CommunityTraining & Muscle

Help with home strength training

29 replies18 peopleJul 14, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

What home strength routines or videos work for someone recovering from a tibial plateau fracture who wants to build muscle on Tirz with minimal equipment?

Participants share bodyweight routines, resistance band workouts, dumbbell exercises, and short intense sessions as practical options. Several suggest starting with short daily efforts and progressing gradually while using apps or YouTube for structure. Recovery considerations include using a thick mat and avoiding overload on the injured leg. Marketplace finds and existing household items are noted as low-cost ways to expand equipment.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

How heavy dumbbells need to be for meaningful progress, with some viewing 10 lb as insufficient for most adults while others see them as adequate when starting out or focusing on consistency.

Still open

How to safely progress loading on the previously fractured leg without professional guidance.

Nothing here is advice.

29 replies · 18 people
GreyFenwick31archiveopening postJul 14

I used to enjoy gym classes like step, body pump, zumba and core work but that was a long time ago and I no longer have a membership. Most of my recent activity has been cardio on a bike or treadmill, which is not enough anymore. I fractured my tibial plateau earlier this year without surgery and still have trouble fully loading that leg. I want to begin home videos to get stronger, preserve and build muscle while on Tirz. I already own therapy bands and some dumbbells and am open to buying more but not at high cost. Any motivational video suggestions that need little equipment?

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 14

Someone knows exactly what I did..hahaha

IronThistle53archiveJul 14

I follow a daily or near-daily bodyweight routine helped by a couple of phone apps. I began with 10-20 sit-ups and built to 100 for core work. Push-ups are similar, aiming for two sets of 25 and up to 100 when time allows. Under-table pull-ups follow the same pattern. Simple free apps track everything. I also cycle to work a few days a week and keep a high-protein diet with whey a few times daily. All of this has helped over the last six months. My job leaves little time for a gym so home sessions fit better and take about the same time as commuting would. Curious what others do for home fitness too.

AmberCinder18archiveJul 14

A doctor on a podcast mentioned telling GLP patients to do just ten minutes of intense strength work three days a week. I do more but keep that minimum in mind on days I feel like skipping. Kettlebells have been a recent change for me and I enjoy them; they are versatile and somehow more engaging than regular weights at home. Plenty of video routines exist for them, and after watching a few it becomes easy to create your own.

KeenMarble16archiveJul 14

Those class styles are familiar to me too. With cardio already in place, adding resistance and calisthenics should help overall health and muscle goals. While still recovering, a pilates and yoga channel that often uses bands and light weights could fit well. Just use a thick yoga mat during knee recovery.

SlowBramble67archiveJul 14

A simple passive core exercise that may be more effective than sit-ups is worth trying daily. After using the restroom in the morning, lie on your back in bed with both hands under your neck and no cushion. Push out all your breath, hold without breathing, and keep pressure on the core muscles as long as possible. Start around twenty to twenty-five seconds and build up; current sessions reach seventy to eighty seconds. Repeat at least three times with rest equal to the hold time. Adding some leg moves lately has helped too. The core now feels very solid and food intake has decreased because the stomach cannot expand as much.

PatientHarbour49archiveJul 14

Check an online marketplace for used gear once a week or so. Basic benches with attachments and squat racks appear regularly, along with older weights at low prices if newer plates are not required.

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @KeenMarble16

Thank you so much! I got a thick foam pad just to be ready!

SteadySignal69archiveJul 14

Resistance band exercises exist that are straightforward to perform at home. A full-body standing routine without anchoring became popular years ago and many follow-up videos are available. Bands paired with a door anchor work well because they need little space, are light, inexpensive, and lower injury risk. Training can happen standing or kneeling and does not require aligning the body with gravity or using benches. Gloves can help too.

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @PatientHarbour49

My son picked up a bench and weights from an online marketplace and they are in the basement. I should probably try using them! hahaha

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 14
↳ replying to @SteadySignal69

Awesome, thanks!! I will check that video out.

PlainAnchor67archiveJul 14

Look into a platform that offers various bodyweight programs. It helps with choosing routines and tracking progress.

BlueQuill49archiveJul 15

With a treadmill, hand weights and resistance bands already at home, an AI-generated routine was created to address a mostly sedentary lifestyle and muscle gain. Following it for the past several weeks has produced noticeable changes and required increases in weight and resistance to stay challenging. The sessions have become something to look forward to.

PatientCompass47archiveJul 15

A set of adjustable dumbbells and an incline bench allow for a lot of work.

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @BlueQuill49

The cat comment made me laugh. I went down to the bench and did a quick unstructured session and now regret not using it sooner. It was actually enjoyable!

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @PatientCompass47

I have ten-pound dumbbells plus other free weights, a straight bar with clips and a bar with bends. Finally feeling excited about working out!

PatientCompass47archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @GreyFenwick31

Enter the equipment on hand, desired training days, preference for full-body or split routines, session length and goals into an AI chat and it will generate workout plans.

IronCompass33archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @GreyFenwick31 (opening post)

Exercise classes were enjoyable before. Now workouts come from video platforms. A current favorite is fast-paced strength training with timed intervals and no talking, which works well. Results have been good with ten- and twenty-pound dumbbells plus twenty-five- and thirty-five-pound kettlebells. This style is preferred over traditional lifting. Beginners can start with three full-body sessions or two lower and two upper per week and find structured plans online.

GreyFenwick31archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @PatientCompass47

Will do. The prompt will describe a soft, weak person with the listed equipment and ask for a plan to become much stronger.

RustThistle27archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @GreyFenwick31 (opening post)

Dumbbells allow plenty of work. A fitness app focused on full-body dumbbell training is useful; one free option has many exercise splits and community support. Adding zone-two cardio on a non-lifting day helps too. Some splits target specific areas if desired. Stay consistent and good luck.

PatientTimber12archiveJul 15

A calisthenics app provides bodyweight exercises that are followed regularly.

AmberTimber37archiveJul 15

Dumbbells are favored but ten pounds is too light for most people except true beginners, those with severe limitations or the very elderly. Men should reach at least fifty pounds and many fit women will eventually use twenty to thirty pounds. The goal is not elite performance but reaching weights that demand real effort for the individual’s build.

PatientCompass47archiveJul 15
↳ replying to @AmberTimber37

Dumbbells work great; a home setup includes pairs from five to ninety-five pounds collected over many years. They are heavy and require effort to manage.

SharpThistle77archiveJul 28
↳ replying to @AmberTimber37

Thankfully the starting-out category applies here, since the other labels are unappealing. A long commute and past experience show that gym visits will not happen even when convenient. Home dumbbells and bodyweight are the practical path. The aim is not to get very muscular, just to retain muscle while losing fat on medication.

QuietCinder66archiveJul 28

A subscription fitness service offers classes similar to those previously enjoyed, with little extra talk. Resistance sessions rely on bodyweight and dumbbells.

SharpThistle77archiveJul 28
↳ replying to @QuietCinder66

That service gets used often because it comes with the family plan.

RustAlder36archiveJul 29

That same fast-paced, minimal-talking strength trainer is recommended again. Complete dumbbells up to sixty pounds are available but not all are needed at the start. A chair, a few dumbbells and resistance bands suffice. If the weights used approach those shown in the videos, strength and endurance are already solid. Earlier programs with lots of talking felt intrusive, though preferences vary.

GreenMarble65archiveJul 29

A shed serves as a home gym.

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Help with home strength training · ZyraTrack Community