Home Gym Equipment – Dumbbells
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 have a short bar with a static weight on each end. Some are one-piece moulded plastic or foam. Others have discs or varying weights that can be swapped out, added to and so on.
Generally the moulded and static weight sets costs less and on the whole are sturdy and safe to use. However what can happen especially if you are training regularly is that you need more weights to help you progress so you end up actually buying more equipment that works out more expensive and. Over time the adjustable dumbbell sets allow you to progress with your training as you can choose how much weight you want to work with. The only real issue is adding or taking off weights between each exercise which can add on some extra time.
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. If training at home don’t forget to wear appropriate footwear because you definately don’t want a dumbbell landing on your bear foot. If training alone then I would advise to start with light weights to make sure you can fully control the dumbbell through the whole exercise movement. Training with dumbbells does take your body some time to adjust when first starting to use them. Don’t be suprised to find your arms shaking as you perfom certain exercises especially a pressing movement such as dumbbell bench press. After a few weeks of consistenty using the dumbbell you should find you can handle them with more ease and control. 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. With a great variety of dumbbell workouts to choose from you can easily train all muscle groups in the body. No matter what your level of experience you can create a safe yet extremely effective workout with just one set of 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. Also by training with free weights such as dumbbells you use so many more muscles during the session meaning that burn up loads of calories while at the same time improve your body’s coordination and functionality.
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. A highly recommended (I own a pair) adjustable dumbbell set is from a company called Bowflex. The weight range of each dumbbell is from 2kg-21kg. So instead of having lots of different weights to attach and store you just can adjust the weight with a turn of a dial. The benefits of this style of dumbbbell are a reduction in messing around changing weights, you don’t need much storage space and you won’t have to keep buying extra bits of equipment as these will last you for a long time. If you are serious with your training and know you would bet value from your investment then these are a good buy. For those of you who are not as committed then these may not be for you.
Tags: dumbbell workouts, dumbbells, Home Gym, Home gym equipment