B> Dumbbells

• Phunkie wrote on 2010-12-28 11:37
  I've been meaning to buy a pair of dumbbells for the longest now. It'd be useful for those days (or months) I get lazy and choose not to go to the gym.
  
  But I need help deciding how heavy they should be. I'm leaning towards 15 lbs or 20 lbs.
  
  The point of working out is to get stronger, so while 15 lbs may be a decent weight, I think that 20 lbs would be a better investment in the long run. But I'm not sure.
  
  15 lbs is what I usually do at the gym anyway.
  
  Help me decide.
  
  
  Also, I don't want to look like this.
  
  

  [Image: http://leanhybridmuscle.com/access/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/MariuszPudzianowski.jpg]
• Cannibal wrote on 2010-12-28 11:40
  Buy both! Can you buy the 10lb bar, and then the weights that go onto that? Saves space.
  
  But, if you're tight on cash, I'd say go with the 20.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-12-28 11:43

  Quote from Wrath;265812:

  Buy both! Can you buy the 10lb bar, and then the weights that go onto that? Saves space.
  
  But, if you're tight on cash, I'd say go with the 20.

  
  
  I wish. haha
  
  I was looking into adjustable ones, like you said, but that's kinda expensive.
• Kenny? wrote on 2010-12-28 14:50
  Adjustables can go for up to $400 :( Even more. Get a set of 15's and a 20 bar for around $150 total :O, if that's even a reasonable price.
• TA wrote on 2010-12-28 15:26
  You don't need them. You'd be better off buying a workout ball for $20. Put your legs on that and do pushups. If you want to make it harder, change how much of your body is on the ball. You can also change the incline and some other stuff.
  
  And you can get a half ball too... those are really good for cardio and certain ab workouts, like side situps or crunches or whatever those things I do are...
  
  Anyways, those work because they make you balance while you're doing stuff and if you have to balance then it works muscles that normally wouldn't be worked and it gives you a better workout overall.
  
  If you get both, you can turn the half ball upside down (hold onto the square edges of the base) and have the lower half of your body on the other ball, and you have to balance both sides... they're really ****ing hard to do and it'd be really good for you.
  
  So, I'd say go that route instead, unless you do want to look big like that picture, you really don't need it. Just do some research on exorcises you can do with things already around your house.
• Teaberry wrote on 2010-12-28 17:38
  You can get a good enough workout with 8-10 lb weights and a good rotation. You don't *need* to go higher than that for a nice body unless you want to be ridiculously cut like the picture above. The main point is keeping up with it. If the weights feel light, you could always increase intensity and/or reps. Just look into how you should be using them to hit the biceps, triceps, deltoids, and pecs.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-12-28 17:44
  kk
  
  I changed my mind.
  
  I may go for those 15 lbs ones. It's good to have around anyway.
  
  Pretty confident with those anyway.
• Shirayuki wrote on 2010-12-28 17:52
  Buy a barbell and do 21's :D
• Chockeh wrote on 2010-12-28 22:32
  If you can do 3 sets of 15 reps with the 20lbs, you should buy that one.
  It's more important to get the ones that you can repeat a lot, but still have to force yourself.
• Meikeru wrote on 2010-12-29 00:19
  Just buy a wooden stick and a bunch of milk. Drink the milk and fill in sand till you get 15 lbs. You can lift the milk for dumb bells and put them on the stick for an oversized dumb bell whose name eludes me for the moment.