Web Doctor Articles

If you want to start exercising at the house or are even buliding your own personal home gym then a set of dumbbells is a great buy. For a small investment you can get a set of Dumbbells that you can basically use to work your whole body yet they take up no room and can be used anywhere in the home or taken outside.  

For those of you who haven’t been introduced to Dumbbells they typically come in various forms. Some come with a small bar and integrated weight on both ends. Many dumbbells available are a moulded one piece item made from plastic of foam. Other types include weights or various size that can be swapped or added on as you wish.

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. You will find that when training with dumbbells for the first time is does take some time for your muscles to get accustomed to using the weights so for various exercises especially those where you are pressing the weight (eg dumbbell bench press) you may find your arms shaking and moving around as you try to keep the proper form while performing the exercise. This does get easier with practice and you should find after a few weeks you are able to handle the weights more easily. 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. Every single muscle in the body can be trained with just one set of dumbbells due to the masses of various dumbell workouts available. It doesn’t matter if you are complete novice or have been training for years everybody can have a effective and safe workout using 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. A workout with dumbbells can burn lots of calories due to the amount of muscles used and can also improve balance and coordination due to the various movements and exercises you can employ. 

If you’re a complete beginner I would recommend to start with a small set of dumbbells that range from 2kg –5kg. If your willing to spend a bit more than average then you can get some great adjustable dumbbell sets. A well known adjustable dumbbell set is the Bowflex brand. 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.