Fitness Equipment Shopping

SteamTrean

This has probably appeared loads of times and should probably be a Sticky. Anyway, in Ireland, where is the best place to buy gym equipment? Benches, Weights etc.. I'm talking best bang for your buck.

rubadub

www.irish-lifting.com the owner happens to be a member here, Mickk, but it is the best value you will get, no rickety stuff like in argos, or currently in tesco. You can pick some stuff up in his gym in town to save post, but the postage is very reasonable, esp. as the stuff will probably weigh a lot.

justsomebloke

agreed irish-lifting.com really is the bast value you can get. All there equipment is top notch and cheaper then many where else for what you get.

P-mac

Hi,

I'm looking to buy new weights and was thinking about Argos. I know a lot of you recommend the irishlifting website but argos seem to be pretty decent too.

I've had weights before but only small reebok weights and I'm looking to increase arm strength.

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ArgosBrowseCounts?storeId=30001&identifier=9008716&jspStoreDir=argosie&Trail=C%24cip%3D1500008247&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801

I was thinking of either the York Chrome Dumbbell set 15kg or the York Spinlock Cast Iron Dumbbell Set 20kg

They also have supplements. Would it be better to buy these in a gym where I could get advice or no?

Thanks

P

justsomebloke

P-mac wrote: »

I was thinking of either the York Chrome Dumbbell set 15kg or the York Spinlock Cast Iron Dumbbell Set 20kg

seriously don't even bother with either of them. even with the bigger set if you use both dumbells at the same time the max weight you would have is only 10kg which really isn't heavy and will do little for you

if you do want to get something out of argos go with http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500119829&Trail=C%24cip%3D1500008247.Weights%2Band%2Bdumbells&categoryId=1500008247&clickfrom=name
as at least it may keep you going for a while

g'em

merged & link put into stickies

P-mac

ok so would it be more advisable not to go with argos? Does anyone know of reasonably priced shops in town that do weight? I tried elverys and the usual sports shops but the best I found were plastic weights.

jsb wrote: »

seriously don't even bother with either of them. even with the bigger set if you use both dumbells at the same time the max weight you would have is only 10kg which really isn't heavy and will do little for you

What weight on dumbbells would be average (if there is an average)?

justsomebloke

P-mac wrote: »

ok so would it be more advisable not to go with argos? Does anyone know of reasonably priced shops in town that do weight? I tried elverys and the usual sports shops but the best I found were plastic weights. What weight on dumbbells would be average (if there is an average)?

well the argos one would be fine and as far as I know you can pick up any gym equipment from Mickk's gym on camden street if you are ordering from Irish-lifting just drop him a pm first.

In relation to the dumbells chances are that you may only start with 10kg but as soon as you want to lift anything else you can't. Hence why the 50/55kg standard sets are a better bet as it gives you more options. Oh and what ever you do don't get the vinyl sets they are rubbish

P-mac

ok thanks, great advice!

LookingFor

Sorry for the bump, but I'm looking at irish-lifting.com and have a question or two. I PMed MickK last week, but no reply yet, so I figured someone here might be able to help me anyway.

Basically I want to set myself up for some dumbbell training at home. I'm thinking about getting a variety of plates from this set (up to 10kg I'd be looking at):

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_15&products_id=241

My question is, would they be OK to use with this kind of dumbbell bar?:

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_9&products_id=229

It says the plates have 2" holes, but it doesn't say on this bar what its diameter is. There's also these bars here, with 2 or 2.5" diameters - would they be better?

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_9&products_id=272

And just generally, pairing those plates with these bars is OK? Do these bars hold a maximum weight?

Thanks for any advice

rubadub

Olympic plates have 2" holes. So will fit on the olympic dumbells that you linked to. "standard" plates and bars are 1"

The other fat handles ones are referring to the handle diameter, not the part the plate goes on. So if you got a 2.5" fat handle the 2" plate will fit on, and the bar would be thicker in the middle where you grip it. You would get more use from the normal bars. The fat ones are for gripstrength work. Some people cut PVC pipe an put it on handles to mimic them.

Do these bars hold a maximum weight?

more than you will ever be lifting! a dumbell will usually be stronger than a barbell, since there is less room for flexing. The olympic bars are going to be VERY strong. I use standard 1" bars myself with 1" plates. I have had 150kg on the bar with barely a flex.

Standard 1" plates, bars etc are usually cheaper and more readily available, though I see mickks oly normal plates are still only €1 per kilo which is for nothing, and if you were getting enough of those plates then the lower cost might offset the higher price of the bars

LookingFor

Ah, that's great info, thanks!

So basically I should get these bars:

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_9&products_id=229

?

From the picture, I can't see the mechanism for locking the plates on the bar though..do I have to get something else?

Thanks again!

rubadub

LookingFor wrote: »

From the picture, I can't see the mechanism for locking the plates on the bar though..do I have to get something else?

Thanks again!

I wondered that myself. I would be shocked if they didnt come with the spring clips or collars, and doesnt seem sell them separate so you would presume they should come with it. But it is strange they are not in the photo since some people might be particular about such things. Maybe it was just a stock photo from the supplier. but in other bar descriptions he does mention collars. Will have to ask Mickk I suppose.

Also Mickk if you are reading, the site could do with a search function if possible. It is hard to guess where some items will be located under.

justsomebloke

LookingFor wrote: »

Ah, that's great info, thanks!

So basically I should get these bars:

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_9&products_id=229

?

From the picture, I can't see the mechanism for locking the plates on the bar though..do I have to get something else?

Thanks again!

yes they come with collars (well if Mick brings them;))

P-mac

I know there's very little difference between the two but does either of these look better than the other?

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500119829&Trail=C%24cip%3D1500008247.Weights%2Band%2Bdumbells&categoryId=1500008247&clickfrom=name

http://irish-lifting.com/product_info_equipment.php?cPath=1_15&products_id=260

Sleepy

Anyone know where I can get a standard 5 foot bar with or without 5/10k cast-iron plates?

I already have two sets of standard dumbbell bars with a variety of cast iron plates and picked up a second-hand bench and some vinyl weights for a song at the weekend but it came with an EZ curl rather than a straight bar.

irish-lifting are out of stock on the 5 foot bar and I'm really not going to have room for the 6ft. I really don't fancy the argos spinlock set as I don't need another set of dumbbell handles and .5 / 1 / 2 kilo plates.

Any suggestions?

delllat

just buy the 5foot bar from argos onits own
its aboyt 30

telemachus

If you give mick an email he might have an idea when they'll be in, was looking for some dumbell handles myself which were of stock and he let me know he'd have them in a week.

rubadub

Argos have this bar for €14.66 at the moment


"York TriCurl Bar" sort of a cross between a tripcep and ezcurl, never saw one before.

Cheap but it is hollow so not rated to much. My ezcurl began to bend at around 100kg. I do military presses with it, probably could not do them well this the bar pictured.

Sleepy wrote: »

irish-lifting are out of stock on the 5 foot bar and I'm really not going to have room for the 6ft. I really don't fancy the argos spinlock set as I don't need another set of dumbbell handles and .5 / 1 / 2 kilo plates.

A 5ft is €25. The 50kg set is €80, so if you just take the bar out at €25, then even if you threw out the small plates & handles it is €55 for 4 x 2.5kg, 4 x 5.0kg discs, so under €2 per kilo.

I would buy them myself and give the spares to a mate. You might get someone who go do a swop here, or meet in the shop and split it, e.g. you pay €20/25 for the bar and they pay the remainer and keep the rest.

telemachus wrote: »

was looking for some dumbell handles myself

^^^ I am guessing you want olympic ones though.

I have a 6ft and it is a little big for my liking.