Strength training for arms....

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green022
green022 Posts: 115
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm on a budget and can splurge on much at one time, starting out would a kettle ball or a set of 10lb dumbbells be more effective?
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  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    10lb isn't enough for anyone. Save the money, get it when its worth spending!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I would look into bodyweight training given your budget restrictions right now. It should suffice for a while.
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    I would look into bodyweight training given your budget restrictions right now. It should suffice for a while.


    Maybe I should have rephrased that lol I'm "trying" not to spend much so it was one or the other. I have been doing pilates with a resistance band and yoga I just wanted to take it a bit further.
    And trust me a few reps with a 10lb weight is plenty, it's what my body can handle right now that's why i'm trying to get better.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    10lb isn't enough for anyone. Save the money, get it when its worth spending!


    Stop it! 10 lbs may not be enough for you and your big dude muscles, but for somebody that just starts weight training is good enough and better than don’t doing anything at all, especially if they don’t have previous strength training experience.

    It gets really annoying to read how people are put down unless they lift 50 lbs with each arm.

    To the OP, go ahead just use the weights that you can afford to buy, practice good form, go on line and get information about how to use proper techniques and graduate to heavier weights when you can afford to buy them and afford the lifting.
  • ladylocker
    ladylocker Posts: 18 Member
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    Push ups. They're free & if done correctly can get you off to a great start.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
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    I think the bigger point of the above posts is that biceps curls are of secondary importance and buying weights specifically for that exercise on a budget may not be a good bang for your buck. Try a chin up bar or if you just have to buy the weights get the bells and use them for some compound moves.
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    10lb isn't enough for anyone. Save the money, get it when its worth spending!


    Stop it! 10 lbs may not be enough for you and your big dude muscles, but for somebody that just starts weight training is good enough and better than don’t doing anything at all, especially if they don’t have previous strength training experience.

    It gets really annoying to read how people are put down unless they lift 50 lbs with each arm.

    To the OP, go ahead just use the weights that you can afford to buy, practice good form, go on line and get information about how to use proper techniques and graduate to heavier weights when you can afford to buy them and afford the lifting.

    Haha thank you and I really appreciate the advice. Along with the others who gave some good tips!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
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    Dumbells are incredibly versatile. Buy the 10 pounders and add as you need and are able.
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    I think the bigger point of the above posts is that biceps curls are of secondary importance and buying weights specifically for that exercise on a budget may not be a good bang for your buck. Try a chin up bar or if you just have to buy the weights get the bells and use them for some compound moves.


    I see thanks!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    Push ups. They're free & if done correctly can get you off to a great start.

    BOOM!

    drop and give me as many as you got
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Pushups are free! Body weight exercise are also awesome. A 10 or 15 pound kettlebell is a great for at home use as well. 10 dumbbells are a great place to start, they're good to have on hand but you might out grow them quickly. What I do is make a wish list of items I want for my home gym and try to pick something up every paycheck.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    10lb isn't enough for anyone. Save the money, get it when its worth spending!


    Stop it! 10 lbs may not be enough for you and your big dude muscles, but for somebody that just starts weight training is good enough and better than don’t doing anything at all, especially if they don’t have previous strength training experience.

    It gets really annoying to read how people are put down unless they lift 50 lbs with each arm.

    To the OP, go ahead just use the weights that you can afford to buy, practice good form, go on line and get information about how to use proper techniques and graduate to heavier weights when you can afford to buy them and afford the lifting.


    ^^^^LOL yes thank you!!! Not everybody's goal is to squat with a volkswagon on your back!!!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Check out a used sporting goods outlet - you can pick up a cheap weight set there!
  • green022
    green022 Posts: 115
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    Pushups are free! Body weight exercise are also awesome. A 10 or 15 pound kettlebell is a great for at home use as well. 10 dumbbells are a great place to start, they're good to have on hand but you might out grow them quickly. What I do is make a wish list of items I want for my home gym and try to pick something up every paycheck.


    ^^^ oooo fantastic idea!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    How rude are you women on this thread? Really? 4.5kg or 10lb is genuinly not a lot of weight for anyone.

    This is coming from someone who trains women e.g. women like you. Sigh. Nothing like stereotyping me and then throwing insults.

    Typical MFP women.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    check out nerdfitness for some ideas when you have little or no access to weights
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    A chinup/pullup bar would be more effective than either the dumbbells or kettlebells IMO. Chin-ups not only give the biceps plenty of work, they're also a compound movement that works plenty of other upper body muscles as well. If you can't do an unassisted pull-up (which many people can't), stand on a bench/chair/footstool/whatever and use your legs to assist you on the way up, then let yourself down as slowly as you can. A combination of chinups and pushups would do wonders not only for your arms, but your whole upper body. Your strength would pretty quickly move beyond 10 lb. dumbbells/kettlebells, but it will be quite a while before you can pump out a lot of unassisted chinups. A portable, door-mounted chin/pullup bar will only cost you around $30.
  • babsc01
    babsc01 Posts: 31 Member
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    Agreed. As far as "amount of weights" is concerned, ensure you're using an adequate weight so that your last rep is difficult to complete. If you're doing a set of 15 reps, for example, the 15th one should be hard to finish. If it's not, go to a higher weight next time.
  • robpett2001
    robpett2001 Posts: 320 Member
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    Sigh. Nothing like stereotyping me and then throwing insults.

    Typical MFP women.


    haha -- okay, this made me chuckle. I pray it was intended to do so...

    Count this as another vote for body-weight exercises like pushups.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    A chinup/pullup bar would be more effective than either the dumbbells or kettlebells IMO. Chin-ups not only give the biceps plenty of work, they're also a compound movement that works plenty of other upper body muscles as well. If you can't do an unassisted pull-up (which many people can't), stand on a bench/chair/footstool/whatever and use your legs to assist you on the way up, then let yourself down as slowly as you can. A combination of chinups and pushups would do wonders not only for your arms, but your whole upper body. Your strength would pretty quickly move beyond 10 lb. dumbbells/kettlebells, but it will be quite a while before you can pump out a lot of unassisted chinups. A portable, door-mounted chin/pullup bar will only cost you around $30.

    ^^this.

    If you cannot do chin ups, start with negatives where you jump to the top position and hold as long as you can, then let yourself down as slowly as possible.

    Also push ups are incredibly versatile and effective. When you get to where you can do a decent amount with proper form you can elevate your legs to make it harder. Plus you can move your hands wider or narrower to focus more on different muscle groups (e.g. very narrow brings a lot more triceps into it).

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