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Subject: Buying Dumbbells
Posted by: Senator Urine
- [141130310] Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 08:20
So I think I need to buy more dumbbells. My building has a gym downstairs but the free weights only go up to 50 lbs, so I bought myself a pair of 70s a year ago and use them up in my room on my bench. Last summer when I moved out to Seattle I had an amazing workout facility and actually gained about 20 lbs in 2.5 months having a wide range of weights available to me. I can tell I'm shrinking, and it's feeling more like my workouts fatigue my brain than my muscles.
It seems like Bowflex Selecttech 1090 Dumbbells might be what I'm looking for, but jesus they're expensive. After shipping, that's $730. Does anyone know if they sell these in stores (Philly area preferrably), or where I could find a good deal on dummbells in general? Right now I think I'd really only need 60s and 80s. |
| 1 | Boxman
ID: 571114225
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 08:38
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I buy mine at a small chain of second hand exercise equipment stores by where I live. I use old school iron "single piece" free weights and a weight bar with plates. Forget the overpriced Bowflex stuff. The best part is that they buy the weights I don't use anymore.
I would check out a similar store in your area because the cost savings is awesome.
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| 2 | Senator Urine
ID: 011502111
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 10:54
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That sounds like a good idea, hopefully there's a place like that in the Philly area. Seems like there should be. In the long run no matter what anything's cheaper than a gym membership though, have to remind myself of that.
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| 3 | Senator Urine
ID: 011502111
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 12:18
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Seems like choices are limited, the best deal I've found searching for used exercise equipment stores online so far is a place in NJ that's selling hex dumbbells at 0.79 cents a pound. So 2 * (80 + 75 + 65 + 60) * 0.79 = $442.40 if I got everything I wanted and half of that if I just got the 80s and 60s.
It seems like there should be a cheaper way...
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| 4 | ¤ Mario LeMoose¤
ID: 05361411
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 12:39
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Maybe you've already checked ... is there a Play It Again Sports in your vicinity?
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| 5 | Boxman
ID: 571114225
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 15:09
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In the long run no matter what anything's cheaper than a gym membership though, have to remind myself of that.
I really know I'm more dedicated to my routine with the weights in my house as opposed to a gym membership. I just don't see myself wanting to drive to a gym before or after work so that leaves the weekends. I'd rather have the weights not only for the cost savings but the convenience factor too.
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| 6 | Senator Urine
ID: 011502111
Sat, Jun 14, 2008, 15:16
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Yeah, same here. I do have the option of joining my work's gym for only $15 a month, but work is 18 miles away and I don't want to drive there and back on the weekends. And anything in the city in walking distance is ridiculously overpriced. I'd rather just stay in my room or go down to the gym in the basement and workout. Only downside is no spotter - in the past when I've had 80s available I've tweaked things just getting into position.
Play It Again Sports is actually the one I found with the deal, there's one in Jersey not too far from my parents' house. Kind of a drive but beats $730, maybe I'll check it out tomorrow.
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| 7 | Senator Urine
ID: 141130310
Sun, Jun 15, 2008, 21:25
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Alright, called up Play It Again and it turns out they had 80 lb dumbbells for $0.49 a pound. I doubt I'll ever see a better price than that, so I drove out there but it turned out they weren't the hex type, but the kind where two 20 lb plates are glued together on each side of a bar. So in reality, they were 82.5 lbs. I asked if I could try them out to see if I could actually use them, and was unable to get the first one up without a spot. Granted I hadn't warmed up, but it was probably too risky of a purchase.
Anyone have any tips for getting that first rep up without a spotter? I'd really like to buy those, and aside from the trouble with the first one it felt fairly easy afterwards. I only have 70s to use for now, but I'm not sure how I'd go about using them to train for getting the first rep of 82.5s up more easily. Not being able to progress is incredibly frustrating. My best bet right now is hoping the one other Play It Again in the area has 75s or real 80s used.
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| 8 | Seattle Zen
ID: 29241823
Mon, Jun 16, 2008, 00:42
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I'm assuming the bench you mention is a bench press bench with arms for a barbell, yes? Why not buy a olympic barbell and set of weights? I did that years ago, it was a 300 lbs. set, came with a pair of 45's, 35's, 25's, 10's, two pairs of 5's and a pair of 2.5's. If you still want dumbbells, I've seen olympic weight dumbbells for sale. Buy an extra set of 25's and a couple sets of 10's and you can produce just about any weight combination. There are tons of exercises you can do with your barbell: power cleans, shoulder press, dead lifts, upright rows, curls, triceps extensions...
So your plan is to do sets of 80 pound dumbbell presses in your apartment? How's your downstairs neighbor going to like you after you drop those onto the floor a few times?
You have to be careful when dumbbell pressing a lot of weight. I was not careful when I lowered myself a few months ago, letting the weight fall to my side, tweaking my elbow. My forearm is still sore.
Since you only have 70's at home now and want to gain strength, the best bet is to tire your muscle by slowing down your rep. Using fierce concentration, do lower the dumbbells just a touch lower than you are used to at a very deliberate pace. Then pause at the bottom for a tiny fraction of a second. At half the speed you usually use, push the weights up and flex your chest at the top, but do not pause at the top for even a fraction of a second, bring the weights down again real slow. When you can no longer control the weights at the slow speed, knock out a the last few reps at regular pace. You should only have enough left for two, maybe three reps.
When even this becomes too easy, you can start doing these reps where you lower the weight an inch or so at a time, pausing each time for a half a second, doing the same on the way back up. I don't know if this has a proper name, but it is an effective way to train a muscle using less weight. Making five or six short pauses in each direction will have you spent in no time. Again, when you get to the end, finish off the last few like regular reps. Do a few drop sets using this form and you'll remember it the next two days. These are great ways to change up your routine and when you go back to regular bench or dumbbell presses, you'll be stronger.
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| 9 | Seattle Zen
ID: 29241823
Mon, Jun 16, 2008, 00:47
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Oh, the one thing I have no complaints about SW Washington is my gym. I paid $180 for TWO years membership. Yeah, $7.50 a month! Ugly ass, beat down dump of a place with more weights and apparatuses than imaginable. You can't beat the price.
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| 10 | Senator Urine
ID: 141130310
Tue, Jun 17, 2008, 19:22
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Cool thanks, I'll give that pace changing method a shot.
Yeah it does have the arms for a barbell and it came with one, but with a barbell comes the problem of what happens on that last rep? If I can't get it up, I'm stuck and have to do the whole trying to slide the weights off without killing myself or putting the bar through the window routine. I think my two biggest setbacks are the lack of a spotter and the lack of good sleep (I'm always in bed early giving myself time for at least 8 hours of sleep, it just doesn't work)
So far with the 70s I haven't dropped them, I just sit up and manage to get them onto my legs. Sometimes I'll slowly lower them to the side and drop them a little bit, but yeah, as you said injuries tend to happen.
That sounds like a great gym deal, I thought I was getting a good one back when I lived with my parents for 200 a year.
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| 11 | Boxman
ID: 571114225
Sun, Jun 29, 2008, 15:58
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I'm going to the Play It Again Sports by my place tomorrow and selling a pair of 80s for 18 cents a pound and upgrading to 85s at $67 a piece. With my trade-in it's like I'm getting one of them 1/2 off.
Using fierce concentration, do lower the dumbbells just a touch lower than you are used to at a very deliberate pace. Then pause at the bottom for a tiny fraction of a second. At half the speed you usually use, push the weights up and flex your chest at the top, but do not pause at the top for even a fraction of a second, bring the weights down again real slow.
That method works really well. I do a slow movement series with a pair of 15s (where the weights never touch the ground or at my sides) that when done correctly and with enough reps really tire me out. It's also a nice change of pace from my regular workout.
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