Strength training for arms....
green022
Posts: 115
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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Replies
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10lb isn't enough for anyone. Save the money, get it when its worth spending!0
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I would look into bodyweight training given your budget restrictions right now. It should suffice for a while.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
Push ups. They're free & if done correctly can get you off to a great start.0
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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.0
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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!0 -
Dumbells are incredibly versatile. Buy the 10 pounders and add as you need and are able.0
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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!0 -
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 got0 -
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.0
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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!!!0 -
Check out a used sporting goods outlet - you can pick up a cheap weight set there!0
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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!0 -
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.0 -
check out nerdfitness for some ideas when you have little or no access to weights0
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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 $30.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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).0 -
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).
diamond push ups will kick your triceps in the *kitten* quick and hard0 -
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.
How much does your purse weigh? Your child? A bag of groceries? He wasn't being rude.0 -
Another vote for push ups. If you feel COMPELLED to get either kettle bells or dumb bells and want to do curls, I'd vote for dumb bells because they're easier to hold onto for that (in my opinion) without tweaking your wrists. And if you're wondering how heavy to go, do some reps in the store before you buy them. If you can do 15 with 10 lbs, go heavier. If not, you're good for now with those.
Editing to add that I prefer dumb bells for thrusters, too. Just more comfortable for me to hold. Kettle bells rest on the backs of my bony wrists and I don't like that.0 -
And also another vote for push ups, and chin ups.0
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Only you know your true body strength and ability. Not all exercises for arms and shoulders can be done with good form and still using the same weight of dumbbell....at least for myself. I bought several dumbbells with different weights, and all under 12 pounds so far. I get an awesome workout. Look up videos on the proper form, and watch yourself in the mirror for technique corrections as you do them if you need help learning new exercises. The more you do, the stronger you will get, and increase to higher weights when it gets easier for you. You'll definitely burn more calories and raise your metabolic rate as you build muscle and start burning fat. Good luck and go workout!!0
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Go slightly heavier than you need on the dumbbell, like 12.5 or 15lbs and grow into it. If you can't do many reps at 15lbs (like maybe 3 or 4), I think that's fine. You will get better. Personally I think dumbbells would be great because they're versatile, its not just about bicep exercises. That's your chest, shoulders, traps, triceps, forearms, you name it.
Do pushups and especially dips! Many people have posted about pushups but don't forget the dips. You can do them with a chair. Some of the best free upper body training.
Just my 2 cents.0 -
Bodyweight exercises and a "through the doorframe" type pull-up bar (the type that hooks over the door lintel the other side rather than the type that twists against the door posts) for my vote. Lots of bodyweight exercises on You Tube and other sites already mentioned.0
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Push ups and Chin ups always work....maybe you should invest in some thicker resistance bands. I bought some from Walmart that were 15 bucks for 3 (golds gym ones) and if you band them all together and place your feet in the proper places, you can definitely get a lot more than just 10 pounds of force. Also on my off days from the gym, I do a combination of resistance training with push ups and chin ups while I'm wearing my 50 pound weight vest. Sometimes I feel like I get a better workout doing this than actually going to the gym.0
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You can also sling the right number of resistance bands across a pull-up bar to provide just enough support for an assisted pull-up.
edit: also, when push-ups become too easy, you can sling a resistance band or two across your back under tension to great more push-up resistance. No reason why body resistance exercises can't keep you going for a long time.0 -
Resistance bands are a great work out tool. They can virtually be used for any workout you do in the gym if you are looking for a good burn.0
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