Dumbbells – Good Investment for your home gym?
If you have decided to set up a home gym or just want to do some exercise in the comfort of your own home then a must have is a set of Dumbbells. For just a small amount of money you have a piece of equipment that can be used in or outside of the home, doesn’t take up any room and will work every single muscle in your body.
For those of you who haven’t been introduced to Dumbbells they typically come in various forms. Some come with a small bar and integrated weight on both ends. Some come in one piece form made from foam or plastic. Other types include weights or various size that can be swapped or added on as you wish.
Generally the moulded and static weight sets costs less and on the whole are sturdy and safe to use. However you can end up buying several pairs of varying weight as your training progresses, which can offset the savings, made initially plus you have more equipment to store and move around. As you progress with your training the adjustable dumbbell sets will give you more flexibility because you can keep adding weight as you need it. The single drawback is having to swap the weight around when you finish each exercise.
From a safety perspective always make sure the weights are securely fastened before performing any exercise as the last thing you want is a 5kg weight flying off the bar as you perform a bicep curl or overhead press. When training at home it is easy to not be dressed properly. Always wear suitable footwear because a 5kg dumbbell landing on your exposed foot is not a pleasant experience. If your inexperienced and training on your own start with a light pair of dumbbell that you are confident you can control properly when performing the exercise. You will find that when training with dumbbells for the first time is does take some time for your muscles to get accustomed to using the weights so for various exercises especially those where you are pressing the weight (eg dumbbell bench press) you may find your arms shaking and moving around as you try to keep the proper form while performing the exercise. After practice you will find this does get easier and after a few weeks you should be able to handle the weights more comfortably. As a final note if your not sure how to perform any exercise please consider investing in some professional fitness adviser to teach you correct technique
The main reason I recommend getting a set of dumbbells is that from a training perspective they offer you so much flexibility and variation. Every single muscle in the body can be trained with just one set of dumbbells due to the masses of various dumbell workouts available. It doesn’t matter if you are complete novice or have been training for years everybody can have a effective and safe workout using dumbbells.
Because a dumbbell is free weight the range of motion you can apply to your exercises allows you to work your muscles far more effectively than say a weight machine. A workout with dumbbells can burn lots of calories due to the amount of muscles used and can also improve balance and coordination due to the various movements and exercises you can employ.
If you’re a complete beginner I would recommend to start with a small set of dumbbells that range from 2kg –5kg. For those who are more experienced and have a bigger budget there are some great dumbbell sets available. The Bowflex Range is a well known adjustable dumbbell set. They come as a pair of dumbbells with a weight range from 2kg-21kg. The great benefit this offers is no more messing about with weights and locks, just a turn of dial and you can go from 4kg to 20kg. The advantages of this are a saving in time as you don’t have to keep changing weights, less storage space required and you have a piece of equipment that will last for a long time. Again I would only look at these if you are serious about your training and are committed to getting the most from your investment.
