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Cheap Bench Press Plates [fitness]

Steve BennettSteve Bennett Registered User regular
edited April 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
I was given a bench-set and weights a while back, which included about 150lbs worth of weights. This quantity has proven insufficient (obviously because I'm so buff, nothing to do with the fact that I'm just tired of cycling the weights around the different 'stations').

Great was my surprise at the cost of new weight plates. If you are not familiar with the pricing method, you too may be surprised to learn that it is charged by.. well.. weight. At a rate of about $1-$1.50 per pound, regardless of weight denomination.

While analyzing why this shocked me, I realized that weights don't exactly wear out. Everyone has old sets in their basement, and so often they cycle around 2nd, 3rd, and 14th hand (hence my acquisition). This led me to look towards second hand sources.

Moments ago I got off the phone with my local Play It Again Sports store rep. They do indeed have the weight plates in stock...and their cost? $1/pound.

So, am I destined to spend $100 for the 100lbs I'd like to purchase? Interestingly, 10,000 pennies weighs about 50lbs, so I guess the cost is still worth it in that regard.

Where might I find what I'm after at a more reasonable cost (say, $50 per 100lbs max)?

EDIT: my location is Toronto. ... a/s/l?

Steve Bennett on

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    RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    craigslist? yard sales? (or estate sales or whatever they are called in Canada) newspaper classifieds?

    Seems like olympic weights are something that people would regularly sell when moving or cleaning out the garage. They are, after all, a pain in the ass to move.

    RUNN1NGMAN on
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    variantvariant Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Even if you do end up paying $150 ish, it's still less than a gym membership.

    But try this first: http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/

    Check under Sporting and Garage Sale, seems like there's plenty of people selling weight sets with benches for <100

    variant on
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    TheRealBadgerTheRealBadger Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    As a poor student I faced this problem once. My solution was to buy 25kg bags of cement, which sold at the hardware store for >$10, and lash them to the ends of the bar with rope.

    It seemed like a good idea at the time but it didn't work out so well. It is tricky, messy, and makes a bench press almost impossible to balance. (i.e. I could only do a max of about 60kg compared to 100kg on a proper bench). So don't do what I did.

    The best advice is just to be patient (very patient) and keep checking out garage sales and private online sales. Stores will always have pretty high prices but if you keep looking you'll eventually find a bargain.

    TheRealBadger on
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    PheezerPheezer Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2009
    Buy used.

    Pheezer on
    IT'S GOT ME REACHING IN MY POCKET IT'S GOT ME FORKING OVER CASH
    CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
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    starmanbrandstarmanbrand Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I don't know how things are up in the great white north, but a lot of gyms cycle older equipment out in favor of newer, better branded items. Maybe call local places and see if they have anything in storage they would be willing to let go of.

    edit: also call local schools that have gyms.

    starmanbrand on
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    acidlacedpenguinacidlacedpenguin Institutionalized Safe in jail.Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    http://toronto.kijiji.ca

    just looked and there's a dude on there selling 170 lbs worth + other stuff for $175. . . probably won't part it out but you could easily haggle it down to $150. . . and if you're a pro haggler you could probably get it down much lower.

    I searched "Free Weights" but if you do some looking there's probably other stuff.

    acidlacedpenguin on
    GT: Acidboogie PSNid: AcidLacedPenguiN
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