318 Part VI: Conquering the Gym (Even at Home)
Free weights
Free weights — dumbbells and barbells — are excellent investments: They’re
simple, versatile, and relatively inexpensive. They do, however, have the
highest accident potential; just ask anyone who has dropped a weight on his
foot or gotten pinned under a heavy bar. If you’re new to free-weight training,
please take a few sessions with a trainer. And never do any heavy lifting when
you’re alone.On the upside, you won’t compromise safety by buying the cheap weights
sold at department and sporting goods stores. Weight is weight. There’s not
much difference between one brand and another. Like meat, free weights are
usually sold by the pound. You can pay up to $2 a pound for shiny chrome
dumbbells and bars. Gray or black steel will run you 45¢ to $1.50 per pound.Dumbbells
For a beginner, dumbbells(the short weights that you can lift with one hand)
should be a higher priority than barbells(the long ones that require both
hands). Dumbbells (see Figure 20-1) give you more exercise options, and they
force each side of your body to pull its own weight.Photograph by Sunstreak Productions, Inc.When it comes to buying dumbbells, you have two options. The best, most
convenient option is to buy several pairs of dumbbells — 5-pound weights,
10-pounders, 12-pounders, 15-pounders, and so on. The cheap choice: Buy an
adjustable dumbbell kit. A kit comes with two handles and several weight
plates that you clamp onto each end of the handles with a clip or screw-type
mechanism called a collar. These kits sell for $30 to $100, depending on the
quality and the number of weight plates included.Figure 20-1:
Dumbbells
give you a
variety of
exercise
options.