How to choose a dumbbell for sports and fitness
A healthy lifestyle, fitness and regular exercise - in our time it is not just words, but a real fashion trend, which is becoming more and more popular every day. Fitness clubs and all kinds of workout sites are growing like mushrooms after rain, attracting visitors with modern equipment and all sorts of bonuses. However, there are those who are accustomed to engage in the old fashioned way, at home. It is they who most often have the desire to pick up high-quality, suitable dumbbells, which will always be at hand and which will keep your muscles in good shape, regardless of the time of day or other factors.
What dumbbells to choose
Immediately it is necessary to make a reservation that it is impossible to fully work out all muscle groups using only dumbbells. In order to gain muscle mass, in any case, you will need at least a set of simulators to perform the so-called “base” - bench press, deadlift and squatting with a barbell. Dumbbells, on the other hand, are a classic addition that allows you to load small groups of muscles - biceps, triceps, deltoid muscles, and shoulders.
Depending on the design, all commercially available dumbbells can be divided into two conventional types:
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Disassembled dumbbells. Models with a solid neck and "pancakes" that have a specific weight and do not allow to change it during the workout. Such dumbbells are relatively inexpensive, but they do not allow to dose the load and change it in the course of the exercise. Those who choose indivisible dumbbells, sooner or later will have to face the need to buy more models of greater or lesser weight to perform exercises of a different nature. Given the low cost of such models, it is quite easy to do;
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Collapsible dumbbells are a specialized set that includes a set of discs of certain weights, a compact neck with screw lugs, as well as a system of locking devices - locks. Using a similar design, the trainee gets the opportunity to combine the required weight of the dumbbell, removing or adding "pancakes". These dumbbells are versatile - just have 2 neck and 2 sets of disks of different weights and you get the opportunity to cover all the conditions of training. There is one drawback - collapsible dumbbells are almost always more expensive than their non-separable counterparts;
What dumbbells to choose is up to you. The best are compact collapsible models with a steel grooved neck and a set of rubberized disks of 2.5, 5 and 10 kilograms (each weight has two “pancakes” per dumbbell). If the budget is limited, non-collapsible models will do, but the weight here has to be determined based on personal experience and physical abilities.
Handle Guidelines
Currently, there are dumbbells on sale, equipped with two main types of handles:
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Classic corrugated metal handle. Meets in budget models, provides decent contact even with sweaty hands.The metal handle is fraught with one major drawback - during long and multi-repetitive sets it can rub calluses on the hands, causing significant discomfort. It is for this reason that it is best to work with such dumbbells in gloves;
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Dumbbells with rubberized neck, having a corrugated structural surface. The rubberized handle is now considered an ideal option - it is this which provides excellent contact with the dumbbells, does not slip and does not turn during exercise. These dumbbells are more expensive than their metal counterparts;
As for the thickness of the handle - everything is individually and totally depends on the size of the palm, the length of the fingers and other anatomical features of a particular person.
How to choose the right weight dumbbells and "pancakes" to it
Among the supporters of a healthy lifestyle, “pancakes” are called disks, which serve as a kind of burdening. It is the aggregate of their weight that represents the specific weight of the dumbbell necessary to complete the exercise.
By analogy with the neck, you can find both classic metal "pancakes" and their rubberized counterparts on sale. Prefer should be the second option - they are much easier to use and do not cause discomfort when working with them. To give a choice in favor of traditional metal pancakes is possible only in case of significant financial limitations.
As for the choice of weight dumbbells, it all depends on the level of training of a particular person.
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If we are talking about non-separable dumbbells, a set of dumbbells weighing from 8 to 25-30 kilograms (2 dumbbells of each weight) is necessary for a full-fledged training. Beginners may also need lighter dumbbells, about 5-6 kilograms of weight, but experienced athletes and a 30-pound dumbbell may be small;
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In the case of buying a modular model, you will need 2 rubberized neck, as well as a set of discs from 2.5 to 10 kilograms, two disks of each weight;
Dumbbells powerblock
An alternative to traditional dumbbells in recent years are dumbbells POWERBLOCK. In many ways, their principle of operation is similar to conventional collapsible models, the difference lies in the principle of disassembly and assembly — it only takes 2-4 seconds to add or remove weight from the dumbbell. However, it does not do without flaws: the main of them is a rather large step of interchangeable weights - 2.2 kilograms. This makes POWERBLOCK dumbbells unsuitable for use by beginners - with the minimum weight of the load, it does not work out the necessary load on the muscles, but it is necessary to load the dumbbells at a minimum - and it becomes impossible to do the exercise. For advanced athletes, these dumbbells will become a real revelation - with their help, you can very effectively perform drop-sets, as well as work on lowering and increasing weight without changing the exercises.
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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.
