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Last Christmas, I came up with the perfect idea for my 15-year-old son’s “big gift” \u2013 a set of adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable weight lifting bench. This was great for two reasons. First of all, because my son and his friends started lifting several months ago, and he loved it, but the weather (or life in general) couldn’t always help him get to the gym when he wanted. And second, because we live in a 100-year-old house that generally lacks space \u2013 or even a garage \u2013 we are limited on how many \u201chome gyms\u201d we can actually accommodate. Essentially a complete set of weights, plus a bench that could be folded away, was a great solution.<\/p>\n
Dumbbells can be adjusted from 10 pounds to 55 pounds in five-pound increments; The bench can lie flat or be adjusted to essentially eight different angles. Plus, they match, which is fun.<\/p>\n
\n The bow was a nice touch, don’t you think?<\/span> He was thrilled and immediately started demonstrating some lifts while I drank coffee and watched from the couch. \u201cMaybe you could create a little routine for me,\u201d I said suddenly. “Like arms and shoulders and stuff.” Without hesitation, he picked up his phone on the floor in front of the bench to take video of several lifts (shoulder press, hammer curl, bicep curl, and so on) that he thought would be good for me. I asked Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki for a recommendation for a good lifting app, and from the few suggestions she sent me, I decided heavy app<\/a>Where I found a few more lifts that I liked incorporating into the routine (incline bench press and a hex press if you’re curious).<\/p>\n Now, almost four months later, and for the first time since that 15-year-old had a baby, I’m sticking to a consistent weight lifting routine. Before kids, this kind of thing seemed pretty easy to stick to \u2014 I’d just go to the gym on my way home from work to squeeze in some cardio time and make my way around the weight machines. But now, I work from home, and my kids constantly need a ride from this school to that activity, from this practice to that friend’s house. Finding the time needed to workout And<\/em> The time and energy it takes to pack yourself up and actually move to another location is not something I have managed to do. But access to my basement is undeniably possible. I also take my laptop with me to edit articles between delegates; Nothing can be more productive than this.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? \n (Go bird.)<\/span> These days, I actually use dumbbells more than my son, who loves lifting dumbbells at our local YMCA with his friends whenever possible. However, as this photo shows, she used them yesterday and I still haven’t used them today; Mom is getting stronger, but not 35 pounds stronger per arm. As yet.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n Credit: Meghan Walbert<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n Credit: Meghan Walbert<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n