Hey PC, I have been going to my garage gym at work and getting back into lifting. I haven’t really been following a structure just using higher volume/rep work due to a somewhat limited amount of resistance. Example; hitting push-ups before dumbbell presses. I want to follow one of your programs for structure, either 30 minutes to mass or Superhero muscle.
My question how can I modify to fit my limited equipment selection. I was thinking shorter rest periods, tempos, bodyweight supersets etc.? I have a smith machine with a great amount of weight, multiple machines for presses, rows flys mostly hammer strength, chin/dip bars, full cable unit, dumbbells up to 60s, and a few pieces of cardio equipment. Any advice would be great or even a new program designed for maximizing limited equipment gyms. Thanks in advance.
If you have limited equipment then you’re not going to be able to find movements that are really best for your structure. Not to mention that the fact is, you have to get with someone in person who knows how to do this and can look at you, and your execution to determine this.
There’s no way to do this online.
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Any tips for working with what I got and exploring this by myself? Mostly, programming wise.
Not really man, and that’s just how this works. I work with two competitors each week now in person and I have to adjust them on every movement, even when we are all doing the same movement because their structure is going to be different based on limb length and the amount of tissue they have working around.
I know Thibs had an article basing it all on limb length but it’s way more than that.
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What all equipment do you have???
I gotcha man appreciate the honesty, I am not that advanced and don’t want to compete, my goal is to get in really good shape year-round. I was thinking of taking one of your programs and just adding intensity techniques if the resistance felt low. The gym I train at is at my depot garage and it has a lot for what it’s worth. Most convenient place for me right now as I understand consistency rules overall.
The gym has a smith machine with at least 500 lbs of weight, leg press, dumbbells up until 60 lbs, Full cable unit, lat pulldown, seated cable rows, Pec Dec, Shoulder/chest press machines, Pulldown and row hammer strengths, pull/dip stations. The only place it is limited is there are no free weight benches and or power racks as of yet. For example, if I were to try the superhero program I could do smith machine rack pulls instead of free weight, If I could max DB shoulder press maybe pre-exhaust them before? Simple tweaks like that?
Dude that’s a lot of stuff. You don’t need a rack at all. I never use a rack anymore for anything.
You don’t need to do rack pulls either. Just substitute the for something like barbell or t-bar rows.
As far as overhead press, I’ve written for a long time that growing delts isn’t tied into pressing big weights overhead. Overhead pressing is an integrated movement that works a lot of muscle, but you can grow big ass delts from various form of laterals.
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Awesome! Which direction program wise would you guide me to?
Either of the ones you listed are fine. Just make sure you’re focusing on getting stronger each week and beating your rep PR’s.
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