Looking for some dumbells

[MumboJumbo]

Hey guys, im looking for some dumbells to buy. Having never bought any before i have no idea what is good and what is not.

I think that a 20kg set would be a good thing to start on but really i dont have much of a clue about weights. So i hope youll be able to point me in a good direction

Ive been looking over some on the internet and a lot of them seem to come with very rough grips. I am guesing i am ment to also buy some gloves? Would be nice to get some rubber griped ones as i do have very tender skin on my hands from a previous injury which has never healed properly.

My price range hasn't been fully desided yet. Ill pay what i need to for a good first set as i dont want to buy rubbish stuff only to replace it later. But i also am not looking at anything to expensive. Im guesing around £30 would cover this but if i cant get anything good for that ill pay more.

thanks

 

[MumboJumbo]

haha oops, i didn't even know taht existed. ill report it so it can be moved. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[MumboJumbo]

Good enough?

I'd get some lifting gloves for your hands.

Thanks ill look into them.

lol.. Don't get gloves!!!!

And don't get only 20kg!!!!

Very minimum of 50kg! You should get 150-200kg+

I'd get a stand alone bench too..

edit: where abouts in essex are you?

Im only 17 and dont have the room to get a bench as i have a drum kit in my room lol. Im not looking to spend out on a whole gym kit and if i enjoy the dumbells i may sign up to a gym not sure.

really im getting them to tone my self up and gain a bit of extra muscel, not looking to turn into arny. Just look less skinny lol.

Also i live in colchester

:EDIT:

I presume i could always buy new weights for the dumbells also to turn it into 50kg if i needed to.

 

[MumboJumbo]

dont worry about gloves. it'll toughen up your hand which is always a good one. plus calases (sp?) are great fun to pick. if you just want dumbells for arm workouts look into getting at least 50kg. that way if your just starting working out now you'll be able to progress. but tbh if you wanna work out most of your body youll need to get some sort of bench or seat. as doing shoulders, back etc using household furniture is a bit of a pain

Well my hands got quite badly burnt and while they look pritty normal now, any rough metal surfaces i had to hold on to and lift weights would just rip them apart.

Just playing the drums for an hour gives me blisters lol.

I used to have a very strong back till i fell 3 floors and had internal bruising down my spine. They said the only reason im not in a wheel chair is because i ahd such a strong back. But it prevented me playing sport for a long time and now its just normal again. Not really sure how i could build it up again. I used to play a lot of squash, rugby etc but now i dont nor do i erally have the time too.

What ever you do.. Don't just train your arms and eat like a rabbit.

I do running and that but i didn't really plan to work ouit anything but my wrists and arms and pecks. Why is this such a bad idea?


As for diet, i have a very healthy diet. Perhaps not what is required for body building but as ive stated before im not looking to turn into arny.


:EDIT:


So with all that in mind do you lot recon theese argos ones would be alright to get me going and possibly upgrade the weights on later.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...t_10199523|Weights+and+dumbbells|10199526.htm

 

[MumboJumbo]

yaeh I can see what you mean. What im after is just stronger arms with a bit of meat to them. I dont want to be bolging just not skinny really if you get me. I presume that while doing this my pecks will also increase in size but im not looking for huge ones, just a bit of tone to them as well.

What gloves would you guys recomend? Not looking for real expensive onse just comfy.

 

[MumboJumbo]

Don't worry theres not a cat in hells chance you'll turn into arny with a set of 20kg dumbells

If i were you i'd take adamsymons advice, you really can't do too much with a set of dumbells, but if you just want to get a little more skinny i'd focus your entire plan around running and diet.

Gloves: http://www.myprotein.co.uk/products/accessories/weight-lifting-gloves/

There will probably be some cheaper about but a few people i know use these and like them.

haha well what i ment was that i wasn't looking to start mass body building. I dont need to skinny down im already skinny just want to meat up a bit without being excessive.

And thanks for the link i shall bookmark it. They look quite comfy.

Do you guys recon if i got those 20kg argos onse i could then later upgrade to 50kg alright just by buying new weights? i dont mind spending more then those argos ones but only if its worth it.

 

[MumboJumbo]

cheers. Ive got an idea of what size i awnt to get my arms too. WIth this size in mind the only part of my body which i think would look out of proportion would be my chest. But am i right in saying if im working out my arms my chest will get some working out as well and i beleive i can use the dumbells to improve my chest size as well? I know i wont be able to get it that big with dumbells but im not looking to be really big anyway.

 

[MumboJumbo]

Total. Having never done weights im not really sure how to judge them. Im not really that strong now being only 17. I have stronger forearms then most people my age i know due to playing the drums but my bicepts are pritty much as big as youd expect for a 17 year old who doesn't work out. Ie not big lol.

 

[MumboJumbo]

not really, if your doing curls etc properly you should be isolating the bicep/tricep.

you can use dumbells to work out your chest, you can press them, and do some fly (cant think of what the correct name for it is).

Ok then well i gues in a way its probably better if i can work them out separately. That way switching between exercizes wont overdo my upper arms too much.

Just been looking at that website someone linked above about curls etc. This site is good, makes it quite easy to see what you ahve to do. Otherwize i gues id just be making it up as i go along

 

[MumboJumbo]

btw those dumbells shown above are only 10kg on each dumbell. thats going to be too light. at least get 15kg per dumbell

Ok then, are there are good makes to look out for for this? I mean they all look the same too me but some cost more then others and i dont know why lol. Or a good website to get them off of.

This thread is silly on so many levels...

I don't think you will gain very much muscle at all.. maybe a few lb's but trust me your chest will be tiny and your arms will be weedy.. You can't just turn into arnie over night.. When you realised how hard it is unless very naturally gifted you will probably cry

A lot of people are nieve in thinking it is easy to get bigger. All 'Mens health' editors should be shot dead imo.

The point is im not looking to gain huge amounts of muscle. Mainly tone up and just meat them up a bit. Ive never said i wanted to turn into arnie over night. Infact quiet the oposit throughout. I knew full well dumbells are not the best way to body build but im not looking to really put that much on anyway. The reason why i said i didn't want to be like arny was to get across taht point. Evidently not very well.

 

[MumboJumbo]

edit: and do you realise you've only going to have 10kg dumbbels?! I can easily curl both dumbbells in one arm and thats an isolation with one of you're smallest muscles (and I'm not even BIG or STRONG)

Trust me thats not enough weight!!!

get 50kg else you will just regret it!

Ive already stated i know nothing about this stuff. Instead of telling me its wrong show me what i should get instead. I have no idea what makes are good or what websites to buy off. Nor am i looking to spend a great deal.

Also what weight is a good weight on each arm to start at if ** 17 and not really very strong. I know its pointless lifting somthing you struggle with, better to use smaller weights and do more reps.

:EDIT:

already said i dont have room for a bench due to having a drum kit. And you can say i didn't look but i have looked and i see a whole list of weights all the same at differnt pricse and dont know which to get. Though i was lookign on amazon mainly.


:EDit2:

Im thinking 30KG dumbells wouldbe a good start which i can either upgrade or if i do get into it go to a gym and use a bench and bigger things. But i very much doubt i will as like ive said before im not looking to get that big. I am very skinny at the moment, too skinny.

 

[MumboJumbo]

I didn't think about adds, mmm i shall have to look into that.

hwo much do you wanna spend? unless your gonna use them religiously you may aswell just buy some cheap ones.

Well really aiming for around £30, i know im not going to be using them religiously. Cheaper is obiously better but ive learnt in life that the cheapest things are oftern the cheapest for a reason. Another reason i had no clue what to get. Obiously not intrested in anything chrome etc.

Also ill be going to uni in less then a year hopefully where there will be a cheap and well equiped gym in the uni.

And I've been trying to check ebay for you.. Which is why I asked where you live.. Also the fact that I'm living in essex too (southend)

Is ebay working? It doesn't seem to want to do any searches?

Thanks very much. If you can give me some pointers to look out for i can check my self as i dont expect someone else to do the dirty work. Just point me in a direction.

 

[MumboJumbo]

Yeah im lookin forward to the uni gym. I love the rowing machines hahah

I put in a random CO chelmsford postcode and there doesn't seem to be anything local to you (within 25miles) sometimes you can get lucky.. I did a 25 mile radius of southend too and there wasn't much..

In terms of what to look for you basically want a 30kg-50kg spinlock set of dumbbells which may or may not come with a barbell (make sure there will be 4 plates of the same kind for what ever you get.. E.g 4x2.5kg plates Ensure this because if you only get like 2x5kg and 2x7.5kg plates then the dumbbells arn't going to match up very well which may or may not both you.

The argos 30kg and 50kg sets look fine.. Weight is very expensive! about £1 per kg ++

I found an awesome deal on ebay for £200 which included a rack with 2 pulley systems, 2 benches, 2x20kg plates, 16x10kg plates, and lots more smaller weights and bars and bits and everything..

edit: brb it's shoulders time!!!

Thanks i apreciate you looking for me. I dont think many would go to that trouble.

If i dont have room for a bench is there much point getting a bar, can i still do good exercizes without one?

I was lookign at this set but i was wondering how much is actually on the hand held dumbells? If i could ger 15kg on each that would be good i think.

And i think 200 quid is a bit much haha And im not quite sure waht you mean about matching up.

 

[MumboJumbo]

thats quite expensive and requires buying a bench. Which is a lot more then i had in mind considering how im only wanting to make my self a bit stronger.

Can you explain to me then what sort of effect id get just from getting 30kg dumbells? Im reallu not lookign for huge gains.

 

[MumboJumbo]

A bench really will help you although it's not the end of the world.. The main benefit is working your chest properly and not having to improvise by sitting on an office chair or leaning against your bed

basically what I was on about is if you have 2x7.5kg and 2x5kg then each dumbbell will have to consist of 1x7.5kg plate and 1x5kg plate meaning they are un ballanced unless you attempt to conter it best you can by putting a 2.5kg plate on the 5kg plate side.. does that make sense now?!?!?

It's a good investment for me though,(Although I work at a gym at uni ) Its unlikely I'll run out of weight any time soon

The only things I can't do are cable flies, weighted dips (I can do dips in my kitchen ) and leg press when my legs are dying from squats already..

Yeah i got a proper office chair. Though from the sounds of it according to Ed there isn't much point. Sigh.

ahh yeah of corse, gota ya. Kinda obious now what you ment by unbalanced. I am lookin forward to the uni gym.

U at essex uni then? Im hopign to go to leeds if not then brummy. I got all 5 offers just gota get the grades .

Shoudl be revising got 6 exams in january but its like, argh dont want to!

 

[MumboJumbo]

sheeet!!

If you want to make yourself generally stronger you're going entirely the wrong way about it! You need to do compounds!

I'm struggling to advise you!.. I think the best thing to do would be to go to a local cheap gym and pay for entrance twice a week!

Work out 3 times a week and do 1 of the workouts at home each week.. e.g.

monday: push at home (for instance bench, dips or pressups)
wednesday: pull at the gym (pullups, rows...)
friday: legs at the gym (squats, lunges...)

then rotate it:
monday: push at the gym
wednesday: pull at home
friday: legs at the gym

Lol thts wht i been saying the whole time. Id like to make my arms a bit stronger and less weedy and improve my chest a bit. I didn't mean my whole body though just arms and chest my legs are already quite strong.

And id ont even know what compounds are lol.

 

[MumboJumbo]

I love how everyone sais their legs are stong.. OF COURSE THE A FRIGGING STRONG! THEY ARE YOUR LARGEST MUSCLES AND YOU USE THEM EVERY DAY!!!

And..

compounds are where you used more than one muscle group.. Such as bench press.. you mainly use your chest, tris and front delts where as a biceps curls you are isolating your biceps and your biceps only (unless you're cheating )

Well i do a lot of runnign and squash etc which built my legs up quite a bit. Obiously not like body building but more so then my arms are built up anyway. But like ive said, im not building my arms up to the point of putting me out of proportion. If anything my arms are all weedy and therefore not looking in proportion with the rest of me!

And ooo thats what you mean by compounds. It seems tyou lot seem to talk in your own languages. I only know what curls are becauase i looked at that website lol. The others i just gues

 

[MumboJumbo]

Yeah!.. But nah I'm at Brighton Uni (wooo!!) My parents live here in southend.. I'm home for xmas

try and find a skanky bodybuilders gym in your area or just a cheap gym.. Go a couple of times a week but make sure you log your progression! and stick to the compounds.. (also click me for a free visit )

what grades do you need to get? ABB?

The thing with going to a gym is i very much doubt i can lift much at the moment and i wouldn't really know what to do. Much rather embarase my self alone.

I need ABB for birmigham but AAB for leeds, A in maths and furthermaths. Eak! lol.

Yeah im going to do maths. No im not mega geeky and have seen some quiet hot girls in the open day lectures for maths Lmao. Unles my brain was lieign to me just to make me feel better!

 

[MumboJumbo]

I would say I'd visit you (and laugh) But you're an hour away..

I dropped out of A level maths as I had a woman that tried to teach me maths in african and an old woman that couldn't teach.. I couldn't be bothered with it in the end.. Annoying thing is standard deviation for instance took them 3 weeks to go through it and they couldn't teach me. I sat infront of a lecturer along with 300 people at uni and within 5 minutes I was teaching my friend next to me

And I know what you mean about hot, quiet geeky girls Only thing with them is sometimes they can be so socially retarded they are weird.

Brighton uni on the other hand is filled with lots of different types of people:
-clever people who just can't be assed.
-Dumb people that try hard
-average people that try average
-people who don't give a **** about uni and are only there for the city/nightlife
-and international students..

Lol laugh at me. I suspect you would not be the onlyone as i choke my self on a bar on a benchpress lmao.

My teaching is a god damn joke. The physics teachers cant do gcse. I taught my physics teacher the speed of light twice. Only chemistry and maths have anywhere near semi decent teachers.

They put me in set 3 out of 5 for english, that means expected to get a D maybe a C if lucky and i got an A* in english litriture and A* in english language. God damn joke!


What you doign in uni?

 

[MumboJumbo]

HA HA, perhaps it is the GCSE exam that is the joke

anyway I don't know if your dumbbell choice has been decided yet, but I'm going to buy the 20kg set and the 4x5kg extra weights tomorrow.

The fact i cant spell for shiz has nothing to do with it. I tell you i used very careful choice of words coz i know i cant spell well! but i am dislexic and have another eye problem which causes my eyes to alternate and i miss words out all togetehr! lol.

Infacty my english litriture exam went into special consideration because i read the qusetion wrong and it was worth 50% of my exam lol.


As for the weights i would very much like to hear from you about them if you do get them please