Starting Strength in 30s + Question on initial setup

[zklimczak]

Long time reader, first time poster.

Two questions (possibly a faux pas):

1) I'm 35, looking to start strength training this year at home (no SS gyms nearby). Any concerns with starting in my 30s versus if I had started in my 20s?
2) Since there are no SS gyms nearby, looking to start with basic fundamental lifts - is it worth it to get a basic (~$150) barbell to start, or just go with a broomstick to get the baseline first and spring for a legit barbell later?

Thanks.

[stef]

1. No, except that you're late a whole decade of strength, bone density, etc.
2. You need a barbell and weights to train. Only incredibly weak people start with sticks and even those people outgrow them very quickly.
3. Two questions is fine, using ' and ' and ' inappropriately is not. Fixed them for you instead of deleting, but things were close.

[Ericw]

DON’T cheap out on the barbell. You will regret it sooner rather than later. If a bolt is holding the sleeve on and there is a nice, thicc, chrome plating DON’T BUY THAT BAR!

You can deal with cheap everything else for a while but not the bar. Get a 28.5mm, even my small sausage-like fingers can hook grip it.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

I started at 32, and I outgrew my cheap barbell in about ten weeks. Buy a good one.

[zklimczak]

1. Better sooner than later; but better later than never.
2. Noted.
3. Don't fix it! Now I'll never know where I went wrong since you changed it.

[zklimczak]

Thanks brother!

[mitchless]

I started at about that age. I was fortunate enough to have a YMCA that had some decent equipment -- they actually have two Rogue bars (B&R 2.0 and Ohio Power Bar). Given the state of the world now, I'm glad I put a home gym together late 2019.

Once you get your rack, bar, and plates sorted out you need to buy SHOES. That was the most valuable personal equipment I bought. The second was microplates (most gyms do not have them, and they fit nicely in your gym bag), and third was a belt.

Good luck, and train hard! You will not regret it.

[zklimczak]

I started at about that age. I was fortunate enough to have a YMCA that had some decent equipment -- they actually have two Rogue bars (B&R 2.0 and Ohio Power Bar). Given the state of the world now, I'm glad I put a home gym together late 2019.

Once you get your rack, bar, and plates sorted out you need to buy SHOES. That was the most valuable personal equipment I bought. The second was microplates (most gyms do not have them, and they fit nicely in your gym bag), and third was a belt.

Good luck, and train hard! You will not regret it.

That's excellent advice. Thanks!

[Big-Green-Mud-Machine]

I started at about that age. I was fortunate enough to have a YMCA that had some decent equipment -- they actually have two Rogue bars (B&R 2.0 and Ohio Power Bar). Given the state of the world now, I'm glad I put a home gym together late 2019.

Once you get your rack, bar, and plates sorted out you need to buy SHOES. That was the most valuable personal equipment I bought. The second was microplates (most gyms do not have them, and they fit nicely in your gym bag), and third was a belt.

Good luck, and train hard! You will not regret it.

I too started in my early 30's and I'm still making good progress after gaining nearly 30 kgs in weight.

Don't buy microplates if you can make some, they cost a fortune! My first set was 1inch holed small weights with string loops to hook them over the 2 inch barbell, then I found in a skip at a power station (don't ask) some giant washers/gaskets with a 2 inch hole in the centre!

[Satch12879]

I too started in my early 30's and I'm still making good progress after gaining nearly 30 kgs in weight.

Don't buy microplates if you can make some, they cost a fortune! My first set was 1inch holed small weights with string loops to hook them over the 2 inch barbell, then I found in a skip at a power station (don't ask) some giant washers/gaskets with a 2 inch hole in the centre!

Dan Miller on this forum manufactures high quality, very accurate fractional plate sets in human-based and metric sizes. They do not cost a fortune.