Buying dumbbells for your home gym

The biggest mistake people make when buying dumbbells is investing in a pair of 10-pound weights and then using them for every exercise. We suggest that you start with eight pairs. If that seems overwhelming, buy up to four pairs on the lower end and add the heavier weights as you become stronger.
For women who’re beginning lifters:

• Buy dumbbells weighing 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 20 pounds.
• Look for brands of dumbbells with narrow handles (so you don’t have to buy as many weights). This way, you can hold two dumbbells in one hand, for example, a 5-pound weight and a 3-pound weight to create 8 pounds.

For novice men:

• Buy 8, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 pounds.To get good results you need to lift precisely the right amount of weight for each exercise.
• Another alternative to buying so many dumbbells is to buy adjustable dumbbells with weight plates, similar to barbells.

If you’re short on space or money and buying eight pairs of dumbbells is impossible, consider an adjustable dumbbell kit. You get two short bars and a number of round plates that you clamp on with collars. Just beware: The plates tend to rattle around, and you may find it annoying to constantly pop off the collars and add or subtract weight plates. Making these adjustments can add precious minutes to your workout. Worse, you may be tempted to skip the adjustments and use the same weight for several exercises.