The different kinds of bodies you can fashion from the best dumbbells are numerous. Whether it’s a warrior physique à la Ross Edgley that you’re after, long and lean limbs like Harry Styles’ or something in the middle as seen on Pedro Pascal, the right series of weight exercises can get you there. Sorry cardio freaks, but no matter how you want to look or feel, strength training is paramount to your health regime, and what is central to every strength regime? Dumbbells.
If you’ve already got kettlebells, resistance bands and a rowing machine sorted for the home gym you’ve been cultivating since the first lockdown, it’s certainly time for the dumbbell section of your set up to come into play. Even those who also have gym memberships should still listen in: there are only so many times you can try and fail to find a matching pair of 12kgs before you decide to buy your own.
A little housekeeping before you embark on your dumbbell-buying journey. The first thing is that heavier does not always equal better. If you’re wanting to target biceps, triceps, shoulders, legs or even abs, the key is to make sure you can complete at least eight slow and controlled repetitions with your chosen weights. It might be tempting to go higher if you can reel off a couple of quick reps with them, but you’re much more likely to injure yourself that way, plus you’re not going to be optimising the gains.
What else to consider? On our part, composition, grip, durability, looks and adjustability all come into play when we consider which dumbbells come the most highly recommended. These things should all factor into your deliberations, too, and make sure you measure up the space your new irons are going to go before you add to basket. Ready? Let us run you through some of the best.
What are the best dumbbells?
A truly superb set for noobs, Proiron uses cast iron in its plates in order to guarantee longevity, while also allowing you to slowly build your weights without having to buy an entire suite of dumbbells. This set allows you to split a total of 20kg in weight across each dumbbell, or else lift more with a single arm.
Smart dumbbells? Oh, it’s a thing. Jaxjox’s model may be expensive, but they’re well worth the extra. Not only do these weights keep things compact with a series of plates that can be added to a single bar, but these bad boys will also track the weight you’re lifting as well as reps, volume and more through a dedicated, connected app. Cool, right?
Famed for its treadmills, Bowflex also makes intuitive adjustable weights such as in this SelectTech bundle. Style and spec meet here, allowing you to incrementally increase the weight you’re lifting — up to 24kg — without taking up bags of room.
The best dumbbells at a glance….
Read the full article here