Weights/Equipment/Your Regrets?

CoderGal · February 2013

I'm currently online shopping. Did you get weights and then seen something later down the road that you wish you got instead? What was it and why? What did you get and didn't like? Also interested in equipment like bench and something to squat in...Kind of just browsing for now. What's best or what is cheap and full of multi-tasking abilities.

I seem to be a fan of things that are hex shaped. They're full of multi-tasky-ness

ALSO: Where to shop online?

Edit: Looking at getting into stronglifts 5x5 and extra impressed by snatches and clean and jerk type lifts. I'll be alone with no experience and no spotter. Olympic bar?>others?

morticiamom · February 2013

We bought a cheap set of weights, with a curl bar instead of a regular bar, and the little squeeze clips to hold the weights on from a sporting goods store that was going out of business. We also bought a bench. The bench has attachments for curls, rows, and leg extensions, and it's great, especially for the price. But I wish we had a higher quality barbell and weight set. It's such a pain to change the weights. Of course, when we bought ti, we didn't know we get into lifting as much as we have.

coyoteo · February 2013

I bought a bowflex....and adore it.

jimmie65 · February 2013

I buy on Craigslist. Only regret is that I bought standard weights instead of Olympic.

Look for a power rack.

CoderGal · February 2013

I buy on Craigslist. Only regret is that I bought standard weights instead of Olympic.

Look for a power rack.

Thank you! You think a power rack is best for standing type exercises? I know there's several different flavors of 'squat' racks, that's one of them right? Why a power rack over the others? Are there different types of power racks, one being better then the other? I've skimmed kijiji and apparently there is 1 person in the whole province with an olymmpic bar lol. He wants 500 dollars for everything (a dollar a weight) and will not sell separately...I'm not a big weight person, will never lift 500lbs and am not paying that lol.

MoreBean13 · February 2013

I don't own my own set yet, but I would get an olympic bar, bench, weights, and a power rack if I was investing in my own- preferably used. And some sweet pink paint.

I've actually heard that hex plates are bad, that they jerk around rolling and whack you in the shins with the bar even more often because they rarely set down perfectly even. I haven't used them myself, though.

donahm01 · February 2013

Olympic set is way to go, I love mine. My bench is versatile so Ican do shoulder presses along with incline and decline bench press. I also love the solid hex dumbells I bought. They did cost a pretty penny though. I just do not understand why no calories are calculated into the food diary for lifting. I lift for about 60 minutes before hitting the elliptical for 30 to 40 minutes. kind of discouraging.

MoreBean13 · February 2013

I buy on Craigslist. Only regret is that I bought standard weights instead of Olympic.

Look for a power rack.

Thank you! You think a power rack is best for standing type exercises? I know there's several different flavors of 'squat' racks, that's one of them right? Why a power rack over the others? Are there different types of power racks, one being better then the other? I've skimmed kijiji and apparently there is 1 person in the whole province with an olymmpic bar lol. He wants 500 dollars for everything (a dollar a weight) and will not sell separately...I'm not a big weight person, will never lift 500lbs and am not paying that lol.

Power racks have safety bars you can set for whatever exercises you are doing- standing or bench- I would consider it a must for lifting alone with no spotter.

CoderGal · February 2013

I don't own my own set yet, but I would get an olympic bar, bench, weights, and a power rack if I was investing in my own- preferably used. And some sweet pink paint.

I've actually heard that hex plates are bad, that they jerk around rolling and whack you in the shins with the bar even more often because they rarely set down perfectly even. I haven't used them myself, though.

You have a good point. I was more thinking about throwing them around separately and doing squats. Deadlifts would suck. See, this is why I asked :P

CoderGal · February 2013

Olympic set is way to go, I love mine. My bench is versatile so Ican do shoulder presses along with incline and decline bench press. I also love the solid hex dumbells I bought. They did cost a pretty penny though. I just do not understand why no calories are calculated into the food diary for lifting. I lift for about 60 minutes before hitting the elliptical for 30 to 40 minutes. kind of discouraging.

It's because it's hard to calculate considering it depends what you are lifting how many reps, how fast, how weak you are etc etc etc. You should log it in the cardio section though. Its well earned. There's a 'weight lifting' option if you don't have a guess since HRMs are notoriously bad at guesstimating weight lifting burns.

CoderGal · February 2013

I don't own my own set yet, but I would get an olympic bar, bench, weights, and a power rack if I was investing in my own- preferably used. And some sweet pink paint.

I've actually heard that hex plates are bad, that they jerk around rolling and whack you in the shins with the bar even more often because they rarely set down perfectly even. I haven't used them myself, though.

This was my idea...olympic bar, a bench, weights but not sure what kinds there are and what is considered 'best' by most, and something to do heavy stuff in without killing myself, power racks seem popular.

CoderGal · February 2013

I buy on Craigslist. Only regret is that I bought standard weights instead of Olympic.

Look for a power rack.

Thank you! You think a power rack is best for standing type exercises? I know there's several different flavors of 'squat' racks, that's one of them right? Why a power rack over the others? Are there different types of power racks, one being better then the other? I've skimmed kijiji and apparently there is 1 person in the whole province with an olymmpic bar lol. He wants 500 dollars for everything (a dollar a weight) and will not sell separately...I'm not a big weight person, will never lift 500lbs and am not paying that lol.

Power racks have safety bars you can set for whatever exercises you are doing- standing or bench- I would consider it a must for lifting alone with no spotter.

So I could use it to collapse in, put a bench in, put bar on for bench lifts and standing lifts and what about deadlifts? I'm assuming I'd need to do that away from there...damn I need more space.

CoderGal · February 2013

Also, do I get the womens or mens bar? Is the womens bar basically if you're short? I'm assuming the only difference is its shorter?

LorinaLynn · February 2013

Overall I'm happy with the cheap bench set I got from sears, but the main problem is that the uprights on the bench are just a little tiny bit too close together, and I've pinched that fleshy bit on the outside of my hands quite a few times. A lesser problem was that the bar that came with it was tiny and I couldn't put much weights on it, but when I outgrew it, I got a full sized barbell (not Oly though because it was out of my budget).

LiftAllThePizzas · February 2013

I picked up a cheap weight set on craigslist for $20. It's the kind with the plastic-covered cement weights. Also found a squat rack for $200 that was $1300 new. It's bigger than a power rack, takes up more space but our basement is big. It's also not adjustable on the height, but it is (luckily) the right height for my benches and squats.

I don't own my own set yet, but I would get an olympic bar, bench, weights, and a power rack if I was investing in my own- preferably used. And some sweet pink paint.

Smart move! You can't get bulky if the weights are pink.

CoderGal · February 2013

I picked up a cheap weight set on craigslist for $20. It's the kind with the plastic-covered cement weights. Also found a squat rack for $200 that was $1300 new. It's bigger than a power rack, takes up more space but our basement is big. It's also not adjustable on the height, but it is (luckily) the right height for my benches and squats.

I don't own my own set yet, but I would get an olympic bar, bench, weights, and a power rack if I was investing in my own- preferably used. And some sweet pink paint.

Smart move! You can't get bulky if the weights are pink.

Screw that I'm painting mine kawi green to match my bike. GREEN *HULK FACE*

BeachGingerOnTheRocks · February 2013

In storage, we have a curl bar and a bunch of weights for said curl bar. Nobody has used it in years. I have, however, broken a toe tripping over it. Hence, storage.

MoreBean13 · February 2013

So I could use it to collapse in, put a bench in, put bar on for bench lifts and standing lifts and what about deadlifts? I'm assuming I'd need to do that away from there...damn I need more space.

For deadlifts with limited space you would just take out the safety pins and move out the bench and do them right in the rack.

ETA: I would also go with the 'Men's' standard bar. I prefer to be comfortable with standard equipment- there really aren't many women's bars around, but that's really up to you. I think women's bars are 35lbs vs 45, and a little smaller for samller hands. I have small hands- and sometimes it would be nice, but I'd still rather figure out how to use the standard equipment.

hesn92 · February 2013

i want to buy an olympic bar with a set of plates to go with it. a bench and a rack. But goddamn that stuff is soooo expensive. Just the bar and weights alone .... it makes me want to cry a little bit. I might see if my boyfriend will build me a bench and rack. Lol. It will be wooden but whatever.

hesn92 · February 2013

Also, do I get the womens or mens bar? Is the womens bar basically if you're short? I'm assuming the only difference is its shorter?

You can use the olympic bar if you're short... it just weighs more. I believe the "women's" bar is 35lb and the olympic bar is 45. I think either one would be fine.

donahm01 · February 2013

Thanks for the tip. Just got turned onto this by a co worker. working out the kinks. And yes it is well earned I am breaking a sweat so I know its getting my metabolic rate up. They say lifting before doing cardio actually increases your weight loss. We will see....

Weights/Equipment/Your Regrets?

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