hey!

do any of you have any recommendations for brands/stores/etc. where i can get a set of nice but not too expensive free weights?

if it's possible, i only need 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 lb. DB's. (my femininity is glaring... ha :bb: )

i've also been shopping around on ebay, but everything is either super expensive (500 bucks or more) or a little too random. i'd just like to be able to do a basic work out in my apartment, nothing special!

thanks for any input.

I got everything from play it again sports, but really any huge sporting goods store should have a weight section. Look to pay $.50/lb for dumbells.

Heck you can even get them at Wal-Mart. Also check your classified ads, people buy this sort of stuff all the time and then it just sits around taking up space so they will sell them cheap :D

If you look up cheapskate in the dictionary, you'll find my picture. Here's what I do. I know it's not optimum, but it has worked for me. I focus mainly on body weight exercises, and use a dumbbell for curls, tricep raises, weighted crunches and so on. I work with one weight until I get to like 15 rep sets on biceps, then go buy the next heavier weight. Each one lasts a while, and I now have built up like 5 different weights so I can use whichever one fits the exercise the best. A trip to the local sporting goods store to get like a 20 lb dumbbell for $8.50 every few weeks fits my budget great!

A true cheapskate would by an adjustable dumbbell set (110 lb cap barbell set is $30-50, I got mine for $30 because it was on sale).

A true cheapskate would by an adjustable dumbbell set (110 lb cap barbell set is $30-50, I got mine for $30 because it was on sale).

Are these good? and where do you usually store the weights you are not using? A store nearby is selling a set of 45 kgs (i guess its aroudn 110lbs) that seems nice, but I don't like it much since I know I'll have to just leave the weights lying around in the floor when not in use.

hmmm, walmart... i also just realized that i have a sam's club card i have yet to use. maybe i'll give that a try.

there's also a set of DB's on ebay that are travel-friendly- you fill the weights up with water. sounds sketchy, but has anyone tried these? they were cheap, but they sound pretty weird. :confused:

I use adjustable weider dumbbell handles. I just buy more plates when I need them...I use the cap plates though because you can fit a lot more on than the weider ones.

They're a good deal because they take up a lot less space and cost a lot less. But you have to spin the collars off and adjust the weights all the time so it can be a bit of a PITA.

buy the cheapest thing you can (safety in mind of course...use common sense. No milk cartons filled with cement). It's just weight. All you need to do is give your muscles some resistance. I have adjustable dumbells with spin collars or screw locks (If that's what you call them). The set is great because they have 1.25 lb increments for increasing weight on small muscle exercises. I bought it at the local sporting goods store (city sports). they have a terrible selection of weight lifting stuff but this was good for me.

A true cheapskate would by an adjustable dumbbell set (110 lb cap barbell set is $30-50, I got mine for $30 because it was on sale).

Target also has them I got mine (with a nice storage case) for $34

Craigslist is a great place to find exercise stuff from people who buy and then never use. Here's Detroit for the original poster (dunno if that's close or not).
http://detroit.craigslist.org/spo/

Here are the other cities available:
http://detroit.craigslist.org/about/cities.html

craigslist is amazing for everything really. Some people get really into it and just offer stuff on there completely free. I don't know why they go through the trouble of posting. It helps if you live right in or near one of the cities though of course.