Where to buy weights.

FX Meister

I'm looking to get some dumb bells to use at home when I can't get to the gym. I was thinking about getting the york spinlock set here http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=4601&productId=253190&clickfrom=name
and then get the two 10kg plates and the four 5kg plates. It's about €80 altogether. Has anyone here got any advice on these york spinlock sets? Are they any good? Do they unlock when using them similar to the cheaper plastic losking ones they do. Should I be looking elsewhere?

BrianD3

I have the 50 kg barbell/dumbbell cast iron set but rarely use the dumbbells except for swings. The most i have put on a dumbbell handle is around 55kg and on the barbell 170 kg (obviously this meant buying a lot of extra plates) The spinlock collars seem OK, I am never conscious of them becoming excessively loose. Sometimes there's the opposite problem - if the bells are rolled along the floor in a certain way this has the effect of making the collars extremely tight but they can be loosened with a belt from a hammer or plate.

justsomebloke

they are ok, if you are going for cheap and cheerful they are grand, the spinlock generally stay in place for the reps that you are doing but you would have to tighten them. i haven't used their 5 kilo plates as they didn't have them when i was getting mine so i got a different set, but the 10 plates are a bit to wide for doing curls

FX Meister

Cheers for the info. I'll check in that place on the quays in town if they have 10kg plates that would also go on these bells with a smaller diameter.

BrianD3

I don't think you'll find 10 kg plates which are smaller diameter than the Argos ones. If you do find them they will be thicker which will mean you'll fit less of them on the handle. Also the Argos plates are far cheaper than anywhere else. 22.99 for 2 x 10 kg or 4 x 5 kg. In any other place you'd pay 2 euros per kg i.e 40 euros.

You could look for some 7.5 kg plates. Try VJs or JJB sports. They will be around 2 euros a kg.

But if you stick to 5 kg plates you will fit 6 on each handle. The handle itself weighs around 2 kg. So that's 32 kg - plenty for doing a curl unless you're an animal.

White Rabbit

BrianD3 wrote:

So that's 32 kg - plenty for doing a curl unless you're an animal.

Sweet mother of Jebus, I doubt many boards.ie's could bench press 32kg let alone curl it!

justsomebloke

i don't know about the thickness of the york 5 kilo plates, but i have gold gym 5 kilo plates and you generally will only fit 2 pur end plus maybe a 1.25-2.5 on top of that. If you are looking to put over 25 kilo's of wieght on each you may want to get extendend dumbells and then cheap plates from argos. How much weight are you looking to put on each dumbell and for what exercise anyway

BrianD3

Yeah the Gold's Gym 5 kg plates are about the same width as the Argos ones. GG are a squarer shape and slightly taller.

I have an Argos York dumbbell in front of me and can comfortably fit 6 x 5 kg Golds Gym plates on it. Maybe there are different length handles available. Mine are roughly 35 cm long.

FX Meister

That place on the keys was €20 for a 10kg Golds Gym plate and €10 for a 5kg. I want them for bicep curls and overhead press mainly. I curl about 20kg and overheard press a little more than that. I think I'll opt for the argos york ones as they are a good bit cheaper and it seems roughly the same size.

rubadub

Try a wanted ad on boards for plates and stuff, not like they will be in bad nick. Almost every guy I know has bought weights and never use them, there must be literally 1000's of tons of unused weights in sheds in the country.

Cravez

Go to VJ's Home fitness and get a 140kg olympic set. I used the argos weights for curls until i maxed lifting with them on 40kg, got these olympic weights and now currently 62.5kg( was doing 80kg but in all honesty was with bad form ). Cast iron all the way

kwalsh000

The york ones, i had them when starting off, but to be honest, u will progress past them pretty fast, 37.5 kg curl...nearly that 40 mark hehe. VJ's have decent deals, i got a 50kg cast iron set (that includes the barbell and dumbells)a while alot and then when i progressed past that i just bought another 20kg and working not a bother. its spinlock set aswell but still recomend it over argos.

FX Meister

Don't want to bulk up hugely so I don't think I'll be getting anywhere near 40kg on a single spinlock. Picked the set up yesterdaqy but I'm going to return the 2 x 10kg plates for 4 x 5kg as I prefer using them than the bulky 10kg ones.