5 Things To Consider When Buying Dumbbells For Home Gym

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I believe most people will encounter a stage in their life where they are enthusiastic on working out and incorporating exercise into their daily lifestyles.

This is especially so with young men.

Because when the hormones start getting active and testosterone levels get hyper, en instinctively feel that a well-toned body makes them more attractive.

But other than becoming more aesthetically pleasing to the opposite sex, it is also about appearing superior to other men that drives this urge to workout.

And the first piece of exercise equipment that pops to mind most commonly is the typical set of dumbbells… even though most people will chunk them in the garage for the rest of their lives within 6 months.

Whether you are male or female, here are some things to think about before buying your dumbbells to avoid buyers remorse.

1) Cast iron or vinyl?

The 2 most common materials for dumbbells are those made of vinyl and cast iron.

As you’d probably know that vinyl is not a typical heavy material, it is basically a cast casing filled with material inside. Usually concrete.

As even concrete does not have the mass of steel, dumbbells made of vinyl casing is often BIGGER and more BULKY than those made of cast iron.

And even though they are not easily broken, they are more fragile than cast iron.

Cast iron dumbbells on the other hand has a more attractive look to it. And takes up less space while being very resistant to rust.

Often referred to as steel, there is a small scientific difference between cast iron and steel. But that is better explained in a science classroom.

Because of the more compact shape and size of cast iron dumbbells, you can usually add more free-weights to it compared to vinyl.

I went for cast iron for it’s smaller size and better looks.

2) Do you need a connector?

A connector is basically an extra piece of of metal bar that joins up 2 dumbbells to convert it into a barbell.

If you would like the best of both worlds and don’t mind the hassle of putting the barbell together and tearing it apart all the time, this would be a great feature to have.

If you are not going hardcore into training at home, and feel that you could very well use both a dumbbell set and a barbell, a connector is all you need instead of buying an additional stand-alone barbell.

It will save you money a lot of space.

I did get a connector.

3) How much weight do you need?

Smaller dumbbells for aerobics and cadio can be as light as 1lb. But for weight training, that is really a low weight to play with.

Even if you know that 20lbs is a maximum you can lift at the present moment, consider that you will be getting stronger as you train more frequently at home.

You could very well outgrow your maximum weight faster than you think. So go with at least enough weights of about 1.5x to 2x your current maximum capacity.

Also consider that if most of the exercises that you will be doing will only require 1 dumbbell, you might not have to buy too heavy a set since you can use the weight plates on the second dumbbell to add onto your main dumbbell.

As I will only be using them for bicep curls, shoulder thrusters, arm rows and swings, my max weight per arm is 20lbs. I ended buying a 50lb set of dumbbells.

4) Where are you going to place them?

This is probably one of the issues that most people don’t think about. Yet it is a serious concern to think over.

These are heavy duty items that can cause a lot of damage. Some even have sharp ends on handle bars that can cause scratches. I can attest to that as I have already scratched myself from carelessness.

But ultimately the biggest issue is that it can damage your flooring if you are not careful.

Ceramic tiles can obviously crack if you drop dumbbells on them. Wood flooring can dent from the excessive weight.

So consider buying a mat to place your dumbbells if you leave them in the open for regular use. Otherwise, prepare an area in your wardrobe to put them.

Some sellers offer storage casings that were made specifically to store the set that you bought. But keeping them in the box will mean that you will have to put the dumbbells together and dismantle them each time you use them.

It can be a chore to do this on a regular basis.

And obviously. Keep them away from children as they are dangerous items for kids to play with.

I leave them at a corner on a padded mat.

5) How urgent do you need them?

This can make a difference to the price you pay because online stores and retailers often run promotions during and close to festive periods.

If you can wait, you might want to wait for promotions to run and coupons to use.

As dumbbells are not like television sets where you have to test out to see how user friendly it really is, I find them a product that has little risks to buy online.

You don’t really need to physically touch them to feel the quality. Or test drive them like a car. They are basically weights with dimensions clearly stated online.

And since buying them over the internet offers such great convenience, not to mention that you won’t have to carry them home yourself, getting them online is the way to go.

And as online retailers often compete purely by price, just wait for sales promotions to run and you could very well get a high quality set at a steep discount.

I got mine at $40 from the original price of $55. Including delivery.

Finally

Don’t fall into the trap of making your dumbbells a reminder of your past.

Since you have motivated yourself to get them, make sure you use them regularly. Looking at them will not get you the desired outcome you are after.