Originally posted by x0dus
Could I train at home if I bought a barbell kit and maybe a bench?
Only if you had someone spot for you, and only for the first little while. I don't know how long that while is, but eventually you're going to outgrow your barbell set and will want to try many different exercises, not to mention you'll want guidance from people who could show you how to do those exercises.
Luckily enough, since I'm only 21 and staying with my family through the summer 'til uni starts up again, I have people around to watch me. Since you're only 16 this shouldn't be much of a problem. Figuring out the correct form of the exercises will be a bit harder, but there's instructions all over the 'net and if you practice
with the bar only and without the plates going by the examples you see, you should be set. Remember to have someone there not just to spot you but to also tell you when you get off-balance or you aren't squatting enough or bending thoroughly or whatever.
A simple 160lb. barbell set would set you back about $100 (or, in your case, about £55) from a retail store, and certainly cheaper if you can find it used or on sale. It comes with a bar and 160lb. worth of plates, and you can always buy more when you outgrow your current set.
They have dumbell bars that come in sets of two for about $40 (or £22) that you put the barbell plates on to create the actual dumbells, so you don't have to buy a bunch of dumbells you'll likely outgrow in a month or two.
You'll also want a bench and a rack, which can cost anywhere from $50-100 (£27-55), as you'll want to sit on something when you bench press, as well as have something to put the barbell on when you're near exhaustion and you can't just toss it on the floor.
(However, benches are easily acquired, and racks can be made using really simple materials found at a home and gardening store. A couple of really thick pieces of wood, a couple of buckets filled with concrete, and you have your rack.)
You'll want a cable for certain exercises, but those are cheap. They're those rubbery springy cables you see people use. Not at all hard to find.
A mat is needed also, but they're easy and cheap as well.
Finally, you'll need some way to do dips and pullups. This is the tough part as pullup and dip bars are kinda expensive. But if you're creative, you'll figure something out.
All in all, I'd say about $200 (£110) will get you a decent home set-up for what you'll need starting out. As this is pretty much what you'd be paying for the first two-three months of gym access on fee alone, not counting all that access-fee and entry-fee crap, you'd be set long enough for you to figure out some way to get into a cheap gym. I know a few guys who have a home gym like this, and they've been lifting for years.
Hope this helps ya out some. I'm just starting out as well, and this is the route I'm going once I acquire all this stuff.
