We all know how exciting it is to train back in a state-of-the-art facility. The machines are clean, and they are aplenty. The dumbbells are pre-sized, and placed on neat racks. The cable movements have a wide variety of grips. The free weight area is filled with racks, weights, and even those nifty little devices that allow you to load the weight for deadlifts just an inch off the floor. Ah yes, the feeling of training back in a top notch gym. Nothing beats it!

Unfortunately, we don’t always have a nice gym at our disposal. Maybe you just moved to a new area and haven’t discovered a gym in your area. Maybe the economy has hit you hard, and joining a gym at the movement isn’t in your budget. Maybe a time crunch has limited your gym sessions to two per week, and you’re limited to training groups like shoulders and back at home. Whatever the case, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume you have access to a simple Olympic barbell and a few 45-pound plates. This could be picked up at any Play-It-Again-Sports, on Craigslist, or at a yard sale for under $50. Let’s see what kind of workout we could devise using only these materials.

Deadlifts

The workout would have to start with deadlifts. Complete as many reps as you can with as much weight as you have. If you only have 200 pounds and you’re capable of lifting far more than that, then just lift that 200 pounds a good twenty or twenty-five times. You’ll certainly feel the pump from that one the next morning!

Barbell Rows

Once you’ve completed the deadlifts, peel a bit of weight off the bar and tackle your barbell rows. You’ll discover this movement does wonders for building the upper back thickness. If you have a few 45-pound plates, you’ll have more than adequate weight to go heavy with this movement. And that’s exactly what you should do. Go heavy!

T-Bar Corner Rows

This is a movement which may not be able to be completed in a bedroom or other nice room. Rather, a garage may be a better bet. Load up one end of a barbell with two 45-pound plates, and add a collar to the bar. The other side will contain no weight, and will be hammed into the corner of the room. Wrap your hands around the end of the bar with the weights, above the weight, while straddling the bar, standing. Complete T-bar rows as if you were on the machine. Instead, you’ll be simulating the movement of the machine using a half-barbell. Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman used this movement for a recent photo shoot with over 500 pounds! You won’t need to go that heavy to get good results.

A back brace is a good idea for all of these movements, if it fits into your budget. If you don’t have access to one, just train with 2-3 layers of shirts to create some semblance of tightness to aid the back in the movement. Always warm up completely before each movement with a set or two with light weight. Stretch a bit before starting the movement, then a lot following your exercises.

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