Adjustable Dumbbells: Next Big Thing For Your Home Gym?

It might be that time of the year when you have binged on a lot of mince pies, pastries, cookies and gulped a few pints of beer and wine during Christmas and new year – or as a matter of fact any celebration in the family.  Either way, it is now resolution time and somewhere on top of your bucket list is adopting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Such resolutions traditionally only lead to new gym memberships to evade the guilt within you and after a couple of weeks or months, the money is just going the drain as it is less appealing to hit the gym regularly for various reasons.

No wonder 25% of the newly enrolled customers cancel their membership within the first 3 months and a further 6% would plan to do so in coming days, reports suggest.

It is simply because you can’t fit the gym routine in your overly busy work routine and family responsibilities. At times it is less motivating to drape yourself up in your workout gear and hit the gym at the right time. Also peak hours are overly crowded and you end up struggling getting the right equipment you want to work on.

So if you are that independent type, home gym is probably the best thing for you.

Believe it or not, by having a home gym, you could adapt fitness as a lifestyle. By having the flexibility to work out any time you want is a big motivation in itself. Also, these days several online programmes, DVD’s, and videos are available which aid for a perfect workout at an astonishingly low price. Survey also suggests that Nintendo’s Wii Fit has revolutionised in-home fitness with its broad appeal and focus on fun and social interaction.

Working out at home has obvious advantages. But there are some down sides to it as well. For example; distractions from the phone, kids, pets, doorbell etc. can put you off track from your workout routine, and that’s if you can get started in the first place.

Also when you’re at home, it’s easy to find something more important that needs to be done. So it is always better to exercise in the morning when there is little or no distraction.

Tips for Working Out at Home

As much as it seems enticing to have your own gym with the right kind of equipment in order to get that perfectly shaped body you dreamt of, it is rather tricky at the start and leaves you with several questions swirling around your head. Is it really possible to get that toned body by working out at home? Where do I find the information about the right kind of equipment I need? And most importantly how much does it cost me? So here in this article we are providing tips on how to go about choosing the right kind of adjustable dumbbells for yourself.

Talking of work out regime, Fitness experts suggest that, things like dumbbells, medicine ball, balance balls, resistance bands, a bench and an effective workout programme is all that is needed to gain a sleek, toned body. An ideal fitness routine consists of

1. Warmup
2. Cardio workout
3. Resistance training
4. Stretches
5. Cool down

A warm-up can be a quick walk down the road or on a treadmill, or couple of miles on a bike or a couple of low intensity exercise that can get your system ready for a great start. Cardio is again running on a treadmill with greater speed, using a cross trainer with higher levels of resistance, using spinning bikes with high resistance or follow an aerobic exercise routine.

When it comes to resistance it could be as simple as squats, lunges, push-ups, and abdominal crunches. It can be made more effective by stacking up weights to it. For example, doing squats with weights targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and calves and you can achieve quicker and greater results. Push-ups involve the pectorals, deltoids, biceps and triceps — even the abdominals and the upper back.

Stretching and cool down exercises will help bring your heart rate down to normal. Trust us, your body will thank you for having given it such a great workout and you will feel more energetic and happy throughout the day.

Many studies have highlighted the benefits of adding strength training to your daily workout routine. Lifting weights benefits your heart, increases bone strength, improves your body balance, and aides greatly in weight loss.

So you could go ahead and purchase an expensive piece of gym equipment that works only on one or two muscle groups or use weights with a properly programmed exercise routine that shapes all muscle groups. Buying regular standalone weights are expensive and also hard to store.

If you live in a small apartment where space is limited, storing these weights is a messy business. The option now readily available in the market which takes away that hassle of using and storing traditional weights is as set of adjustable dumbbells. This allows you to use a variety of plates that attach to a metal bar in order to achieve your desired weight. We think this is an effective and economical solution for throwing more weights into your everyday workout.

Of course, the most attractive bit is the price. A standard set of weights can cost thousands of dollars, depending on how complete you want your set to be. On the other hand a set of adjustable dumbbells might only cost several hundred dollars. Also it might give you even more weight options and versatility, all at a lot less upfront expense.

There are several factors that need digging up before you invest in adjustable dumbbells:

Usage

Safety should be of paramount importance when it comes to choosing equipment for your home gym. Adjustable dumbbells with a proper safety mechanism are designed to give good results with safety in mind. Most sets use a pin system, which keeps the weights secure until the pin is removed; others use a dial to select the required weights that stays safe on the handle while you exercise. There are also a few in the market which we can barely classify as adjustable dumbbells. They are too hard to change weights on and also inconvenient to use.

Along with safety, the convenience at which you can actually use it is what makes the product a real hit with the customers. Most adjustable dumbbells are very easy to change the weights on. You just need to turn the dial to choose the weight you want work on and lift the centre bar. The dumbbell then elegantly lifts up from its cradle with the desired weight. Others use a simple pin system.

The centre bar, of course, should have an ergonomic grip (ridged grip) that is convenient to hold and exercise on. You must feel firm and sturdy when you hold it; not slippery or rough. If you do not get such a feeling or you have a weird feeling that the dumbbell could fall apart in the middle of the session, then it is not the right adjustable dumbbell for you. A great adjustable dumbbell set should stand the test of time and be able to take whatever you can pump through and still remain intact.

Upgrades and Extra Features:

Of course, other good things to look for in an adjustable dumbbell set are the available upgrades and extra features that come along with it. For instance, you may want to look for an adjustable dumbbell set with a sturdy and secure storage rack. You might also want one with the ability to add additional weight sizes. Some sets even come with smart adjustment systems. Then, of course, there are the cosmetic bonuses, like colour and shape, to think about.

Quality of the Adjustable Dumbbells

Quality is extremely important, when it comes to adjustable dumbbells. Some sets are absolutely wonderful and state of the art. Others are cheap and constructed without any thought with regards to design. The problem with a cheap set of dumbbells is that simple construction often means bad construction.

It’s certainly worthwhile to invest a bit more money in a set of adjustable dumbbells that has been constructed with quality in mind. You’ll be paying for locks that work, weights that feel better and are less loud and, of course, weights that come with a great warranty.

However, the other thing to remember about buying quality adjustable dumbbells is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy them. Even a quality set of adjustable dumbbells should only cost a few hundred dollars. A set of non-adjustable weights, on the other hand, would be likely to cost as much as a couple thousand dollars. So, even if you pay for quality adjustable weights, you’ll still be saving yourself a lot of money and trouble.

Warranties and Guarantees:

Warranties and guarantees are also definitely worth thinking about. You could potentially buy an off brand product or a used product to save money. However, would you really be saving money in the long run?

If you buy a quality product, you shouldn’t need to have it replaced and repaired. Yet, problems do occasionally arise. So, it’s important to buy a quality product that also has a guarantee that comes along with it. Also, it’s important to be aware that different parts of the product may have different warranties. For example, you could find separate warranties for:

• Labor
• Weight Plates
• Parts

Warranties usually range from one to five years, depending on the product and warranty type. So, it’s important to be well aware of what kind of coverage you are getting. It helps to get a product with a well-known name, usually, since they tend to have both the best guarantees and the best customer support services.