Weights for the Home

mogletdeluxe

Hello peeps,

Your help please!

I am looking to get some weights that I can use at home. In the gym, I use the bench with dumbbells and carry out squats and deadlifts, but realistically only have space for the former and perhaps a small bar for curls and rows.

Now. I admit that I haven't looked amazingly hard for a perfect kit as thought a post on the forums would cut out the middle man. But unfortunately, a lot of the weights I've seen are either too light (kits with 2 - 6kg dumbbells), or so heavy I think I'd prolapse on sight.

Ideally, I'd be looking for a set of dumbbells ranging from 10kg - 16kg, and an adjustable bar with weights to take it between 15kg and 30kg. And, after the moon on a stick, I'd want it relatively cheaply.

Any advice, specifically from those in the UK?

Thanks in advance! x

jrompola

I'd check craigslist or try to get them used. I suggest the bowflex select tech dumbbells, but they're pricey. I found the 5-52.5lbs ones on craigslist for $125.

H2596

I got my weight set from Argos including dumbbells, barbell and up to 50 kg weights for £30 in December but having just looked on their website the cheapest is around £35-40 currently.

mogletdeluxe

Thanks both, really helpful.

GIAngel222

What about using a TRX Training Kit at home?

http://www.trxtraining.com/

Camille0502

I wouldn't buy a kit. I'd just go to the sporting goods store and buy individual weights in the sizes the you need. Skip the fancy weights and buy the cast iron ones and they aren't expensive. Plus they last forever!

mrnedburns

I can't help with anything UK specific, but my wife and I have managed to build up quite an effective weight-lifting room in a rather small basement room. The room contains:

Rubber horse stall mat from local farm store (much cheaper and more effective than sporting goods store foam tiles) - £25
Simple weight bench (doesn't even have rack for bench press bar) £20, used sports store
3 tier dumbbell rack from amazon.com (less than a meter wide... takes up little space) £47
Small blanket folded over for floor exercises (cheaper than exercise mat, easy to clean) £3
Hex Dumbbells ranging from 5 to 50 lbs (2.25kg - 22.6kg) £300, spread out over time

We just do dumbbell workouts, which I'm finding to be more effective than the bar ones (I have no idea why). We started with a sparse collection of weights sitting on the floor (some lighter ones for her, a few heavier ones for me). Once we were consistently lifting the weights we had were no longer heavy enough so I bought a new pair of dumbbells every week until we had every 5lb incremement from 5 to 50. While it was nice to buy them over time, it definitely was not the most cost effective route. The £47 three tier stand from Amazon.com holds all of them nicely in a small amount of space.

I've since seen several sets on Craigslist that I could have purchased for nearly half of what I paid. Granted, they would be used (who cares) and I would have had to hassle with a financial transaction with a stranger, let alone transport 250kg of weights at once.

I've also seen the adjustable weights from makers such as Bowflex. While they would have saved money, when I tried them in the store I found them to be bulky and awkward, especially with exercises like tricep extensions and such. I also would have feared damaging them by clanging them together or dropping them. The hex dumbbells are SOLID.

I guess this is a long ramble to show what I paid for an effective home gym and my musings on what else we could have or should have done. The only thing I would change is to have bought an entire set of dumbbells on craigslist rather than new.

Go for it!

jrompola

I guess this is a long ramble to show what I paid for an effective home gym and my musings on what else we could have or should have done. The only thing I would change is to have bought an entire set of dumbbells on craigslist rather than new.

Solid advice. Lots of people have the goal of wanting to exercise and be healthy, so they go out and buy the weights for you. Most of the time they are barely used and pretty much brand new but 75% off the original price.