Are you considering turning your basement or other room of your home into a home gym? If the answer is yes, you should start investing in suitable equipment that will meet your exercise needs. Most people start investing in weight sets since they are quite accessible and you can choose to pick them up and work out in your backyard, balcony, living room, or take them to the beach or park, you name it. Your weights can change your exercising habits, and if you weren't a fan of going to the gym, now you can have them in your home and use them whenever you want. Before you buy weights, this is what you need to know.
Different Sizes of Weight Plates
Olympic Discs
These have a 50.6mm diameter and a central hole. They come as a standard size in the entire fitness industry. This is quite great since they can fit any commercial bar and plate loaded gym. So if you're already owning bars at home and are looking for new weight sets, then don't hesitate to get a pair of Olympic discs.
Standard Discs
These are used as the main choice for home gyms. If you have a well-equipped home gym, these standard discs might not fit on a classic Olympic bar. It's important to have this in mind when buying these.
Studio Discs
These are specific to group exercises. They are universal to classes such as Lee Mill's body pump (participants won't work out with heavy loads). These plates are often rubber-coated, smaller in size and usually come with handles (often brightly coloured). You can easily spot them in the store, and you can easily add and remove them from your studio weight bars.
Types of Olympic Plates
Rubber Weight Plates
These type of Olympic plates has an extra layer of rubber coating for extra safety, longevity and protection. The rubber coating protects both the weight plate and the floor to a certain degree. The rubber will prevent the plates from wearing.
Urethane Coated Plates
These weights are one step up and have the same dimensions as rubber plates, but are far more durable and less exposed to markings and cosmetic damage. Unlike rubber plates, these plates won't mark your floor, walls and other equipment. They also are free of odours, compared to some rubber products which often produce a strong smell.
Technique Bumper Weight Plates
Bumper plates are solid rubber weight discs that are safe for performing Olympic lifts. They can be dropped from a height during exercises such as presses and snatches. Their purpose is to create a safe environment and allow you to perform certain exercises without the risk of damage to the floor, equipment or any part of your body.
What to Consider When Buying
Your Experience Level
Start with the most important thing - your experience with free weights. Whether or not you've used them before, make sure to purchase weights that are suitable to your experience but also strength. It would be a crazy thing to purchase heavy weights if you've never lifted weights before. Start with the lighter ones that you can actually lift; as your strength and muscle mass increases, and as your experience in these types of workouts grows, you can purchase heavier and larger options. If you don't know what size and weight of weights you need, you can always ask the salesperson or perhaps consult a personal trainer.
Your Workout Space
If you're trying to build your own gym, then consider the space. How much space is there for your weightS, how much space do you have to freely move and exercise and if there will be other exercise equipment? You might want to get weight shelves so you can lay them out vertically and save some space (which is very practical for smaller rooms).
Who Will Use the Equipment
This is important to consider if you plan to share your home gym and weights with other people who may not have the same goals as you or need heavier or lighter weights. You need to consider if the other users have preferences like dumbbells versus barbells for example.
Your Fitness Goals
This is another important thing to consider. Some people lift weights to lose weight, others do this to build muscle mass or improve their strength. Choose your weights based on your fitness goals and what you want to achieve. This will help you narrow your choice and pick only the weights you need.
What About Portable Weights
Another important thing to consider when buying gym weights is if they are easily portable. Not everyone has a room especially for a gym, so a portable weight set can be quite practical. You can store them the close and workout in your bedroom, living room or outdoors. If you're looking for portable weights, you can start with dumbbells, since they are much smaller and you can easily transfer them from one room to another.
