla · 17-12-2024 11:17PM #1

Hi all. Looking for some advice regarding a home gym.

Backstory: overweight most of my life and past history of depression, eating for comfort… yada yada yada.

I don't want to think about the amount of money I've wasted on gyms over the years. I'd go once, maybe twice, and not go again. I'm not anti-social or social anxious or anything, I just prefer solitude. I have a little bit of space at home and was thinking about buying the a weights bench, a rack for pull ups and squats.

The last time I did have personal training (2+ years ago now), I did pull-ups, deadlifts, squats and bench presses and LOVED it. I suppose it's because I could feel myself getting stronger every week, and that was with only 1 day of training each week. First day I couldn't do pull ups at all, and within a few weeks I was nearly doing them myself - still using bands for assist. So I was thinking of maybe getting similar equipment for at home.

Would that be enough, to get started anyway? I know there's much more involved, having a balanced healthy diet, watching the calories and drinking enough water. I know protein is important too for muscle building, but getting big is way down on my list of priorities. I know cardio is important for weight loss too, but it just bores the hell out of me.

I suppose I just want to know if it's possible to lose the belly fat with a change of diet and then doing the above exercises maybe 3-4 times a week? I've studied up on it a good bit, and most recommendations I've seen say to give yourself 48 hours of rest for your muscles. Realistically I need to lose 20-30kg, but it's getting the beer belly down to a slim size that's my main priority. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Rooks · 17-12-2024 11:30PM

Most of weight loss/gain is simply down to diet. And it's a case of your daily calories balance. You mentioned this already so I'm assuming you know this, but the quick version is aim for a calorie deficit of around 500 per day and you'll lose approximately 0.5kg a week. Though this will vary from person to person.

Having more muscle means that you will burn more calories at rest as muscles require a lot of energy. So there's no harm in doing weights but I would still recommend getting the cardio in. Walking is more effective than you might think. Just stick a podcast on and walk for an hour per day.

I don't know much about home equipment so hopefully someone else can help you with that.

Black Sheep · 18-12-2024 04:56PM

To address the equipment query:-

A rack, or half-rack, with plate storage, adjustable bench, decent barbell and enough bumper plates would be an excellent start to a home gym.

At this stage, you're better off waiting until January, for any sale activity, and looking at Fitness Equipment Ireland, MC Sport, Blk Box and other vendors, and seeing what is a good balance of price and quality.

If you search previous threads I've given a lot of views about the pros and cons of various options.

As regards diet, training and your goals:-

To reiterate what's mentioned above, your diet is going to account for the majority of your weight loss goals. The weight loss is eminently achievable through diet alone, to be honest, and many people do it that way.

I would always recommend cutting out processed foods and eating whole foods… Stopping drinking liquid calories (Juices, soft drinks, ideally a lot of your alcohol intake) and download and learn to use a basic calorie and macro nutrient tracker app. Use it just for a few weeks, to have a sense of how far in a surplus or deficit you are eating in, on a daily basis, and then you will likely not need to continue to use it.

For weight loss, over a sustained period, you should be in a manageable deficit, and you need to be realisitc about your calorie intake and your activity levels.

From a training point of view, I think you are better off approaching that as being about something that is going to help you build muscle mass, improve your overall wellbeing and provide a really positive outlet for you, in terms of a healthy activity. I have come around to the point of view that it probably should not be a lynchpin of any weight loss plan, because eating in a surplus (whether by accident or slip) even just a few days a week will wipe out your good work rather rapidly. I'm not saying training won't contribute to wait loss, but if it accounts for an expenditure of 2000 calories a week, just be aware that some people who have a blow-out could wipe that out over a weekend of bad food choices.

But yes, if you were to lift 3-4 days a week, following basic programming using what you are going to have at home, you can potentially meet strength and hypertrophy goals.

Even if you waned to really focus on physique and hypertrophy, there are plenty of old school lifters who build jacked physiques with nothing but the equipment you're talking about buying. Plenty of benching, rowing, pull-ups, deadlifts and lots of options for accessory work with a bit of ingenuity.

brianchapmanportadown · 05-07-2025 05:28AM

A barbell, weights, a bench, a squat rack with a pull-up bar = an excellent starting setup. With these, you can train all the major muscle groups and get stronger consistently.

Exercises like:

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Overhead press
Pull-ups (band-assisted to start)
Rows

…will build muscle, burn fat, and increase functional strength. You don’t need fancy machines or cardio equipment to make progress.

Why Strength Training Works for Fat Loss

Strength training builds muscle → More muscle increases your resting metabolic rate → You burn more calories even at rest.

It also:

Improves insulin sensitivity
Balances hormones related to appetite
Helps prevent depression (huge plus for mental health)

Bonus: The feeling of progress—lifting heavier, more reps, more pull-up control—builds momentum and self-belief. That’s powerful.

🍽️ What About Diet?

This is the key to reducing belly fat.

Calorie deficit: You must eat fewer calories than you burn.
Protein: Helps preserve muscle mass while in a deficit. Aim for ~1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight.
Whole foods: Focus on lean meats, veggies, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats.
Limit: Sugary drinks, refined carbs, alcohol (beer belly!).

❤️‍🩹 Mental Health and Momentum

It’s totally valid that comfort eating and depression have been part of your past. You’ve already made big progress in identifying those patterns. Strength training often helps regulate mood and boost motivation thanks to endorphins and a sense of control.

Some tips:

Don’t chase perfection, chase consistency.
Make progress visible (track workouts, photos, measurements—not just scale weight).
Don’t punish yourself if you slip up. That’s part of the game.

🕒 How Often to Train?

3–4 sessions per week is perfect. You could do something like:

Day 1: Squat + Pull-ups + accessory work
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Deadlift + Overhead press + core
Day 4: Rest or active recovery
Day 5: Bench press + rows + arms
Day 6/7: Optional light cardio or rest

Yes, muscles need rest to recover, but with proper planning, you can train different muscle groups on alternating days and still hit your 3–4/week target.

🚫 What About Cardio?

You're not alone—many people find steady-state cardio boring. If you hate it, don’t rely on it.

Instead:

Add walking (daily 30–45 min walks help massively with fat loss).
Use lifting as your main calorie-burn method.
Consider fun or short cardio like kettlebell swings, battle ropes, or jump rope if you want to squeeze something in.

✅ Summary – You’re on the Right Path

You need:

A simple home gym setup ✅
A focus on diet and protein ✅
3–4 strength sessions a week ✅
Consistency over perfection ✅

You don’t need:

Fancy equipment
Long boring cardio sessions
To be perfect every day

💪 Final Advice:

Don’t wait for motivation to strike. Build systems—schedule your workouts, prep your meals, and log your progress. The results will follow.

You've already proven you can do pull-ups and progress with strength training. That inner fire is still there. Light it up again—this time, on your own terms, in your own space.

You’ve 100% got this. If you want help building a basic weekly routine or meal plan, I’d be happy to help too.

All the best—onwards and upwards.