advice on picking up a set of dumbbells

[Domicron]

curious how those of you put together your fancy sets of dumbbells. other than maybe a GHD and a seated calf, the only major piece of equipment i currently want is a nice set of dumbbells. nothing fancy, but just a matching set all racked up. i feel like after that, the only additions to my gym will be upgrades and replacing lower end equipment other than the odd holiday sale pickup.

my issue is that i'm a beginner and my workout (all-pro's beginner) is built around a barbell. so if i got a set to use for shoulder presses and biceps, maybe, i wouldn't need that much weight yet.

so should i be patient and wait for a good price on a nice full set? or do you think i should pick up what i can find piecemeal and put it together myself as they come along? i feel like i might get some use out of a small 5-40 beginner set or a used set of ironmasters or something, but what do you guys think? keep in mind i'm not of the flipping mentality, and good deals are hard for me to find and harder for me to jump on (don't have the flexibility to drive out of town for a great buy)

[rlundregan]

curious how those of you put together your fancy sets of dumbbells. other than maybe a GHD and a seated calf, the only major piece of equipment i currently want is a nice set of dumbbells. nothing fancy, but just a matching set all racked up. i feel like after that, the only additions to my gym will be upgrades and replacing lower end equipment other than the odd holiday sale pickup.

my issue is that i'm a beginner and my workout (all-pro's beginner) is built around a barbell. so if i got a set to use for shoulder presses and biceps, maybe, i wouldn't need that much weight yet.

so should i be patient and wait for a good price on a nice full set? or do you think i should pick up what i can find piecemeal and put it together myself as they come along? i feel like i might get some use out of a small 5-40 beginner set or a used set of ironmasters or something, but what do you guys think? keep in mind i'm not of the flipping mentality, and good deals are hard for me to find and harder for me to jump on (don't have the flexibility to drive out of town for a great buy)

I think you have mentioned that your CL is not very active. If that is the case, you could be waiting for a long time for a full set of DB's to come along all at once. Piecemealing might be easier on your wallet, but you likely would not find a complete matching set that way. I might go for Ironmasters, unless a fairly complete set falls into your lap. I guess a lot depends on what you would consider to be a "complete" set also. Do you want to go to 100 lbs? 120? 140+?

I can tell you that I have a set of IM's. I would love a nice pro-style set, but I don't have the space. I weigh 185 lbs, which is not very big, and I am starting to find uses for 100 lb DB's (1 Arm Rows, Calf Raises, Farmer Carries). Just keep that in mind, because a lot of people tend to think that they would never use bigger DB's. I never thought I would until I started maxing out the stack on my lat pulldown when I do seated rows.

[morebarbell]

Old ad and no prices listed but there's a pair of 30lb roundheads near you. http://kansascity.craigslist.org/spo/4538606568.html

Also check eBay, I saw some interesting stuff listed near you... don't recall if there were dumbbells or not. You can browse an entire category by distance from your zip code using the advanced search.

I'd also recommend adjustables, either Ironmasters or Powerblocks or spinlocks, unless you find a nice deal on a set of pro-style dumbbells. But I can't stand hex dumbbells and maybe you feel differently about them.

[rlundregan]

I'd also recommend adjustables, either Ironmasters or Powerblocks or spinlocks, unless you find a nice deal on a set of pro-style dumbbells. But I can't stand hex dumbbells and maybe you feel differently about them.

I feel the same way about hex DB's. They are often (but not always) cheaply made--the heads are not always well-secured onto the handles. I don't know if it is actually true that hex handles seem to bend more easily, but that is my impression. Certainly it would be easier to replace a bent handle on a pro-style.

You can often tell if hex heads are on securely when you set the DB back down. If it makes a buzzing or ringing noise, or vibrates, it is usually a sign that the heads are loose.

[2MoreRepz]

I haven't been in this game near as long as some...but the one thing that I have learned is that a little bit of patience would have saved me a lot of money. I promise, if you are patient a killer deal will show its face sooner or later. I don't know how many times I have driven 5 hours to pick up an item that I was sure would never come up again in my area, only to see a more complete set and a better price later on closer than before.

[CropDusterMan]

Dom,
I bought a crap load of Cap plates on Ebay and welded up my sets...from 10 lbs to 70 lbs. I used a 1 inch piece of tubing the typme used for gas and plumping),
1 inch washers and then they were welded together and painted. Each of the dumbell handles cost about 15-20$ these days, so it's pretty pricy, mine were
$3 each + washers ($1.50 for 4). Here's an example of my 35's...I figured it to be about $9 a set in material costs...

I love them-super durable...and they look "Old'School".

[cmarti063]

Dom,
I bought a crap load of Cap plates on Ebay and welded up my sets...from 10 lbs to 70 lbs. I used a 1 inch piece of tubing the typme used for gas and plumping),
1 inch washers and then they were welded together and painted. Each of the dumbell handles cost about 15-20$ these days, so it's pretty pricy, mine were
$3 each + washers ($1.50 for 4). Here's an example of my 35's...I figured it to be about $9 a set in material costs...

I love them-super durable...and they look "Old'School".

Welded your own pro-styles... that's awesome!

[Domicron]

I think you have mentioned that your CL is not very active. If that is the case, you could be waiting for a long time for a full set of DB's to come along all at once. Piecemealing might be easier on your wallet, but you likely would not find a complete matching set that way. I might go for Ironmasters, unless a fairly complete set falls into your lap. I guess a lot depends on what you would consider to be a "complete" set also. Do you want to go to 100 lbs? 120? 140+?

I can tell you that I have a set of IM's. I would love a nice pro-style set, but I don't have the space. I weigh 185 lbs, which is not very big, and I am starting to find uses for 100 lb DB's (1 Arm Rows, Calf Raises, Farmer Carries). Just keep that in mind, because a lot of people tend to think that they would never use bigger DB's. I never thought I would until I started maxing out the stack on my lat pulldown when I do seated rows.

thanks man, i appreciate the advice. i'm probably gonna find a set of iron masters and then wait until a great deal comes along. i appreciate the advice about heavier dumbbells.

Old ad and no prices listed but there's a pair of 30lb roundheads near you. http://kansascity.craigslist.org/spo/4538606568.html

Also check eBay, I saw some interesting stuff listed near you... don't recall if there were dumbbells or not. You can browse an entire category by distance from your zip code using the advanced search.

I'd also recommend adjustables, either Ironmasters or Powerblocks or spinlocks, unless you find a nice deal on a set of pro-style dumbbells. But I can't stand hex dumbbells and maybe you feel differently about them.

thanks, i might have to get on ebay. i'm a bit skeptical as to whether or not shipping will be a killer, but it's worth a look.

Dom,
I bought a crap load of Cap plates on Ebay and welded up my sets...from 10 lbs to 70 lbs. I used a 1 inch piece of tubing the typme used for gas and plumping),
1 inch washers and then they were welded together and painted. Each of the dumbell handles cost about 15-20$ these days, so it's pretty pricy, mine were
$3 each + washers ($1.50 for 4). Here's an example of my 35's...I figured it to be about $9 a set in material costs...

I love them-super durable...and they look "Old'School".

those look sexy as hell. but the day i fire up a welding torch is the day i end up in the emergency room and the day before i file an insurance claim on the house...

[aclockworkoi]

I sold my dumbbell sets in favor of my Ironmaster 120s for space reasons. You have a pretty nice space so it would be nice to have a full set. I would go with adjustables for now and just be patient for a full set.

[morebarbell]

...
thanks, i might have to get on ebay. i'm a bit skeptical as to whether or not shipping will be a killer, but it's worth a look. ...

The purpose of searching eBay by distance from your zip code is to find stuff that could be picked up locally. Some stuff is listed local pickup only. Stuff that is priced for shipping could probably be picked up also if the seller is local. Just email the seller and check.

[Domicron]

The purpose of searching eBay by distance from your zip code is to find stuff that could be picked up locally. Some stuff is listed local pickup only. Stuff that is priced for shipping could probably be picked up also if the seller is local. Just email the seller and check.

lol sorry i'm ****ing stupid.

[mstngvic]

I sold my dumbbell sets in favor of my Ironmaster 120s for space reasons. You have a pretty nice space so it would be nice to have a full set. I would go with adjustables for now and just be patient for a full set.

100% agree with this. I have Ironmaster 120s and love them, but changing weight quickly isn't an issue for me. Heck, it really only takes 60 seconds to change weight for me, and that's fine. I'm a powerlifter, we don't do anything quickly.

I'd love an awesome set of Ivanko prostyles to match my revolvers, but I have neither the space for them nor the cash. And even if I had the space, I don't use them often enough to justify the $ involved, so adjustables are a perfect compromise.

Later on down the road, when you switch programs (because you WILL eventually outgrow whatever program you're on now and begin to experiment with training variables) you might find yourself using them more often, and can then sell the adjustables for a nice pro-style or hex set.

[rlundregan]

those look sexy as hell. but the day i fire up a welding torch is the day i end up in the emergency room and the day before i file an insurance claim on the house...

Style points when off spread. I almost spit out my drink!

[Domicron]

Style points when off spread. I almost spit out my drink!

i'm just saying, i'm could barely solder two pieces of metal together for my silver smithing class in high school...and i'm about the least-handy person around the house

[rlundregan]

i'm just saying, i'm could barely solder two pieces of metal together for my silver smithing class in high school...and i'm about the least-handy person around the house

Well, don't feel too bad....my wife is a lot handier than I am, which means that my job is usually to carry stuff and hold it in place!

[ichthis]

Personally, I started my home lifting journey with a single hex dumbbell from walmart lol. I think walmart still might be the best place to get them new (setting aside special sales), they're usually less than a buck a pound. Over the next year I just kept adding 1 or 2 at a time (at least half from CL) until I had 10-45. Since then I've kept adding. I haven't had any durability issues with the hexes: the one thing I have noticed is that sometimes the weight can be pretty far off. I picked up a 45 from sears when they had a sale and it weight about 40. Also, some fitness stores have some pretty good black friday sales on 5-45 hex sets. Obviously the IMs are nice; a cheaper interim solution might be to use olympic handles.