UKC

I'm thinking of buying some but know nothing about them.

Is there anything I should be looking for or are they all much of a muchness?

In reply to Simon Lee:

Get small weights with them so you can increase your resistance in small amounts. Some big sets are lacking in littlies.

I've got some cheap dumbells gathering dust somewhere but when i used them they were perfectly adequate.

Not had a barbell since my teens so not really sure about them. Mine was basically just a bar - no fancy olympic barbells for me - with 2 locking collars.

In reply to Simon Lee:

Go for metal weights as opposed to plastic/vinyl ones. Get more for your space on the bar/dumbell.

In reply to Simon Lee:

Simon, technique's more important, e.g. elbows tucked tight into body and hands almost touching, when doing curls, feet off bench, knees above chest and ankles crossed when doing benchpresses. It's all about isolating the muscle groups you're working on.

You would think that technique would be pretty simple. It isn't. Would suggest getting input from someone (e.g. a hard-core bodybuilder) who really knows what they're talking about - while explaining that you're doing it for different reasons.

Mick (a misspent youth in hard-core gyms... as well as crags)

In reply to Mick Ward:


Hi Mick. I am especially conscious of the need for good form with my longstanding back problems. You tube has quite a lot to work from though.

In reply to Simon Lee:

if you can afford Olympic weights i would recommend them over standard 1 inch weights

In reply to lost1977:

Sorry - I have no idea what you are talking about - can you explain and why would recommend one over the other ?

In reply to Simon Lee:

weights are generally refered to as standard or olympic

Olympic weights sets have 2 inch holes rather than the 1 inch standard weight sets have. the main benefits are olympic bars

olympic bars are much better quality making moves such as power cleans a lot easier on the wrists. oly bars also take a lot more weight before they bend (i've bent many standard bars but only ever bent 1 oly bar)

olypmic weight also hold their value much more than standard

In reply to lost1977:

Ta

In reply to Simon Lee:

but i will admit bending your first barbell is quite satisfying

In reply to Simon Lee:

Oh yes - if anyone in Sheffield has a neglected set that they want to sell which might be representing a hazard in their wardrobe drop me a line...

In reply to Simon Lee:

dumbells exercise the supportive muscles along side the target muscles better then do barbells. e.g. shoulder press with dumbells as compaired to barbell and you'll soon notice!


buy enough weights and bars so you can have dumbells ready and not need to make them up for specific exercises. say,

2x 5kg

2X 10kg

2X 15kg

or whatever for your range of weight you are pushing

because breaking them down to make smaller or bigger weights from a small quantity of weights and bars will piss u off and prolong your sessions and eventualy turn u off.

eventualy as you progress you can canibalise the smaller weights to increase to bigger weights.

i find the ones from argos are fine but thsoe dunbells can take up a little bit of space both for storage and on the bar (someone mentioned this above) so think how u will store them.

Be carefull with dumbells as its tempting to try exercise weaker muscles, any of the deltoids say, with a heavier dumbell you may have been doign back with, i think its easier to tweak something with dumbells maybe because of the increased demands on the stabilisers, so be carefull

In reply to Simon Lee: Dumbbells are great! They provide a very flexible body conditioning method. You can get some beautiful stainless steel sets from most catalogue sports sections. As Daiti u Murachu auggests, get them so you've got a few weights already set up (i.e. you'll need more weight for an inclined press then you would for triceps extension). Look on the web for 'complete dumbbell workout' (e.g. YouTube or the Men's Health website has some basic but really good all-over workouts)

In reply to Simon Lee:
Quick reply because I'm supposed to be on my way to Kilnsey.
Decathlon is your friend...
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/bars-4187034/#
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/discs-4187214/
Agree with the general comment about Olympic bar, but I don't think it's necessary or as practical for you; 28mm plates/bar will be fine (and cheaper). Make 2kg plates your standard dumbbell weight then the dumbbells won't be physically too big to impede form/ROM on certain exercises.
I'll be back later if you've got any Q's.

In reply to Simon Lee:

I finally relented to train with my husband, doing resistance training using barbells, dumbbells and resistance bands. We also made a 'sloosh' tube- 4 inch drainpipe cut with end stops 3/4 filled with water. Makes for interesting shoulder presses, squats and lunges, recruiting all your muscles and core.

Men's fitness always has lots of routines, personally I think it's better than Men's health.

Have fun!

In reply to waterbaby:

sloosh tubes are fun what size you made yours ?

In reply to Simon Lee:

This website is great

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

choose any muscle from the right hand list and you can select dumbell and or barbell excercises for it and also see a clip of the correct form, and a list of other used muscles as stabilsers and so on

also the main pages of the site have a lot of good info on exercise , building muscle , tone, planning routiens.
i think its very very good but im only a lightweight when it comes to weigh training

In reply to lost1977:

We have two-his and hers. One is about 1300mm and the other was about 1500mm. Unfortunately it's now a bit shorter as the ends kept leaking and dumping water on us. Putting new ends on meant cutting the old ones off.

I usually end up using his now, he underestimated my strength, clearly