The Lowdown on Dumbbells
I started writing an article about all the equipment needed for a functional home gym. When I realized how long my section on dumbbells was getting, I determined that the topic deserves an article of its own. I believe dumbbells are an absolute must-have for everyone’s home gym, regardless of your goals. I will publish the article I intended to write in the coming days, but in the meantime, let’s focus strictly on dumbbells.
There are a few different categories of dumbbells: Fixed, Adjustable, and Loadable.
Fixed Dumbbells
These are weights that come in specific, non-adjustable increments. You can typically find them lined up in front of mirrors or on vertical racks at your local gym. The two types of fixed dumbbells are hex and round.
Hex Dumbbells
These are the budget-friendly dumbbells that have six sides and are coated in rubber. Hex dumbbells are advantageous because they don’t roll around and are ideal for floor exercises that require you to hold them in a plank position, such as renegade rows. I also use them for push-ups, as the elevation of the handles allows me to go deeper into the movement and provides good wrist support. You may notice at your local gym that these dumbbells usually don't go any higher than about 30 pounds. This is due to their shape, as they get quite bulky as you go up in weight and are more difficult to store.
Round Dumbbells
This type of dumbbell definitely makes up the majority of free weights at gyms, ranging from around 5 to 100 pounds. They are usually coated in urethane, making them more durable, and due to their shape, they are easier to store. However, round dumbbells can roll around when placed on the ground, and I absolutely do not advise doing floor exercises with them. Additionally, they are more costly than hex dumbbells.
Adjustable Dumbbells
These typically consist of a set of weights attached to a handle, with a mechanism (such as a dial or pin) that lets you adjust the amount of weight on each dumbbell. The biggest benefit of adjustable dumbbells is how much space they save; you can perform a variety of exercises with varying weights using the same set of dumbbells. However, the drawbacks of adjustable dumbbells include their cost, a higher likelihood of malfunction compared to fixed dumbbells due to their mechanism, and they tend to be bulky.
Loadable Dumbbells
Imagine mini versions of barbells. You load plates, usually ranging from 2.5 to 10 pounds, with an even amount of weight on either side of the handle. As with adjustable dumbbells, loadable dumbbells are space-savers—all you need to make room for is the handles, plates, and collars that secure the weight in place (for your safety, please use collars!). The benefit that loadable dumbbells have over adjustable dumbbells is that there is no mechanism that could malfunction, they are less expensive, and they tend to be less bulky; however, loadable dumbbells take more time to adjust, and that time can add up if you're using a variety of weights. Additionally, the end of the bar that holds the weight can be very uncomfortable if you are resting the dumbbell on your thighs. I have seen rubber stoppers that you can put on the end of the bar, but that’s an added cost, and you need to remove it any time you change the weight.
I have used all four types of dumbbells extensively. Here are my thoughts:
When I worked out at home several years ago, I used loadable dumbbells at the beginning. They served their purpose at the time and definitely saved space, but when I grew out of the weight plates I initially purchased, instead of buying more plates, I invested in a pair of adjustable dumbbells. I didn't enjoy using them. They were bulky, the adjustment mechanism was finicky, and ultimately, I decided to sell them on Craigslist. I was working out in my parent's garage at the time, and in hindsight, I could have made space for a rack of hex dumbbells; I just thought the idea of adjustable dumbbells was cool—and it is—but in practice, they weren’t for me.
What Dumbbells Will Work for You?
If you are a beginner or someone who doesn’t need a wide range of dumbbells (let’s say 5–30 pounds), I recommend taking the hex route. They are affordable, you can perform floor exercises with them, and the vertical racks don’t take up much space at all.
If you need a wider range of dumbbells but have limited space, adjustable or loadable dumbbells are great options. However, it can also be beneficial to have hex dumbbells available for exercises where the weight travels close to your body, such as bicep curls and overhead tricep extensions. The bulkiness of loadable and adjustable dumbbells can make it challenging to perform these types of exercises with proper form.
If space and budget are not concerns, and you require a wide range of dumbbells, round dumbbells are your best option. They offer better quality and a more compact size for heavier weights compared to hex dumbbells.
The Final Word
Give it some careful consideration before deciding which type(s) of dumbbells to invest in. Here’s a piece of advice: if one of your goals is to put on muscle mass and, therefore, increase the range of dumbbells you need, don’t shoot for the stars! When I bought my adjustable dumbbell set, they went up to 70 pounds—at the time, I was nowhere close to being able to do any type of exercise with that amount of weight; just picking up the dumbbell was enough of a workout for me. I was discouraged, and that was another reason why I decided to sell them. You can always purchase more weight in the future. Conversely, I’ve encountered several individuals who are hesitant to lift relatively heavy weight due to fear of injury or concern that they will get “too big.” Firstly, there is no way to eliminate the risk of injury, even when using light weights, but we can reduce it through a proper warm-up and good technique. Secondly, I wish it were that easy to put on muscle! If that were the case, all gym-goers would look like Schwarzenegger.