Product Review: FILA Neoprene Covered Dumbbell

 

The Neoprene Coated dumbells are the only way, at least that I have found, to get the very light weights, like 3-lb weights and even 8-lb weights at a reasonable price. I personally use the lighter weights for some shoulder exercises that I either cannot do with a heavier weight or would be almost dangerous to try with heavier weight (like those that can put a lot of strain on your rotator cuffs). They are also good for people who want to weight train, but not put on a lot of muscle, or are just starting out and have not built up to using a heavier weight for some exercises. 

They are a bit shorter than the non-coated weights, so if your hands are really big they may not be easy to grip, and if you have a dumbbell rack they may not fit perfectly on it. But, if they do fit in your hand, they are easy to hold and do not slip, even if your hands get sweaty. You should note that they are sold individually, not as a pair. So, if you want two of them, and chances are most people will, you will have to pay attention to the online listings and buy two at the same time.

Product Review: Neoprene Coated Exercise & Fitness Dumbbell

 

The Neoprene Coated dumbells are the only way, at least that I have found, to get the very light-weights, like 3-lb weights and even 8-lb weights which I personally use for some shoulder exercises that I either cannot do with a heavier weight or would be almost dangerous to try with heavier weight (like those that can put a lot of strain on your rotator cuffs). They are also good for people who want to weight train, but not put on a lot of muscle, or are just starting out and have not built up to using a heavier weight for some exercises. The 3-lb dumbells are a bit small, so if your hands are really big they may not be easy to grip, but if they do fit in your hand, they are easy to hold and do not slip, even if your hands get sweaty. Otherwise, you can get a pair for a decent price. You should note, however, that they are often sold individually, not as a pair. So, if you want two of them, and chances are most people will) you have to buy two at the same time and pay attention to the listing pages if you are buying them online.

Product Review: Cap Barbell 47-Inch Standard Threaded Solid Easy Curl Bar

 

This is a fairly standard E-Z Curl bar. It is not as bent or angled as some of them are, but it is not completely straight like a bar with which you would do barbell squats. The bar itself is about 11 pounds and you can use any barbell plates that have a 1" hole. The ends where the plates are loaded are threaded so you can either use a spring collar or a collar that can go on a threaded end. It is great for doing moves like skull crushers, upright rows, bent-over rows, and the like. It is definitely a good deal and perfect for a home gym setup.

Product Review: Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

 

These are, unlike some Bowflex products, mostly good. However, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First, and probably most importantly, they do have plastic parts, so you definitely do not want to drop them, especially on a hard floor. If you have relatively thick mats, like tumbling mats, it is possible they could be dropped safely, but most definitely not on concrete or some kind of hard flooring. I would be hesitant to even drop them on a carpeted surface. The inner mechanism could easily break in that situation, then you basically have a very heavy paperweight. Also, these are much bulkier than traditional free-weight dumbbells, which can be an issue if you have low ceilings and are doing shoulder-press type exercises standing up. I work out in my basement, which has seven-foot ceilings, and even though I am not extremely tall, I am tall enough that if I do standing shoulder presses with these I will easily hit the ceiling and put a nice gash in it. Finally, when you dial in a weight selection the locking mechanism does not always totally engage the plates so you may have to slightly turn the dial and/or jiggle the weights to get them out of the stack. The first two things are major, the other is relatively minor.

Overall, the ability to get 50lbs of dumbbell weight in a compact space is very nice. And for a lot of people, that is probably all the dumbbell weight they will ever need. The handle grip is much better than most dumbbells and they do not get slippery in your hands. I would highly suggest getting the stand that can hold them because constantly bending down to pick them up and put them back may be hard on some people's backs. They are also a lot cheaper than getting 50lbs of regular dumbbells, which is nice. I personally use these in conjunction with regular dumbbells, and for exercises where I am concerned about dropping them if I use max weight I use the regular dumbbells I use those, and for those, I am not concerned about it, I use these.

Overall, these are a pretty good option, but you do kind of have to treat them with kid gloves. Much more than you would ever have to with regular iron dumbbells. I have had these for years and never had an issue with them and do recommend them as long as you keep the things I mentioned in mind.