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Buying Weights
Weights are the most important pieces of muscle building equipment. Without weights you won’t be gaining any muscle, so this is what you should focus on buying first. Here is a guide to what types of weights you should buy.
Types of Weights
There are a few types of different weights:
1. Rubber coated Weights – these are the best kind of weights, but also the most expensive. Because they are coated in rubber, they won’t damage your floors.
2. Plastic Filled Weights - These are a cheaper option than rubber coated weights, but not as durable. Because they are made of plastic they crack easier, so you may have to buy new weights every few years.
3. Cast Iron Weights – These are the best kind of weights for people who don’t really care about their floors. These weights are less expensive then the rubber coated weights, but are very durable so you won’t need to replace them for a very long time.
Remember if you have nice floors you can always get some mats to put under your weight lifting area. This means you can get better weights for a cheaper price, and still save your floors from denting.
Also make sure not to buy cheap weights. Cheap weights will crack, have chipping paint, may have dangerous sharp edges, and might not even be the right weight!
Weight Sizes
There are two main types of weight sizes, Olympic and standard weights.
Standard weights have 1” holes and use barbells of 5-6’ in length. These are usually used on small and medium sized benches, as they can’t really support heavy weights. This is not saying that standard weights aren’t any good. If you get a set for cheap then it really makes a good beginner set, and accessories are cheaper.
Olympic weights have 2” holes, and use barbells of 7’ in length. These weights are used on large benches, and are used for heavy lifting. If you plan on lifting heavy weights in the future you should probably forgo the savings in buying standard weights and just invest in Olympic weights from the start.
What Do I Need?
To start off what you want is:
- 2 x 45 lb plates
- 2 x 35 lb plates
- 2 x 25 lb plates
- 2 x 10 lb plates
- 2 x 5 lb plates
- 2 x 2.5 lb plates
This is a good start as you will be able to make all the different weights. As you get more experienced you can add a few more 45 lb plates for heavy lifting, or more small plates for using on dumbbells.
In my opinion the best way to start is to buy a 300 lb set. Preferably get Olympic weight, and either cast iron or rubber coated weights, depending on your preference. Most of these sets usually come with a barbell handle. I’d also buy a couple of dumbbell handles so I could use the small weights and save on dumbbell costs.
Hopefully this guide has taught you a bit about buying weights, and what you need to start weight lifting at home. Buying Weights can be overwhelming, but if you have a plan of what you are going to get before you go into the store, it makes choosing a lot easier.
