What Dumbells to buy?

The first in our series of posts on particular pieces of equipment to buy, we will take you through the kettlebells and dumbells that we think should form part of the kit needed to maximise the benefit of Training ZOOM classes.

These online classes happen with Zoom, the popular online video conferencing application, allowing you the flexibility to keep your fitness training routine on track. Whether you are traveling, are stuck at home or just can't make it to the gym, our online training classes can help you get a sweat on.

Why it is Important?

You can workout with no equipment, but we do recommend having a few bits of kit to maximise the benefit you get from each workout. We are often asked which pieces of equipment can give you the biggest range of workouts.

KETTLEBELLS

A kettlebell looks like a bowling ball with a handle, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The weight of a kettlebell is important and a set would certainly allow you to gain more intensity in workouts as your strength and muscle mass increases.

Kettlebells are great for the types of exercises we include in our workouts, a lot of which focus on building your functional strength with natural movements.

For beginners a kettlebell between 4kg and 8kg is good, for intermediate 8kg to 12kg and for advanced athletes 12kg to 25kg.

DUMBELL SET

An adjustable dumbell or dumbell set are great for training at home. Having a set gives you the ability to adjust the weights between sets and give you the ability to push yourself to increase strength.

A lot of the exercises in the Training Room employ dumbells of some kind and in some instances, you can even use them in place of other equipment. When looking at a dumbell set to buy it is important to understand the two different types:

FIXED WEIGHT DUMBELLS

Fixed weight dumbells are exactly what they sound like they are. A dumbell with a fixed weight, these are perfect for beginners, as you gain in strength and outgrow the lighter dumbells, you can still use them for specific muscles in the body.

ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT DUMBELLS

Adjustable dumbells use a dial type system to adjust the mass of the dumbell. They often include safety features like a catch or release pin to keep the weights locked in, this gives you the maximum variety of weight ranges whilst saving valuable space at home!