Quote:
Originally Posted by the city
Hi,
I too low self esteem to go work out at my university's gym (even though its free) and i have no friends who will go with me to go there. so until i can afford to go to my own gym (in august i can go to to my own gym) I need something i can do that will build upper body strength. i have the lowest self esteem about my arms.
thanks for suggestions,
the city
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Dumbbells are pretty cheap; count on paying about $1/lb for plates and maybe $1.25-$1.50/lb for fixed weight dumbbells, i.e. a 5 lb weight will likely set you back anywhere from $6-$7.50, possibly more for weights with a more "premium" surface or ergonomic grip. People who are serious about strength training usually invest in a good system of free weights, either a set (which can cost well into the hundreds) or bars, collars, and plates so they can change the weight on the dumbbell quickly and easily. I have both fixed-weight dumbbells and sets of bars/plates. Getting a bar/plate kit at Academy cost me less than the 2 20-lb dumbbells I was originally going to buy, and it gives me the option to adjust the weight. So it was a good buy. Kettlebells are also an option, but they are much more expensive per pound depending on the material they're made of and the grips on them. If you're weak, you definitely shouldn't try doing kettlebell swings with a 30-lb cast iron kettlebell with no grip tape on it. You'll end up throwing it through a wall, a window, or your ceiling....or putting your back out...or hitting yourself in the head or the shin with it.
Even a 5-lb kettlebell will put a hole through a wall, break a television, crack tile floors, etc. I've hit myself in the shin and the face with mine and didn't do any lasting damage other than a little swelling and a lot of embarrassment, but you get my point: Respect your weights. Push your limits, but don't be unrealistic. It's not a competition.
You can also improvise with household objects. Also try Googling "body weight exercises" or "body weight strength training". You can do quite a lot with your own body strength.
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