Free Weights, Bars and Storage
Free weights (Freeweights) - The original and ultimate method of building great physiques and demonstrating strength. Free weights can be created from many materials, but typically cast iron is by far the most frequently used. Cheap catalogue home use weights often take the form of bulky plastic weights filled with sand or water and hollow tube bars. Great for junior weight training, but lousy if you wish to train seriously. Olympic weights almost always used in commercial gyms and usually purchased by anyone wanting to set up a quality home gym. Dumbells (dumbbells) are a nice addition, but not essential as pretty much every muscle group can be exercised with a barbell and weights, but any decent commercial gym should have a full range of dumbbells and of course weights racks and dumbell racks to keep things tidy. My tip for the home weight trainer is to snap up any 2nd hand cast weights and plates as you come across them. The cost of cast iron and steel is rising at an alarming rate and people selling their old weights are usually looking for a trivial amount of money and certainly don't appreciate the true worth of their iron! Still worth a barter even if up for a good price! ;¬) BUT if you want to buy new then we keep plenty in stock for mail order or shop collection.
Olympic Weights + Bars
Olympic weights and Olympic bars. We often get asked what the difference is between Olympic and Standard weights and bars. Olympic bars feature 2" ends which are mounted to the main bar by roller bearings. The rotating ends are more beneficial when performing Olympic style lifts where the bar is rotated through 180 degrees for example clean and press (from floor to overhead) where there is no resistance from the static mass of the plates. Also Olympic bars can have greater loading capacities as the bar is not limited to 25mm diameter as with Standard weights so the diameter of a 1500 lb can be up to 32mm.
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Standard Weights + Bars
Standard weights or olympic weights, which to go for what's the difference? Standard weights are easy to find new and second hand. A standard bar should be plenty strong enough for most home use although it is limited to a maximum diameter of 25mm which on a 7' bar could be a bit on the thin side for heavy squats (more than 3 plates a side). Everyone likes Olympic weights and bars 'cos that's what we use in the gym. Me? I'd always go with Olympic... “cos that's what I use in the gym” but if I had a barrow load of standard weight then standard it would be.
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Dumbells
Dumbells and dumbell sets. Fixed and adjustable Dumbells, hex dumbells or rubber coated, the choice is wide. Dumbells while playing an important role in the commercial gym are not quite as important for home training, although most customers setting up a home gym are doing so as they want the same facilities for home training as they are used to. Home or commercial, we have dumbells to suit every requirement, most are available direct from our shop stock for collection or mail order, or direct from our main warehouse. Some might not be listed but it doesn't mean we can't supply them, give us a call and we'll sort it out.
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Weights Storage Racks
Storage racks for weights, plates, bars, dumbells. Every gym that has a free weights area whether home or commercial, needs some for of weight storage for loose free weight. We have a great selection of weight storage systems catering for small garage gyms to full commercial leisure facilities. Dumbell racks that will hold full sets of dumbells, and racks designed for specific dumbells.
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