Basic weight lifting setup - Standard or olympic

[Rick_1138]

Hi folks.

Since I feel massively better since my bowel surgery I am looking to start doing my fitness training again.

When I did it before it was mainly cross trainer use and basic weightlifting and PT exercises.

My weight set was an argos Pro Fitness job, it did its job fine and I had a basic bench and bar\dumbbell set.

The bar was a 6kg 5ft job with spinlock attachment.

My old man sold my weights to a family friend when I stopped doing the exercise as they were taking up space and were useful to him.

I have been looking on Argos and gumtree for stuff and I know I want a bench with curl\chest exercise bits for arm and leg work. And seen a good one on sale for £60.

Weight wise I have seen the same set I used to have for £60 (cast iron weights) but I have also seen some Olympic sets from Maximuscle that have all I had before and a 17kg 7ft bar.

However I am a little hesitant to get a full set partly because the maxi muscle stuff is £200! but I was mostly pressing about 20-30kg with deadlifts being 50kg.

I have seen views on both and wondered if there were any merits for and against the 6kg short bar over the 7ft Olympic stuff.

Does anyone know of any local (Aberdeen) places that sell weight lifting equipment. Most places are just fitness gym equipment.

I am avoiding deadlifts and squats due to surgery recovery but do plan to get back into that later.

[Prof Prolapse]

I'm very laid back with all this but I bought an Olympic 7 foot 20kg bar.

Reason being the weights are easy to get for it as they're fairly standard size so I can get second hand ones if I ever need to, it has better resale potential, and most importantly because you can change the weights quickly and easily against the screw ends.

I have the screw type ends on my dumbells and they are a bd to faff with, they're never used as a result.

I'm sure there are far better reasons than that, but that was my rationale. I bought mine from powerhouse fitness in Glasgow.

[Rick_1138]

Cheers for that.

I had the screw type and fell out with them.

I see we have a powerhouse in Aberdeen, I thought it had closed ages ago

The have a 5' bar and vinyl coated weight set with the heavy duty spring clip holders, which isn't bad.

I have seen getting Olympic plates has been harder but that may just be locally.

I shall mooch into powerhouse and see what they have because if I can buy stuff as an ongoing process rather than a big set all at once that may be better.

[Prof Prolapse]

Sounds like a plan. One last thing I did was to make sure the weights are the type with handles cut into them. They are much easier to cart around the place if you don't have a rack, and lift onto your bar.

I now realise I am probably the laziest weights owner in the world.

[Rick_1138]

Ha ha, bit worried about the irony of 'professor Prolapse' giving weight lifting tips.....

Yeah I agree about the handles as the amount of times I nipped my fingers stacking the 10 and 15kg plates I don't know.

Seems I can get a 7' bar for about £80 and buy plates in packs of 4 or individually after 10kg

Awaits ebay auctions to finish for pennies to buy equipment.

Plan not to squash the guinea pigs who live in the big loft\spare room where the stuff will be

[B19GRR]

Rick_1138 said:

Awaits ebay auctions to finish for pennies to buy equipment.

Hope you get lucky, these Olympic bars definitely hold their price. I've been watching for a while, currently using a 5' screw fit bar and getting proper fed up of spinning the ends off.

I'm doing my personal variant of Stronglifts that I hilariously call Weaklifts so I could get away with just getting a few more 10kg weights for my bar but where's the fun in that! I really need a squat rack of some description though, currently having to do squats with dumbbells cos I can't get the loaded barbell over my head - wuss-tastic!

Cheers,
Rob

[Rick_1138]

B19GRR said:

Rick_1138 said:

Awaits ebay auctions to finish for pennies to buy equipment.

Hope you get lucky, these Olympic bars definitely hold their price. I've been watching for a while, currently using a 5' screw fit bar and getting proper fed up of spinning the ends off.

I'm doing my personal variant of Stronglifts that I hilariously call Weaklifts so I could get away with just getting a few more 10kg weights for my bar but where's the fun in that! I really need a squat rack of some description though, currently having to do squats with dumbbells cos I can't get the loaded barbell over my head - wuss-tastic!

Cheers,
Rob

Sorry, I worded that badly, I am selling stuff on ebay to make pennies to buy weight stuff and pay for holiday

Who says there is no money in toy soldiers!

[Asterix]

B19GRR said:

... that I hilariously call Weaklifts

Hahahahahahahahahahzhahahahahzhahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahahahahah
ahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha

[Mojooo]

Olympic bars spread the weight betters - the thinner shorter bars 'dig in' when you go heavier.

[B19GRR]

Asterix said:

Hahahahahahahahahahzhahahahahzhahahahahahahaahhahahahahahahahahahah
ahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha

I told you it was hilarious, I hope you didn't spill too many liquids, either cup based or bodily as part of your laughing fit

[Asterix]

Ah, man! Pissed myself, twice