Hey all, so I was debating on whether or not I should get loadable dumbells or adjustable dumbells. Well I chose to get loadable dumbells for a number of reasons. You can't beat loadable dumbells when it comes to price and quality. When you buy adjustable dumbells, you're likely buying a product that contains a bunch of plastic, but when steel dumbell handles and plates, there is no plastic to break. Also, loadable dumbells allow you to add more weights and get more bang for your buck. These Yes4all plates are the cheapest I could find and appear to be excellent quality. If you're wondering what my set up consists of, read below. Firstly, I purchased the 7.5 pound plates instead of the 10 pound plates. Why you ask? Well, the 7.5 pound plates are shorter (same thickness), so this was great as I wanted my loadable dumbell set to be as close as possible in size to standard dumbells at the gym. With the 7.5 and 5 pound plates, the size is simply great and not big at all. For my loadable dumbell handles, I actually purchased those from a company called New York Barbell; I purchased the 16" dumbell handles, which are excellent and high quality. I purchased a solid dumbell stand/plate holder from Titan fitness, which I highly recommend. Overall, I probably paid about $450 for everything (Twenty 7.5 pound plates, eight 5 pound plates, dumbell handles, and the stand). I also purchased four 2.5 pound plates from Cap (which were cheap and four 1.25 pound plates. Remember, you're dealing with a standard 1" diameter on these plates, so just be mindful that you get the right size. I know Yes4All sells a complete dumbell set, which is also a great option that includes the handles and plates. The only reason I didn't go that route was because I wanted smaller plates to make my lifting experience as comfortable as possible, and the 7.5 pound plates really are great for that. I also wanted to get a high quality pair of dumbell handles (not saying that the Yes4all brand aren't great, I have no experience with those, I just did my research and chose the other brand, but I'm sure they make great handles too as their plates are awesome). One more piece of advice. If you do go the loadable dumbell route, just know that it can be a pain to change the weights (which is the only disadvantage I can see vs adjustable dumbells). One remedy to that is buying another pair of dumbell handles that you can use for the lighter weight lifts. Read more
Very highly recommended. I'll cover the good, the non-existent bad give my suggestions. When you use dumbell handles, your limited to how much weight you can actually put on them. The width of the plates is the limiting factor. A lot of plates have a very elaborate design or even worse, holes in them, that mean they have to be wider in order to get up to the desired weight. These don't do that and are as thin a plate as you'll find for each size respectively. I had some old york plates like this and finding more was pretty hard. The hole is a snuggish one inch which is also a bonus. It means there's less room for it to wobble around on the bars and make excess noise. The sizes are great, also. 7.5 pound plates are something I've never seen that are a great find for me. One 7.5 pound plate on each side takes up a lot less space than a 5 and a 2.5. The 15 pound plates are also a fantastic find for me because they're the biggest plates I'd ever put on a dumbell. Anything bigger than that and it starts getting in the way when you do the lifts. I had to use 25's before I made this purchase and it was a pain. The thickness and the wights they're available in make these my choice. The closest I can come to a negative is the "free shipping". It's not free, it's built into the price. Go to the store and you can usually get weights for a little over a dollar a pound. It's a little more expensive here and that's for shipping. The other thing I noticed may change with time, but usually when you buy stuff in bulk, it's cheaper. Buy four plates individually and it would cost more than getting two pairs and that would cost more than getting a four pack. That wasn't the case when I did my order. The pairs were the best value. Don't assume the four packs are when / if you place an order. Check them all out. My suggestion for a newb is to get 4 x 5's, 4 x 7.5's, 4 x 10's and as many 15's as you can fit on your dumbell handles. Do this in groups of four because you'll have exercises with a weight in each hand and an even amount of weigh ton each dumbell. If you have or are gonna get a standard size barbell to go with it, then I'd get another 2 x 5, 2 x 7.5, 4 x 10, 2 x 25 and that's it for these. I'd then go to a local store and get as many 45's or 50's as you think you might need. Room is never an issue with barbells, but you still have to be able to make all the different weights. Because the shipping and handling is basically built into the price, I'd check to see if there's a store even remotely within driving distance that carries this brand and see if you can order them from that store and have them ship them to the store for you for free pickup. I wouldn't just drive out there if you're a beginner because they might not have all the plates you'd want to buy and that could be a long trip that you'd then have to make twice. As far as the 45's or 50's that you'd get for a barbell, I'd just get them anywhere close by and get the ones with the holes in them for these because it makes them easier to pick up. I also went with the 50's to make the math easier. If you find the smaller plates from a different brand at a local store I'd resist the urge to buy them unless they have the same variety of weights and smaller thickness as these. They may be cheaper, but it's not worth it. Read more
