Starting Strength and GOMAD... without a gym?

[james4848]

Hey, I'm too skinny and want to do SS/GOMAD over the summer (3 months) and can't go to a gym until after summer. I have the following equipment:

-Barbell - 125kg
-Barbell bench
-Pull up bar
-(Dumbbells)


Will I still be able to gain muscle over the next 3 months using SS and GOMAD with this equipment?

What am I missing that I would have in a gym for SS?

THANK YOU.

[jb4476]

Hey, I'm too skinny and want to do SS/GOMAD over the summer (3 months) and can't go to a gym until after summer. I have the following equipment:

-Barbell - 125kg
-Barbell bench
-Pull up bar
-(Dumbbells)


Will I still be able to gain muscle over the next 3 months using SS and GOMAD with this equipment?

What am I missing that I would have in a gym for SS?

THANK YOU.

You need a squat rack.

You don't need the DBs.

[Hut*Hut]

Hey, I'm too skinny and want to do SS/GOMAD over the summer (3 months) and can't go to a gym until after summer. I have the following equipment:

-Barbell - 125kg
-Barbell bench
-Pull up bar
-(Dumbbells)


Will I still be able to gain muscle over the next 3 months using SS and GOMAD with this equipment?

What am I missing that I would have in a gym for SS?

THANK YOU.

You can't do SS, no, since that particular program is based around the squat. And GOMAD wouldn't be advisable in the absence of the rapid squat gains.

But you can still get bigger and stronger with what you have, so don't worry about it. Something like this would be a very reasonable & effective sub in the circumstances, accompanied by about half GOMAD.

~A
Deadlift 2x5
Press 3x5
Chin ups 3x5 (weighted when you can)
Lateral raises 4x5-15 reps (lower and raise the rep ranges as needed when transitioning from 1 DB from another)

B)
DB Lunges (progress how you can with the DBs available whether by poundage of reps)
Bench Press 3x5
BB rows 3x5
Curls 4x10

[james4848]

You can't do SS, no. And GOMAD wouldn't be advisable in the absence of the rapid squat gains.

Something like this would be a very reasonable & effective sub in the circumstances, accompanied by about half GOMAD.

~A
Deadlift 2x5
Press 3x5
Chin ups 3x5 (weighted when you can)
Lateral raises 4x5-15 reps (lower and raise the rep ranges as needed when transitioning from 1 DB from another)

B)
DB Lunges (progress how you can with the DBs available whether by poundage of reps)
Bench Press 3x5
BB rows 3x5
Curls 4x10

Hey man, thank you very much for the program.

Just wondering, is the reason I can't do SS because of not having a squat rack like the guy above said?

[Hut*Hut]

Hey man, thank you very much for the program.

Just wondering, is the reason I can't do SS because of not having a squat rack like the guy above said?

Yeah. Without a squat rack you'll have to clean what you squat onto your back. This may be OK for a couple of weeks but most peoples clean work sets settle at around 60% of their squat sets & it won't allow the kind of low rep squat progression of SS.

If you enjoy squatting or want to learn the movement though you could sub lunges for squats and just do really high reps. High rep squatting is a perfectly great way to go, but it's still different to SS. If you could say get your clean weight up to 150lb and squat that for 30 reps in the next 3 months that would be GREAT progress, comparable to the progress most guys make on SS.

[james4848]

Yeah. Without a squat rack you'll have to clean what you squat onto your back. This may be OK for a couple of weeks but most peoples clean work sets settle at around 60% of their squat sets & it won't allow the kind of low rep squat progression of SS.

If you enjoy squatting or want to learn the movement though you could sub lunges for squats and just do really high reps. High rep squatting is a perfectly great way to go, but it's still different to SS. If you could say get your clean weight up to 150lb and squat that for 30 reps in the next 3 months that would be GREAT progress, comparable to the progress most guys make on SS.

So If I clean what the squat weight is onto my back and then do reps of that... then that would be ok? 150lbs is 70kg so what should I start with roughly? Thanks man

[Hut*Hut]

So If I clean what the squat weight is onto my back and then do reps of that... then that would be ok? 150lbs is 70kg so what should I start with roughly? Thanks man

It's OK, yeah. Anythings Ok as long as you're progressive (It's just different to SS). I don't know what you'd need to start with, you'd have to try and see. You'd first have to learn to clean passably with an empty bar. Check out youtube there are instructional vids there. In all honesty this may be a frustrating route for you and you may just find it easier doing the lunges. Up to you though. You can still progress with all the other exercises in the program I stuck up there or something similar. Squats aren't essential. They're a great movement but not essential.

[Hut*Hut]

BTW, if you are training at home, you might try and find a pair of chairs sturdy enough (metal framed, most likely) to do weighted dips with. No exercise will put tape-size on your upper arms like Dips. If the chairs you find don't have handles that are comfortable for your hands (most dont) you can buy a pair of 'fat gripz' or something similar and make handles for them.

Again, like squats, not essential but a great, cheap addition to a home gym.

[Engineer_Guy]

you could do hack squats and still run ss until you can go to a gym. Sometimes you gotta work with what you have.

[james4848]

How about this:

Monday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Wednesday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Press / Bench Press (Alternating)
1x5 Deadlift

Friday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps


So basically it's just SS with squats replaced by lunges/hack squats. Would this be ok? If not, I will just do the other program that has been posted. Thanks a lot for the help

[Wildtim]

That's not bad

Just be prepared to have to buy some more plates by the end of summer

[Hut*Hut]

How about this:

Monday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Wednesday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Press / Bench Press (Alternating)
1x5 Deadlift

Friday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps


So basically it's just SS with squats replaced by lunges/hack squats. Would this be ok? If not, I will just do the other program that has been posted. Thanks a lot for the help

Well I definitely like mine better in your circumstances for a variety of reasons, but that's just fine.

[Engineer_Guy]

How about this:

Monday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Wednesday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Press / Bench Press (Alternating)
1x5 Deadlift

Friday
Lunges/hack squat (Alt)
3x5 Bench Press / Press (Alternating)
Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps


So basically it's just SS with squats replaced by lunges/hack squats. Would this be ok? If not, I will just do the other program that has been posted. Thanks a lot for the help

That looks fine. You'll want to start doing back squat when you can but for now just use what you've got to the best you can. Hack squats are a pretty good alternative to back squats.

[hate90]

Hey, i hope this thread is still alive,

im also very skinny and can't go to the gym for a number of reasons, what exercises or routine could u recommend i can do at home so i can gain some weight or build my body. whatever routine i plan to add the GOMAD diet

i only have a pullup bar and chairs for dips but no weights.

thank you

[Koaia]

Hey, i hope this thread is still alive,

im also very skinny and can't go to the gym for a number of reasons, what exercises or routine could u recommend i can do at home so i can gain some weight or build my body. whatever routine i plan to add the GOMAD diet

i only have a pullup bar and chairs for dips but no weights.

thank you

Start your own thread. You can do very little with a pull up bar and some chairs, but working out with whatever is available is superior to doing nothing at all.

[hate90]

Start your own thread. You can do very little with a pull up bar and some chairs, but working out with whatever is available is superior to doing nothing at all.

hehe true, but im thinking of a routine like dips 5sets to failure also with chin ups, but for legs im not sure, maybe high reps of squats or lunges with no weight, 30reps approx for 3 or 5 sets.

you think i should start a new thread for this?

[hate90]

lets say a routine like this

monday - wednesday - friday
dips (bodyweight) 5 sets
chinups 5 sets
squats / lunges (bodyweight) 3sets 30reps
abs 3 sets 30reps

[PowderMonkey]

start your own thread