Hi Guys,

I recently, around Christmas, decided I needed to sort my fitness out. At 6'5" I weighed just over 17.5 stone. Through a combination of low GI diet, Exercise Bike, Mountain bike and now running I am down to below 14 stone and feeling better than ever. Entering a 10k later this month too!

Phase 2 was always going to be to bulk up a little bit on lean muscle. Here is the dilemma, I don't have a lot of room, and I don't want to join a gym. I live in rented and don't have anywhere reasonable to put a pull up bar.

I can rearrange my room and probably fit a bench and barbell in, but a full length olympic bar is probably out.

I already have some dumbbells.

Any recommendations on where to start here would be very much appreciated. I looked at the Stronglifts single barbell routine but there is no way I am going to get a barbell on my shoulders without smashing the ceiling up

The plan is to get the equipment together and start this after I get back from Nepal in October. Cant afford to be injured before then haha.

Any input gratefully received. Mainly on what I can do with limited space and if the single barbell/dumbbell set is going to cut it...

Why not? It's by far your best option.

Because I believe it is easier to stay motivated when you have everything you need to hand. It is also very convenient and doesn't eat into you evening as much.

If it turns out that a Gym is the only option then maybe I just have to suck it up. Would be interested to know what peoples opinions are of training in the home and how they get on with limited kit.

I think it would be an excellent idea if you could find a mate that is interested in going to the gym with you. Maybe someone who has been impressed with your (brilliant by the way) gains made.

I find that when you are pushing a mate to go to the gym or vice versa a little bit of a competitive element comes into it and you find yourself going a lot more and really enjoying it. I love going with friends, even if when I get there I go off for a while and do my own thing.

Training at home can get very demotivating and if other people are in the house with you, you may end up annoying them.

Training at home is great but you're going to need a bit more space buddy. Yeah you could just get a barbell and a bench but will It be worth It, not really I found this out.

As for being more motivated at home I fined I'm less motivated at home than when I used a gym, I'll do It later, I'll do It tomorrow etc.

Go to the gym You'll love It and If you don't then nothing lost.

Cheers for the advice guys. Some thinking to do I guess. Will find out if anyone I know goes to a decent gym aroundhere.