Weightlifting equipment is an investment that gyms or fitness centers make to help improve their members' overall physical shape and conditioning. Not only is it an expense to purchase brand new items, but their is some cost to buying refurbished pieces as well. One way to cut down on the overhead of purchasing new or even used weight equipment is to find ways to get these items for free. There are a number of avenues you can take to get enough machines to even create your own home workout room. The best thing to have is the knowledge of where to look for these items.
Places to Contact for Free Weight Equipment
Step 1
Check the for sale ads in the local newspapers and craigslist.com. Often time you will see ads for weightlifting equipment that people are trying to sell at a low price. If it has any minor defects that you can fix on your own, and the pieces haven't moved in a few weeks, chances are they may be glad that you take the items off their hands.
Step 2
Search for items on the Internet that are being sold at a discount prices. A lot of times you can get free weightlifting equipment with the purchase of a used aerobic piece. These items haven't sold and may be a few years old, so the stores want to make way for their new arrivals to replace their used pieces.
Step 3
Contact local high schools or colleges. Call the schools and talk with their athletic directors or whoever is in charge of their weight room facilities. Often times, their is not enough space for all their equipment, so it ends up in storage. After a while, they just want to get rid of it. They'll be happy you took it away.
Step 4
Stop in at a gym or fitness center that has just purchased new equipment. Usually the case is that they want to upgrade what they have, so they need to remove their older pieces. If they don't have the space and can't sell it in a timely manner, they may want to give it away to one of their new members.
Step 5
Consider going to a local auction or foreclosure sale. Unfortunately in this day and age of our economy, one person's loss is another person's gain. Don't get into a bidding war as you may get it for dirt cheap or for nothing at all. Just buy one item and you may get a lot of other weight pieces thrown in for free.
Tips and Warnings
- Most cases, individuals and schools are the groups who want to just get rid of weightlifting equipment, thus they give it away. As for stores and gyms, you may need to purchase an item or a service to get another piece for free. The key is to ask around and find out what the situation is for those items. Negotiate a low price down to nothing if at all possible. Don't spend a lot just to get things for free.
- Consider having the help of another person for loading and unloading the weightlifting equipment you happen to get. You will also need a truck and some tools as some pieces require some disassembling and reassembling when moving these items. Check to make sure the pieces will fit into the space they are intended for when working out. Also, make sure they are in good working order or it may not be worth the hassle of taking it as you'd just be doing them a favor. It needs to benefit you in the process.
Things You'll Need
- Local newspaper want ads
- Local phone book directories
- Computer with Internet access
- Contact names and phone numbers
- Names of schools and local gyms
- Sporting goods stores and chains
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