Let's pump without leaving home: top equipment for training

Everyone wants to be in good physical shape, have a beautiful body and defined muscles, but not everyone can afford regular training in a gym or fitness club. Fortunately, you can train successfully and quite productively at home, if you wish.

But even for training at home, you will need a minimum set of equipment, such as dumbbells, weights or barbells. After all, it is impossible to achieve good results from training without weight training. How to choose the right sports equipment? And what is the fundamental difference between training equipment? Let's take a closer look at why each type of sports weights is needed, what they are, and what points should be taken into account when choosing such sports equipment.

1. Dumbbells
2. Kettlebells
3. Barbell

Dumbbells

Perhaps dumbbells are the most popular type of sports weights. They are available in the arsenal, both in gyms, among professional athletes, and among amateurs and just people who maintain physical fitness. Using dumbbells, you can successfully work out various muscle groups, use them for strength and cardio training, fitness, aerobics, etc.

There are two types of dumbbells: solid and collapsible. Solid dumbbells are two balls (or hexagonal prisms) connected by a handle (bar), each dumbbell has a given weight. These dumbbells are made from solid metal or plastic with filler. Very often, solid dumbbells are completely rubberized for convenience. This option is considered the most suitable for the gym. For home workouts, collapsible dumbbells are traditionally used, which are a smaller copy of a barbell and consist of a bar and discs. Their main advantages are the ability to change the whole thing using different discs, as well as practicality, because storing one set of dumbbells at home is much more convenient than a whole set of solid dumbbells.

When choosing set dumbbells, you should take into account the features of the bar: its weight, length, handle design and even diameter. It is very important that the bar fits comfortably in the hand, allowing for fully effective grips. If we talk about discs, then special attention should be paid to the material from which they are made: plastic, metal, or a rubberized version. Metal ones are more suitable for the gym, although they look attractive, but unlike plastic discs, they are noisier, can scratch the parquet when dropped, and the top layer of paint on them wears out quickly. Plastic pancakes are made with different fillings, their most significant drawback is their fragility; if they fall, they can simply break. But rubberized discs are an ideal option for home use; they are silent, will not scratch the parquet and will retain a good appearance for a long time.

A sports weight in the form of a ball of a certain weight with a handle. They are used a little less frequently than dumbbells, but they are simply irreplaceable in bench press exercises. It would seem that the design of the kettlebell is primitive, and when choosing, you should only take into account the weight. But it's not that simple. Just like dumbbells, they come in cast, plastic and stacked. The most common option is cast, usually made of cast iron, having a fixed weight. Plastic weights also have a fixed weight and are made using various fillers. And although they look a little more attractive, it is more practical to choose good old cast iron weights, as they will last much longer. But stacked weights are a know-how that is very popular for home use due to the ability to adjust the weight by changing weights.

Barbell

Although the barbell is considered a traditionally male sports equipment, there are options for women that have a shorter bar and lighter weight of the weights. You can use the barbell not only in the gym, but also at home. When choosing, you should pay special attention to the discs and features of the neck.

Discs differ not only in weight, but also in material, diameter and professional orientation: there are Olympic (professional) discs and discs for fitness. If we talk about the material, everything here is very similar to dumbbell discs, only with completely different dimensions. They also come in solid, plastic and rubberized versions. Weight and diameter should be taken into account solely depending on individual physical capabilities.

With the neck, things are a little different. When choosing a bar, its weight, length, diameter and shape are taken into account. The shape, length and diameter depend on the type of exercise, but the West is selected individually. An ideal option for an amateur barbell for home use: bar length from 140 cm to 180 cm, weight 10-20 kg.