Buying weights
Discussion
Has anyone kitted themselves out with a proper Olympic bar and a good range of weights? I’m no expert and finding it something of a minefield. I am an overweight dad who is unlikely to test the limits of any bar but I want something reasonable quality for doing deadlifts and some other lifting. Any tips on brands and where to buy very gratefully received!
I’ve got one of these.
https://www.blkboxfitness.com/products/blk-box-bel...
I bought all my weights off eBay though, just search for Olympic tri grip and there are lots of different sellers.
If you need a bench then these are decent.
https://www.gymmaster.co.uk/products/gm3-fully-adj...
They also sell power racks so you can squat, bench etc.
It will cost you a few quid to get it all but it’s great having a home gym and not having to wait for knobheads who are scrolling Instagram on their phone to move at the gym.
https://www.blkboxfitness.com/products/blk-box-bel...
I bought all my weights off eBay though, just search for Olympic tri grip and there are lots of different sellers.
If you need a bench then these are decent.
https://www.gymmaster.co.uk/products/gm3-fully-adj...
They also sell power racks so you can squat, bench etc.
It will cost you a few quid to get it all but it’s great having a home gym and not having to wait for knobheads who are scrolling Instagram on their phone to move at the gym.
Douglas Quaid said:
I ve got one of these.
https://www.blkboxfitness.com/products/blk-box-bel...
I bought all my weights off eBay though, just search for Olympic tri grip and there are lots of different sellers.
If you need a bench then these are decent.
https://www.gymmaster.co.uk/products/gm3-fully-adj...
They also sell power racks so you can squat, bench etc.
It will cost you a few quid to get it all but it s great having a home gym and not having to wait for knobheads who are scrolling Instagram on their phone to move at the gym.
Thanks so much, appreciate it.https://www.blkboxfitness.com/products/blk-box-bel...
I bought all my weights off eBay though, just search for Olympic tri grip and there are lots of different sellers.
If you need a bench then these are decent.
https://www.gymmaster.co.uk/products/gm3-fully-adj...
They also sell power racks so you can squat, bench etc.
It will cost you a few quid to get it all but it s great having a home gym and not having to wait for knobheads who are scrolling Instagram on their phone to move at the gym.
I don’t miss those gym vibes one bit 🤣
I’ve bought stuff from Northern and also Mirafit and it’s been good value:
https://northerngymequipment.com/
https://mirafit.co.uk/
They both do packages too i.e. a rack, bench, bar and weights.
https://northerngymequipment.com/
https://mirafit.co.uk/
They both do packages too i.e. a rack, bench, bar and weights.
Ive also bought stuff from Northern recently, and bought my rack and bar/weights from Muscle Squad.
Great equipment but the customer service is also very good.
There is a huge range out there, it really depends what you want and what space you have.
I wanted a folding full rack with a pulley system and didnt seem to be too many out there
Great equipment but the customer service is also very good.
There is a huge range out there, it really depends what you want and what space you have.
I wanted a folding full rack with a pulley system and didnt seem to be too many out there
Gville said:
Has anyone kitted themselves out with a proper Olympic bar and a good range of weights? I m no expert and finding it something of a minefield. I am an overweight dad who is unlikely to test the limits of any bar but I want something reasonable quality for doing deadlifts and some other lifting. Any tips on brands and where to buy very gratefully received!
Yes. My single garage is home to basic but commercial grade kit. Most home gym kit is thinner and flimsy than the stuff you d find in an actual gym. I found a company called Recharge Fitness based in Bristol that specialises in commercial grade stuff at similar prices to the regular retail stuff which isn t as strong. When I move house to hopefully a larger garage, I plan to get some more bits!
As of now it s just a rack (with landmine attachment) and bench, Olympic bar, EZ bar, and weight plates. But that allows you to do a hell of a lot: deadlifts, squats, bench press, bent over rows, shoulder press, bicep curls and skull crushers (with the EZ bar), pull ups, plus more.
The rack is 75x75mm box section steel. Most home stuff is only 50 or 60mm.
Here’s the link to my quarter rack:
https://www.rechargefitness.co.uk/product-page/com...
Edited by Prohibiting on Wednesday 22 April 06:59
Don't buy an Olympic bar unless you are doing Olympic lifts - they have a lot more flex in them to suit the dynamic movements (i.e. snatches and cleans). A powerlifting or all rounder is better for most lifters - the Rogue Ohio bar is about perfect and will outlive you by some considerable margin.
Buy a pair of each 10s, 5s, 2.5s and 1.25s, and two pairs of 20 plates. This will allow you to load in 2.5kg increments from empty bar (20kg) to 137.5kg, which for a beginner will feel like a decent lift. Once you get there you'll have a better idea of what to do next. Don't buy 15s or 25s. They just complicate the maths
A cheap pair of squat stands will do while the weights are light, but a cage or full rack is a safer and more versatile purchase if you are planning on sticking with lifting.
A flat bench will be sufficient when you start too. Don't bother with any dumbbells. They are expensive and progression is harder (you will be making large percentage increases on small accessory lifts).
Honestly you don't need much else when starting out. Stick to big compound lifts (Squat, deadlift, bench, row, overhead press), add weight over time and start very light (i.e. empty bar) if you are new to lifting. It won't be long until you are feeling it, but it gives you a bit of time to practice good form before it becomes too heavy.
Buy a pair of each 10s, 5s, 2.5s and 1.25s, and two pairs of 20 plates. This will allow you to load in 2.5kg increments from empty bar (20kg) to 137.5kg, which for a beginner will feel like a decent lift. Once you get there you'll have a better idea of what to do next. Don't buy 15s or 25s. They just complicate the maths
A cheap pair of squat stands will do while the weights are light, but a cage or full rack is a safer and more versatile purchase if you are planning on sticking with lifting.
A flat bench will be sufficient when you start too. Don't bother with any dumbbells. They are expensive and progression is harder (you will be making large percentage increases on small accessory lifts).
Honestly you don't need much else when starting out. Stick to big compound lifts (Squat, deadlift, bench, row, overhead press), add weight over time and start very light (i.e. empty bar) if you are new to lifting. It won't be long until you are feeling it, but it gives you a bit of time to practice good form before it becomes too heavy.
justin220 said:
Interesting comment on the dumbbells. I have an adjustable pair and they are fantastic. Probably my most used bit of kit they are so versatile
I've been looking at getting some, what have you got? They do seem expensive, especially if you're a beginner starting out, sticking to compound movements using a bar is good advice.
I kitted my garage out with Wolverson kit.
https://wolverson-fitness.co.uk/
A good bar is key as thats the bit you touch, need stability from and so on.
https://wolverson-fitness.co.uk/
A good bar is key as thats the bit you touch, need stability from and so on.
justin220 said:
Interesting comment on the dumbbells. I have an adjustable pair and they are fantastic. Probably my most used bit of kit they are so versatile
Dumbbells are great for accessory work when you know what you are doing, but are more an intermediate or advanced tool. Beginners benefit more from progressive overload on compound exercises. It allows for the biggest and most efficient muscle growth. It also allows smaller loading increments than most dumbbells. Take the humble bicep curl. On a bar you can add as little as 0.5 kg per side, so a 30kg curl becomes a 31kg, or a 3.3% increase. With 2x 15kg dumbbells, generally the next size up is a 17.5, so you go from 30 to 35, which is a 17% increase! Which is more likely to lead to bad form, failure or even injury.
Same with squatting or deadlifting with dumbbells, you are more likely to reach the limit of what you can hold, (or the heaviest dumbbell you own) long before you reach the limit of what your legs can push. Even if you have a pair of 50s (which will likely cost you hundreds of pounds alone), that will only be a 100kg squat, which is well within reach of most adult males without too much effort, but lifting and holding a pair of 50s while you squat will be asking for an injury.
I'm not saying dumbbells don't have their place, but they are not the best tool for beginners, IMHO.
Interesting, thanks. I have recently signed up for an online PT programme, and almost all the work out is using dumbbells.
Mine are fairly generic ones, not sure what brand they are but have 1.5kg increments. My only complaint would be the size of them, they are long.
I'd still like a set of separate dumbbells which I would find handy to use to save changing the settings all the time. EG doing two different exercises straight after each other.
Mine are fairly generic ones, not sure what brand they are but have 1.5kg increments. My only complaint would be the size of them, they are long.
I'd still like a set of separate dumbbells which I would find handy to use to save changing the settings all the time. EG doing two different exercises straight after each other.
WH16 said:
Dumbbells are great for accessory work when you know what you are doing, but are more an intermediate or advanced tool. Beginners benefit more from progressive overload on compound exercises. It allows for the biggest and most efficient muscle growth. It also allows smaller loading increments than most dumbbells.
I'm not saying dumbbells don't have their place, but they are not the best tool for beginners, IMHO.
I wouldn't agree with that. Go to failure with a barbell chest press (which you're more likely to as a beginner) and you're in trouble, whereas with dumbells you can just drop them. I prefer dumbells for a lot of things because you're engaging more muscles to keep them stable. I wouldn't, on the other hand, bother trying to do squats and deadlifts with them, so for certain things a barbell is needed too.I'm not saying dumbbells don't have their place, but they are not the best tool for beginners, IMHO.
justin220 said:
Interesting, thanks. I have recently signed up for an online PT programme, and almost all the work out is using dumbbells.
Mine are fairly generic ones, not sure what brand they are but have 1.5kg increments. My only complaint would be the size of them, they are long.
I'd still like a set of separate dumbbells which I would find handy to use to save changing the settings all the time. EG doing two different exercises straight after each other.
A lot of trainers will favour dumbbells for 2 main reasons - 1. People buy them because they don't take up much room, and not everyone has the space for a rack and a 7ft bar at home, so they will sell more dumbbell programs than OLY/Powerlifting ones, and 2. they can write endless variations into their program so it looks like they are actively managing your progress, but in reality complexity does not mean effectiveness, it just stops you getting bored with the same lifts. Mine are fairly generic ones, not sure what brand they are but have 1.5kg increments. My only complaint would be the size of them, they are long.
I'd still like a set of separate dumbbells which I would find handy to use to save changing the settings all the time. EG doing two different exercises straight after each other.
Again, I'm not knocking dumbbells, I use them in a lot of my workouts, but in terms of bang-for-buck (both cost, strength increase and muscle growth), as a beginner you will not do better than heavy compound lifts with a bar. I know a lot depends on what your goals are, and if you are just looking for a calorie burn and a pump, then a high intensity dumbbell workout is great, but for building real strength you need lots of weight, and for lots of weight you need a bar.
Just IMHO of course, and YMMV etc etc.
king arthur said:
WH16 said:
Dumbbells are great for accessory work when you know what you are doing, but are more an intermediate or advanced tool. Beginners benefit more from progressive overload on compound exercises. It allows for the biggest and most efficient muscle growth. It also allows smaller loading increments than most dumbbells.
I'm not saying dumbbells don't have their place, but they are not the best tool for beginners, IMHO.
I wouldn't agree with that. Go to failure with a barbell chest press (which you're more likely to as a beginner) and you're in trouble, whereas with dumbells you can just drop them. I prefer dumbells for a lot of things because you're engaging more muscles to keep them stable. I wouldn't, on the other hand, bother trying to do squats and deadlifts with them, so for certain things a barbell is needed too.I'm not saying dumbbells don't have their place, but they are not the best tool for beginners, IMHO.
As I said, I'm not anti-dumbbell, but like you point out, if you need a barbell anyway for other lifts, then unless you have money and time to burn, the bar will be more effective for a beginner to intermediate lifter.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff