Recommended home fitness dumbbells

Ordinary home fitness novices should first choose rubber-coated quick-adjustable dumbbells with a total weight of 30-40kg.； If you have a limited budget, only train your upper body, and have enough space at home, choose a fixed dumbbell set. ； If you have a strength foundation of more than 1 year and want to push the load, choose the pure steel electroplated adjustable model. ； If you rent a house and are afraid of disturbing your neighbors, just pay extra and choose a silent model with a thickened soft rubber jacket. This is the conclusion I came to after practicing strength training at home for 4 years, buying 7 sets of dumbbells and going through countless pitfalls. If you don’t want to read the verbosity behind it, just buy it as it is.

When I first started working out at home, the first pitfall I encountered was that I bought a pair of cement-filled dumbbells for 99 yuan on the cheap. They were covered with a thin plastic shell. The shell cracked after less than two months of use, and gray cement slag rubbed all over my yoga mat. Later, when I was doing deadlifts, my hands slipped to the ground and broke in half, almost hitting my toes. Since then, I have never touched such cheap dumbbells again.

Some fitness bloggers once said that fixed dumbbells are professional, and adjustable dumbbells are IQ tax. I half agree and half disagree with this. My buddy’s house has a dedicated fitness corner with a whole wall of dumbbell racks. The fixed dumbbells from 2.5kg to 25kg are neatly arranged. You can pick them up and use them during training without twisting the buckles to adjust the weight. You don’t even need to pause when switching movements when doing super sets. It’s really cool. But if you are like me, you rented a small second bedroom of 15 square meters before, and there was no place to walk with the dumbbell rack when it was put down. So don’t join in the fun.

I have bought three types of adjustable dumbbells. The first one was one with a screw-on nut. It took a long time to tighten each time to adjust the weight. The nut was easy to loosen. Halfway through the exercise, the dumbbell plate would slide off when I hit it. Later, I changed to the latch type. The latch often did not stick properly. Once when I was practicing bench press, the latch came loose, and the left dumbbell plate fell directly and hit the bed frame, which scared me into a cold sweat. It wasn't until I switched to the quick-adjusting model last year that I finally felt comfortable. You can adjust the weight by holding the handle and turning the buckle. It can be adjusted from 2kg to 20kg in 1 second. I don't have to stop and fiddle when doing drop sets, and the rhythm is not interrupted at all.

The material really depends on your usage scenario. I am still using the rubber-coated version. The frosted rubber on the outside is not slippery to the touch, and it does not freeze my hands when I hold it in winter. Last time I did a deadlift, I couldn’t hold it properly and it hit the floor with a muffled sound. The neighbor downstairs didn’t come to see me. This is much better than pure steel. I bought a pair of pure steel electroplated ones before. They looked really shiny and had a solid grip, but they were too slippery. When my palms got sweaty, I was always worried about them flying out, and there would be a crater on the floor. The floor of the house I rented before was smashed into two small craters. When I checked out, I was deducted a 200 yuan deposit, which makes me feel sad to this day.

Many people ask novices how much weight they should buy. There is really no standard answer. If you used to find that even a thermos full of water was too heavy, it is not shameful to start with a 1kg dumbbell. In order to lose weight last year, my cousin started doing dips and extensions with 2kg dumbbells. After doing 10 reps, her arms were shaking like a sieve. After practicing for half a year, it is not difficult to do sets with a single 8kg dumbbell. If I had bought her a 20kg dumbbell from the beginning, she would have left it gathering dust in the corner. If you have a basic foundation for exercise, can run 5 kilometers without panting, and occasionally do push-ups, then just buy an adjustable model with a total weight of 40kg. It can last for at least three or four years without changing, and you don't have to change the weight after two months of training, which is a waste of money.

Oh, by the way, if you live in an old community with thin floors, or have children and elderly people at home who need to rest, don’t worry about money, just buy the silent model with thickened soft rubber on the outside. When I rented in the old community, I used pure steel dumbbells to practice. I just did two sets of deadlifts when the aunt downstairs knocked on the door and said that her grandson was doing homework, which shook the table. Later, after I changed to the silent model, no one came to me again.

In fact, if you really want to talk about it, there is no absolute "best dumbbell". The one that suits you is right. If you usually do shoulder and neck exercises and move your arms, a pair of plastic-impregnated small dumbbells that cost tens of dollars are enough. ； If you want to practice strength for a long time, it is much more cost-effective to buy better quick-adjusting dumbbells in one step than buying a bunch of useless dumbbells. After all, when it comes to fitness, the most valuable thing is never the expensive equipment, but the energy you have to persevere.