Official Home Gym Building Thread

phoenix575 said:
Is it worth getting a dumbbell set?
I'm starting to do more dumbbell work which I do with oly dumbbells. They're ok but a bit cumbersome. I might just buy some more 5kg plates and load them up.
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oly dumbells imo are the biggest pain in the **** i have ever seen, they are also imo when you get up to the bigger weights on them completely unsafe, your movements are a lot faster, varied, etc with dumbell work and i wouldnt like that much weight being suspended near me at a dodgy angle with a spring collar for protection.

Ash2097 said:
Did you manage to get much of a discount buying them all at once? I Just want the sets 12.5kg-20kg and 22.5kg-30kg
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get ironmasters

http://www.valleyfitness.co.uk/Adjustable Dumbbell


as above ironmasters are the cheapest way to have a full dumbell set at home, you can then add to it to get a kettlebell kit, etc, etc.

so if in 2 years time you fancy owning a full kettlebell set, it will cost you peanuts to do so, as you simply use the ironmaster weights in your kettlebell handle.

ironmaster are a solid company do not go for the cheaper imitations, i cannot remember their name but they are crap.

i have a full dumbell set which i bought second hand, had a set of ironmasters came up second hand i would have preferred them but most people who buy them don't usually sell them on because only well informed people know what ironmasters are.
 
I thought about Ironmasters for months around this time last year, I would rather have a dumbbell set. Still have to mess around changing plates on ironmasters, they rattle a little and I have heard that they are sometimes unbalanced weights. If I was going to spend £500 on Ironamsters I would rather just pay another £300-500 have proper dumbbells that are always ready, can't go wrong and wont rust.
 
Ash2097 said:
I thought about Ironmasters for months around this time last year, I would rather have a dumbbell set. Still have to mess around changing plates on ironmasters, they rattle a little and I have heard that they are sometimes unbalanced weights. If I was going to spend £500 on Ironamsters I would rather just pay another £300-500 have proper dumbbells that are always ready, can't go wrong and wont rust.
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no weights looked after properly should rust.

also they can be refurbed for a few quid, and you should only need to refurb them once every 3-10 years depending on your use and how properly you refurb them.

also a proper dumbell set will cost at least 3 times as much.

http://www.gymratz.co.uk/cast-dumbells-set-10-to-50-and-racks

£3K for a full set

i currently have 1.25 kg all the way up to 45kg

i dont know how long it takes to switch weights on a set of ironmasters but surely it's seconds?
 
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LiE said:
You use clamps with big weights on DBs, not spring clips, that would be very dangerous indeed.
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yeah i know that i even recommended some clamps in here but they aint cheap, bulldog clamps are supposedly the best ones.

but clamps make them even more of a pain when having to switch weights
 
Psycho Sonny said:
i dont know how long it takes to switch weights on a set of ironmasters but surely it's seconds?
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I have around 110kg in standard plates I use them on dumbell spinlock bars and extended bars (have oly plates for barbell etc) . I can change them in seconds . Also have 4 sets so I will sometimes load them up ready before starting to save time. Wouldn't be much of a upgrade going to ironmasters as still have to mess around but yes they would probably be a bit faster after watching their youtube video. Also the kit you linked for 3k goes to 50kg I don't think I would ever fancy holding a 50kg lump in my hand that I could drop on my face, foot or anything else especially when I train at home and alone. I would just get 12.5-30kg and then gradually buy the heavier ones on there own over time.

*Edit just relised I don't know how we ended up debating on if I should get them or not. Already decided, was just interested on Andy's thoughts on them.
 
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Ash2097 said:
I have around 110kg in standard plates I use them on dumbell spinlock bars and extended bars (have oly plates for barbell etc) . I can change them in seconds . Also have 4 sets so I will sometimes load them up ready before starting to save time. Wouldn't be much of a upgrade going to ironmasters as still have to mess around but yes they would probably be a bit faster after watching their youtube video. Also the kit you linked for 3k goes to 50kg I don't think I would ever fancy holding a 50kg lump in my hand that I could drop on my face, foot or anything else especially when I train at home and alone. I would just get 12.5-30kg and then gradually buy the heavier ones on there own over time.

*Edit just relised I don't know how we ended up debating on if I should get them or not. Already decided, was just interested on Andy's thoughts on them.
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if you have the money then get a individual set, obviously though a lot of people don't and when they see the pricing of dumbbells they faint.

but usually people opt for ironmasters as a compromise, if you do not need to compromise then yeah go for the individual dumbbells.

bear in mind the rack is going to take up a lot of space, etc as well, some people just wouldn't have the space for a full set either.

i got my full set second hand in 2 different buy's for cheap, thats why half of it is rubber hex and the other half is york roundhead's.

if someone offered me a good price for them i would take it tbh and buy a set of ironmaster's but that's simply because i do not use the weights as much anymore.

i know someone else who bought his dumbbells brand new and a full set up to 30 kg's and he uses them all the time, he gets really good use out of his, i am betting he would never swap his for ironmasters, but i would.
 
some people may not be able to do squats due to injuries to their back, knees, hips, etc.

so depends on your own personal circumstances. also depends on if other people would ever be using the gym.

one can do squats whilst the other uses leg press, etc.

again it depends on your circumstances, cater the gym to your own needs.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
some people may not be able to do squats due to injuries to their back, knees, hips, etc.
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The irony of this statement is that the rehab for a lot of the back, knee and hip injuries (as well as the preventative exercises) involves... squats. :)

What I suspect you're getting at is the sad fact that most people don't squat properly and are setting themselves up for injury. :(
 
mrthingyx said:
The irony of this statement is that the rehab for a lot of the back, knee and hip injuries (as well as the preventative exercises) involves... squats. :)

What I suspect you're getting at is the sad fact that most people don't squat properly and are setting themselves up for injury. :(
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Yeah one my friends has had 3 knee operations for a old football injury and every specialist he has seen has said to do squats.

Keeping on topic, I have around £200 - £250 to spend on a new bench in a month or so, needs to be able to do decline, incline as well as upright for shoulder press. I would prefer one that I can add a attachment and preacher attachment to in the future. I know the "you don't need a preacher pad to do curls" comment is coming but I prefer doing preachers then standing. Any suggestions?

Was looking at:

Body-Solid BSGFID31
Bodycraft F602 Deluxe
 
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I'm after a set of weights to work the bi/tri (at home) and still go to the gym 3 times a week to do Stronglifts.

I was looking at getting some olympic bars and weights (with a look to get a rack some time in the future).
Are these the best for the money?
http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/olympic_bars/bodypower_olympic_dumbbell_handle_x1/3208_p.html x 2
http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/olympic_bars/bodypower_olympic_ez_curl_bar/3206_p.html x 1

At the moment I'm bi-cepping about 24kg x 10 reps x 3 sets per arm. So the weights I was thinking of were:
http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk...er_75kg_trigrip_olympic_disc_kit/15646_p.html

Are the 10kg weights too big? As in i'll hit my shoulder/chest/face on the rep?

What bars would suit the tri's? I normally use a press machine and the cables at the gym.
 
What tri exercises are you planning? EZ curl is fine for extensions but you need a bench for that (probably). I can't see the weights being too big - surely if the bar is long enough there will be lots of clearance?

I've just bought some tri grips and find them very easy to handle and move around
 
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