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Dumbbells - A Buyers Guide (Under Construction)
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The purpose of this guide is to detail the differences between the wide range of dumbbells that we provide and to provide some basic advice as to what dumbbells might be best for you. When purchasing dumbbells, the first thing to consider is whether you require them for home use or for use in a commercial environment. All of our dumbbells are full commercial specification and come with a one year warranty against defects. Adjustable Dumbbells If looking for dumbbells for home use, you may not want a large set of dumbbells spanning a wide weight range. They can be expensive and also take up a lot of space – so an adjustable dumbbell set might well be the way to go. To be frank, given our focus on the commercial market, we do not run a large range of adjustable dumbbells. Our range is currently limited to:- |
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1. 20Kg adjustable rubber dumbbell set One negative of using adjustable dumbbells is that they can be time consuming and fiddly to adjust and, for someone who is serious about their free weight training may not be heavy enough, typically having a top weight per hand of around 20Kg. |
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Also, the lighter adjustable dumbbells tend to have an ergo contoured handle which are OK on smaller weights but tend to cause the fingers to bunch together as the dumbbell weight increases. |
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Fixed Dumbbells Having addressed the issue of adjustable or fixed (non-adjustable dumbbells), the next issues to consider are the dumbbell weight or the weight range of the dumbbell set that you require together with price. |
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1. Neoprene Dumbbells Our cheapest range are our neoprene dumbbells; often called studio or studio neoprene dumbbells. Typically used in classes – they are reasonably priced and, being used in classes, usually have hexagon shaped heads to stop them rolling around the floor ! Another advantage of neoprene dumbbells is comfort; their neoprene covering gives them a comfortable, cushioned finish. |
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Manufactured from cast iron with a neoprene covering, our neoprene dumbbells are available in the following weights:- 0.5,1,1.5,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10Kg's For classes, we have put together a class set, comprising 40 neoprene dumbbell pairs and one of our curved neoprene racks. This is really just an example set, and if anyone would like to suggest an alternative make up, if they could send an email to websales@exf-fitness.com , we will add them to our on-line shop. The most popular neoprene dumbbell sizes tend to be 5Kg or less reflecting their use in classes. Notwithstanding this fact, the heavier neoprene dumbbells are very suitable for home use and very cost efficient if, 10Kg or less (per hand) is ok for you.
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2. Chrome Dumbbells Chrome dumbbells are also a very popular dumbbell type, both for home and gym/studio use. Each dumbbell is manufactured in 3 pieces, usually from cast iron, the pieces are then chromed, the dumbbell assembled - then shipped as pairs. |
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As with a lot of fixed dumbbells, the top weight per pair is limited for practical reasons by the head size. With the handles being standard across the weight sets, the only way to increase the weight of the dumbbell is to increase the size of the head. As the head size increases, the dumbbells can become difficult to manage - and this tends to be the main reason that pre-cast dumbbells (whether chromed or not) often tend to be 20 - 30Kg or less. One other reason that the weakest point of the dumbbell is where the handle is fixed to the dumbbell head.
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Chrome dumbbells tend to be either pressed (the head is pressed on the the handle) or screw fix (where the end of the handle is threaded - with the head screwed on). We have found, that both types of manufacture process are perfectly adequate for weights of 20Kg or below (per dumbbell) but have decided not to expand our available chrome dumbbell weights above 20Kg. |
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4. Cast Iron Dumbbells EXF Fitness has a wide range of cast iron dumbbells. Our 2 main ranges are our X.treme Pro Cast Dumbbells and our X.treme SP Cast Dumbbells. These dumbbells are built to order; we bring in the components and assemble the required dumbbell pairs or sets as required. The primary advantage of cast dumbbells is their price. They are reasonably cheap to manufacture as compared to their rubber or polyurethane covered equivalents. Consequently they are popular for home use or in smaller facilities where budget constraints may apply. |
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