SGrem said:
I havent lifted in 20 yrs. Dont want to bulk up or power lift just strengthen and stretch. Im 51 with a 4 yr old son and want to keep up with him better. Im a full time charter captain running guided fishing trips and just want to be more mobile.
What weight range would yall recommend? Im 6'3" about 250-260. Wouldn't mind being 235-240.... was looking at the Nuobell 5-80 pound set. Convince me i need more or less???
I see plenty of folding benches. Are there any that really stand out??
I have a spot that I can keep the dumbells and rack....and hoping for a folding bench in closet or under bed. I have no interest in a full rack gym set up or anything that takes up more space.
All great suggestions. In the end, a lot of it depends on what you're most comfortable with. You definitely want to have enough options for various exercises. Bench needs to be stable. Quality is important too. Think in terms of things like what exercises you want to be able to do. Or might do later on even. For instance, you currently may do a lunge variation for your legs (reverse, forward or walking lunges) but later you might want to do Bulgarian Split squats on a bench. So you want the flexibility to do that with whatever set up you get....Having light and heavy options are good too. You may need 50+lbs for bench presses but will likely only need 5-10 lbs for lateral raises. Also, for exercises like lateral raises, smaller increments can be beneficial. Going from 5 to 10 lbs can be a big jump. Like going from 50 to 70 lbs on a DB bench. While it would seem like it is only 5 lbs, these are smaller, isolated muscles, so you may consider have increments that go 5, 7.5 or 8, 10, 12, 15, 17.5, 20 etc. Some DB do that and others don't. That is also something you can add over time as well. smaller single DBs are relatively cheap so it isn't a biggie if your initial set doesn't have those...
And in the end, there really isn't a "wrong" decision. I guarantee you that once you get into it consistently enough, you'll be adding all kinds of toys to make your garage gym better. Blocks to raise your front foot on split squats, another bench like an inline if you only have a flat bench, etc. Watch the Garage Gym Reviews guy. There is just so many cool things IF and when this becomes morte of a lifestyle for you. So start basic, and add on as you advance. Heck, it might be in a year or 2 your back asking about the best rack for your garage....
