Dumbbells

[andypower]

i'm looking into going to the gym soon and i'm thinking of getting some weights so on the days i'm not working out.  i can be working in. lol

does it matter the price vs quality or any old weights will do?

cheers

[sub39h]

just get metal ones rather than those plasticky ones filled with ceramic or whatever it is.

i used to have York ones and they lasted quite well. Argos used to go a York dumbbell set for under £20. dunno if they still do it

Edit: wow they've gone up in price a lot:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3008243.htm

[stealthwolf]

I had the vinyl set (basically plastic filled with sand or something). Makes it kinder on the hands to pick up and if you stub your toe or something but bulkier and hence takes up more space. Also prefer spinlocks to spring collars because they feel safer but spring collars were easier to get the weight on/off quickly. Then again, my set up was bench + over 200kg in weights for £50 second hand.

I would just go to the gym and see how things pan out first. No point jumping in with expenditure at this point.

[mk5-beast-91]

I use metal york one. Never had a problem with them.

I got a couple of the plastic ones and hate them. To bulky and take up way to much room.
Pump iron not plastic :)

[markc]

i'm looking into going to the gym soon and i'm thinking of getting some weights so on the days i'm not working out.  i can be working in. lol

does it matter the price vs quality or any old weights will do?

cheers

Hi Andy,

Firstly, if your training around 3 or 4 times a week you may not need home weights.  Rest days are good and will give your muscles more time to recover and build.   If you trained your biceps for example, the following day after a back workout at the gym (involves pulling exercises) you can be doing more harm than good.  Same if you train triceps the next day after a big bench workout. 

I'm not saying you cant do any of the above by the way, you can, its just not always the best idea to do so.  I've been training most of my life and I really enjoy it, .........sometimes I've had to train chest after shoulders but its not the best way to do things.   

Regarding weights, the Metal ones are the only ones to consider really, they are less bulky and will last better too.   If you can only train at the gym say twice a week then go ahead and buy some (20 kg York or Marcy) + extra discs as you require them. 

Don't forget to get a good training routine in place and supplement your protein intake between meals 

[JackG]

Metal all the way, the plastic ones dont weigh what there meant too, same as some rubber coated ones you can get, metal ones last and last

[stealthwolf]

+1 for rest days. Every three months, I took a week off lifting and my muscles seemed to grow more during that week off than at any other time.

[taylor]

Hi Andy I've just sent you a real long pm about some dumbbells I have that I'm about to sell so thought I'd tell you before I put them up on here but now realised you can't read your PMs yet, so I have a set of adjustable dumbbells for sale I bought them for £250 and used the 3 times since I quit the gym and couldn't be bothered no more so they range from 2kg to 25kg so cuts out a lot clutter by having all that weight in just 2 dumbbells!

Let me know if your interested or if anyone else is ill try and post a picture up soon

[andypower]

thanks for all the replys lads.

im looking to go the gym 3 times a week so the dumbells were for the weekend.   when i go the gym i doing cardio first for a hour then hit the weights after.  usually doing chest workouts,  flat fly and flat press.  3 sets of 12. then lat pull down bar and finish with biceps curls.

ive been twice now so i'm going to try and carry it on.

i'm 5-11 14kg 13

[MC71]

As mentioned, every other day for muscles, they need to repair (this is the process for building muscle mass).  Do your Cardio on the alternate days.

Happy working out fella! 

[andypower]

on the alternate days i'd love to do just cardio.  but i have my kids the tuesday and thursday from school till 7 then i'm up the next day at 3 so i'm in bed fairly early.


the monday tuesday and friday are the only real time i get from work so i try and cram as much in as i can.

[MC71]

^^^^ in your case I'd use stick to the gym work with both workout and Cardio and get some kind of home dumbbells/bench for days when you can't get to the gym and REST on the other days. You won't be gaining anything other than exhaution by working out every day.

[andypower]

do you think it'd be better to just do cardio for now then.   then when ive got my weight to a level i'm happy with change the workout to more weights less cardio?

[MC71]

 What's your goal, to lose weight, to add muscle, to improve overall fitness. It's a personal preference thingy and one only you know.

Everyone is different, for example i no longer do any cardio stuff at a gym or home as I walk or cycle (weather dependant) to work and have a very active job so I find that is enough for me. All my workouts are done at home using a Multi Gym (great things) and usually around 3 days a week.

 

[andypower]

to cut up rather than build up.

i'm after a bruce lee look rather than a ronnie coleman look