Best Adjustable Dumbbells (Consumer Reports)

Posted: Jul 03, 2023 in In the News

This article originally appeared in Consumer Reports on July 3, 2023.

 

Best Adjustable Dumbbells

By Janet Lee

These compact strength-training sets make working out at home easier

Adjustable dumbbells make working out at home easy because they’re small enough to easily fit in a tight space and versatile enough to provide a full-body workout.

If you want to work out more, one of the best ways is to make it more approachable. And having equipment at home can make it easy to get a workout in without having to travel to a gym. 

When it comes to strength training, there are limits to what you can fit in your house or apartment: You may not have the space or the budget to assemble even a fraction of a typical gym setup, which often has rows of machines and multiple racks of dumbbells and other weights. That’s where adjustable dumbbells come in handy. You can use them for a full-body strength-training routine, and stash them in a small space.

Adjustable dumbbells have a handle and a variety of weight plates that sit in a cradle. With a switch of a lever, dial, or pin you can quickly and easily change the amount of weight you use. After all, to get the most benefit from a strength-training routine, using the right amount of weight for a particular exercise is important, as is periodically upping the weight to challenge your muscles as you get stronger.

“They’re more affordable and space-efficient than having multiple sets of dumbbells that you have to find a spot for,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, president and chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. They’re also a good choice when more than one member of a household lifts weights, because they can easily accommodate different strength levels, Bryant says, noting that both he and his wife use a set at home. You also might need to use different weights for different exercises—heavier for your bicep curls than your tricep extensions, for instance.

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