If you’re thinking about buying workout equipment to begin your strength and muscle-building training, you really should really consider starting with dumbbells. More importantly, you should start not with just regular ones but with adjustable dumbbells instead. The benefits of adjustable dumbbells can outweigh what you get from barbells and regular dumbbells.
1. Dumbbells are Better for Your Joints than Barbells
Many people can find themselves going through some discomfort when they’re using barbells. That’s because the design of the barbell forces the hands to stay in place. However, many of these people find that these same exercises aren’t as painful when they’re using dumbbells instead.
This is quite evident for bench presses, standing presses, and rows. When you do dumbbell press on a flat bench, you’ll find that you have more natural movement. Hence, that makes the workout a lot better for your shoulders and elbows.
So don’t force through the pain when you’re using a barbell. Use dumbbells instead.
2. Adjustable Dumbbells are Better for Home Use
It’s much more convenient when you have a home gym than when you’re a gym member. You don’t need to travel and you can work out any time you want. In the long run, you also save money.
However, barbells aren’t really all that practical for home use especially when you live in an apartment. A heavy barbell can at the very least annoy your down floor neighbor. They also take up space.
Dumbbells don’t present those problems, and you won’t have any space problems either. That’s especially true when you get adjustable dumbbells. You effectively have a single bar where you put on plates of varying weights. To add to the adjustable dumbbell benefits, they’re easier for you to set the weights and it can be more affordable than having an entire set of regular dumbbells. With traditional dumbbells, you need lots of space to store all those dumbbells.
3. You can Make Sure that Both Your Limbs Work Equally
When you use barbells, sometimes you inadvertently compensate by using your dominant hand to carry the weight. This often results in one of your sides being stronger than the other, and this strength imbalance can lead to lots of problem. With dumbbells, you can make sure that both arms are carrying equal weight. Instead of doing barbell curls, do dumbbell curls instead.
You can even use the dumbbells to focus on your weak side. You can work your weak side more so that you can balance out. Then with the dumbbells you can maintain that balance. With the barbells, you may revert back to using your dominant arm more.
4. Dumbbells Maximize Your Muscle Development
Have you noticed that if you can do 8 bench press reps with a 200-pound barbell, you can only press a combined weight of 160 pounds for the same number of reps when you switch to dumbbells ?
That’s because dumbbells are more free form and less stable, so you use more muscles to support the weight. Therefore dumbbells are more challenging, and therefore more effective for muscle development.
5. Dumbbells are safer for Some Exercises
In some occasions, using a barbell can be a lot riskier than using dumbbells. While you are working out alone, a barbell can be dangerous if you don’t have a spotter. However, you don’t need to worry while you are using dumbbells instead. During reverse lunges with a barbell, you can get injured if you lose your balance. That’s why it’s crucial that you use a power rack when you use barbells. That adds to the cost. On the other hand with dumbbells, you can just toss them when you lose your balance.
Conclusion
How do adjustable dumbbells work? That depends on the type you get. One version requires you to add and remove plates to get the weight you want. Another lets you just slide a knob and the right plates stay on the dumbbell automatically. Either way, the benefits of adjustable dumbbells means you train more effectively, more safely, and with less money and space requirements.
