What Dumbbells To Use?
Those who know me, know that I am a proponent of using free weights, that is weights which are not attached to a machine which has a fixed plane of movement. It should come as no surprise then to learn that I like dumbbells.
The question was raised though as to what dumbbells are best. The answer of course, is that it depends.
- No compensation. If you lift one thing with both hands, the stronger arm will do more work. This means that it can grow more than the weaker arm, making the imbalance between arms even worse.
- Safer without a spotter. If you are lifting heavy without someone to help you out if things go wrong, it’s a lot easier to dump dumbbells than if you are lifting a bar.
- Weight limit. There is only so much space on each bar to place weight. While you can certainly max out on your arm workouts, trying to hit your maximum weights for the major muscle groups such as the legs is going to be difficult if not impossible.
If you have plenty of space then having a set of made up dumbbells in a range of weights is ideal. Placed in a rack, ready to be used so that you can switch from one to another during the workout is the best way. But if like me you don’t have the space for a rack or don’t want to splash that much cash on it then adjustables are the way to go. My recommendation if you don’t have a rack is to get a couple of sets of bars and weights which are compatible with your barbell weights. This way you can use them on both and you can load up a couple of sets of dumbbells at the start of your session so they are ready to be used.
Like most free weights, if you buy the cast iron type then you can pick them up second hand for a very good price. They don’t wear out and there are always dumbbells for sale at garage sales, ebay or craigslist to name a few sources.
If you are starting out, then dumbbells are a good starter choice, you can add a bar and more weight as you go along. But if you do start out this way and you are a hardgainer then I’d recommend www.HardgainerProjectXSystem.com because its a higher volume system which means you can get away with lighter weights at the start.
