Got some hand weights-now what?

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Replies

  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I wouldn't see them as that useful for just 'lifting', despite the 'duh' posts.

    However, I would consider adding them to an aerobic workout to make it tougher.

    After being cajoled in to a 'Just Dance' session by a friend's girlfriend, me and said friend add light weight dumbbells, which makes it in to a decent workout.
    I also used to use 1kg (2.2lb) ones in each hand when shadow boxing to make it harder and heavier than a boxing glove would be; so when you actually put the gloves on it feels pretty light.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    if your home is drafty, and you tend to leave papers and stuff around, you can use them to weigh them down so they don't fly away.

    this.

    or a doorstop for a door that keeps swinging shut on you?

    I had some 5s once. I gave them to my ten year old. He's 12 now and has outgrown them and he only weighs 60 pounds...

    (but on a non-sarcastic note...yes, they're perfect for 30 day shred. Then once you have finished it, sell the shred and the weights at a yard sale because you will be ready to move on by that point.)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    if your home is drafty, and you tend to leave papers and stuff around, you can use them to weigh them down so they don't fly away.

    this.

    or a doorstop for a door that keeps swinging shut on you?

    I had some 5s once. I gave them to my ten year old. He's 12 now and has outgrown them and he only weighs 60 pounds...

    get over yourself

    you were a beginner once
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    if your home is drafty, and you tend to leave papers and stuff around, you can use them to weigh them down so they don't fly away.

    this.

    or a doorstop for a door that keeps swinging shut on you?

    I had some 5s once. I gave them to my ten year old. He's 12 now and has outgrown them and he only weighs 60 pounds...

    get over yourself

    you were a beginner once

    yes I was, and I did the shred with the 5 pound weights...and it was hard at first...but now I realize that they ARE only for beginners and they WILL be outgrown in short order by ANYONE who is actually trying to change their body.
  • pennysaurus
    pennysaurus Posts: 30 Member
    So Robin you too started with the 5lbers yet you are going to be patronising to somenoe who is new to it. There is no doubt she will progress and outgrow them. Thats the idea, right?

    It makes me laugh at the amount of "heavy lifters" who feel so superior to others. You ain't that special. Its only liftin
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    if your home is drafty, and you tend to leave papers and stuff around, you can use them to weigh them down so they don't fly away.

    this.

    or a doorstop for a door that keeps swinging shut on you?

    I had some 5s once. I gave them to my ten year old. He's 12 now and has outgrown them and he only weighs 60 pounds...

    get over yourself

    you were a beginner once

    yes I was, and I did the shred with the 5 pound weights...and it was hard at first...but now I realize that they ARE only for beginners and they WILL be outgrown in short order by ANYONE who is actually trying to change their body.

    So nice of you to acknowledge that you were once a beginner too......The OP stated that she is new to this - good job for talking down to her ....you really need to get over yourself......
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    So Robin you too started with the 5lbers yet you are going to be patronising to somenoe who is new to it. There is no doubt she will progress and outgrow them. Thats the idea, right?

    It makes me laugh at the amount of "heavy lifters" who feel so superior to others. You ain't that special. Its only liftin

    Very well said.

    I am honoured to know a small number of lifters who are not patronising, unhelpful and falsely superior and actually make efforts to make new people feel welcome and give them sound knowledge to start their strength training journey with.

    Sadly, Robin, you are not one of those.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    FFS people...does nobody have a damn funny bone?
    I thought Captain Apollo's joke was humorous and I ran with it...

    I'm not talking down to anyone...

    you all need to get over yourselves not me..I never claimed to have been better than anyone.

    I stated the truth, they are useless after a short while.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    FFS people...does nobody have a damn funny bone?
    I thought Captain Apollo's joke was humorous and I ran with it...

    I'm not talking down to anyone...

    you all need to get over yourselves not me..I never claimed to have been better than anyone.

    I stated the truth, they are useless after a short while.


    Don't drag me into this.

    You're on your own toots.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    FFS people...does nobody have a damn funny bone?
    I thought Captain Apollo's joke was humorous and I ran with it...

    I'm not talking down to anyone...

    you all need to get over yourselves not me..I never claimed to have been better than anyone.

    I stated the truth, they are useless after a short while.

    let's try this again..........

    get over yourself
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    FFS people...does nobody have a damn funny bone?
    I thought Captain Apollo's joke was humorous and I ran with it...

    I'm not talking down to anyone...

    you all need to get over yourselves not me..I never claimed to have been better than anyone.

    I stated the truth, they are useless after a short while.

    let's try this again..........

    get over yourself

    Oh, chill out yourself too
  • ashmarie1990
    ashmarie1990 Posts: 1
    Hmm even though 3,5,8lbs are "light" weights they're just right for some (many) because they can be heavy :D and help us increase our muscle mass. It would be dangerous lifting super heavy weights for us anyways. I would say start with the LEAST amount of resistance or the lightest weights since you are a beginner and you don't want to tear your muscles.... so use 3 pound weights for about a month or more until you feel like you're ready to go to 5 pounds or higher.

    Here are some great hand weight exercises in PDF form

    http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/pdfs/15-min-arm-sculpting.pdf

    Womens Health also offers many more exercises in PDF form. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

    Also if you want to find more arm exercises go to your local library and find work out dvd's, ask a librarian to help you and the work out dvd's will increase your knowledge and help you understand basic moves: squats, bicep curls, lunges and etc.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Wooosa wooosa people.

    If your objective is to build muscle, you'll probably need heavier weights in short order. If you're happy to work on general fitness and conditioning, they are fine for more aerobic/circuit type training.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
    3/5/8 is a good set to get started. The 3s will be good for triceps, and 5/8 for biceps and shoulders.

    Some Google terms to try out: hammer curls, bicep curls, one hand overhead press, military press, tricep kickbacks, tricep extensions. You will probably want to add a 10 lb pair to your collection soon.

    Good luck, and enjoy!
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    if your home is drafty, and you tend to leave papers and stuff around, you can use them to weigh them down so they don't fly away.

    this.

    or a doorstop for a door that keeps swinging shut on you?

    I had some 5s once. I gave them to my ten year old. He's 12 now and has outgrown them and he only weighs 60 pounds...

    get over yourself

    you were a beginner once

    It's a JOKE, please don't tell me you don't make jokes at any time, because if you say you don't, then thats a joke.

    Way to not quote the entire thing, robin stated to do the 30DS then move onto heavier weights, I actually wish this many people would have told me to not even waste my time lifting 5-8lb weights a million timed about 4 years ago. She asked for advice and people gave her constructive advice, 30 day shred then move on. There isn't much room to grow with that limited of a weight set.

    So please boys and girls, lets not get our panties in a wad
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Sorry folks but the snarky answers looked to be simply that - none of those looked offensive and there's a lot of this type of thread on here lately.

    The point is those light weights are great for some of the videos but if you want to add muscle then learn to lift. And you do need to use heavier weights. Plenty of people have tooled around for a while trying to find the right approach. Its somewhat inevitable, but I wish someone had smacked me in the beginning and taught me how to do a heavy squat, rather than wasting so much time doing simple 3 sets of 10 of isolation exercises for as long as I did.

    Now that said, you are a heck of a lot better off using those weights with a good video then doing nothing. So no criticism here.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    ontopic.gif

    How about this rather than slamming people for adding a bit of humour while actually also dispensing advice.
  • Jonna13
    Jonna13 Posts: 288 Member
    Hi Everyone! Thanks for the replies :)

    So first off I should state I am currently doing the 30DS (on day 4 of level 2) and I a bit embaressed to say I've been using water bottles as weights up until now lol-when I say I am a wimp I REALLY am...my upper body strength really sucks lol...

    Anyways, thank you to every giving advice and posting links to sites to help with these weights, I really just think I do need to start "somehere" and work my way up. Hubby and I are currently looking at a bench/heavy weights on our local kijiji (like craigslist) so I (and he) can eventually start the 5x5 stonglift program...until then, I've got these weights to work with.

    I've lost almost 40lbs (25 of that was baby weight) since the birth of my son (9 weeks ago) just doing mild cardio and counting cals (thanks MFP!), but I'm ready to take it to the next level as they say :)

    P.S. I'm not offended by any of the posts, I could see how a heavy lifter would think my dinky weights are comical, but like some of you have said (and thank you for the support!) we all got to start somewhere :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I just want to point out, 30 Day Shred is a cardio program, using very light weights to up the challenge.

    Nobody is going to build muscle lifting 3/5/8 pound weights. If that were possible, then everyone would build a ton of muscle just from living every day life. Most pots and pans people cook with weigh 8-10 pounds or more. A ream of copy paper at the office weighs 10 pounds. Pretty much everything people interact with on a daily basis is going to be heavier than those weights. Also, doing tons of reps with low weights won't build muscle, either. Building muscle requires overloading a muscle, pushing it beyond it's strength limit. Tons of reps with low weights just fatigues a muscle, which is not the same thing.

    Nothing wrong with doing 30DS with low weights, but it's not going to really prep you for actual weight lifting.

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