The best adjustable dumbbells for your home gym

Dumbbells are fantastic for keeping you fit and healthy, not to mention for building those big biceps too. Supersets target certain muscle groups more effectively than single exercises can on their own. It's only a minor quibble, but the dumbbells do clank a bit too, as the weight plates rattle around in their holding mechanism whenever a rep or movement is performed. For example, using a pair of 50lb dumbbells to squat a weight of 100lbs, then peeling off the weight to bicep curl 20lbs on each arm.

Any gym-goer who has spent time around serious weightlifters knows that dumbbells and barbells are their two main tools. The decision to shun your local gym and start working out at home isn't one that should be taken lightly, but the men's health cast iron adjustable dumbbell is a good place to start. The extra size is a byproduct of the adjustable system; while it's not a dealbreaker for many users it can make certain exercises more awkward.

Each dumbbell attaches to the weight plates with hand picked Adjustable Dumbbells  intuitive dial system. The extra resistance allows you to do pretty much any conceivable exercise with just the one pair of dumbbells. If you're not lifting above 15lbs on any of your dumbbell exercises, an adjustable set with weights ranging up to 50lbs or more on each hand may be overkill. Some old-school designs will use grooved handles with detachable weight plates that you screw on, along with cogs to hold the weights in place and prevent them from coming undone during exercise.

Many of the adjustable pairs on our list replicate an entire rack of fixed dumbbells with just one pair. Adjustable dumbbells are a very versatile and affordable way to fill out a home gymnasium without taking up too much of a footprint. A selector pin attaches different plates to the dumbbell to change the weight levels. As you increase the number of plates, certain sets may also begin to add more weight with each level - for example, the bowflex selecttech 552 increases in 2.5lb increments up to 25lbs, then 5lbs to their max weight of 52.5lbs each.

This is because, after a while, screwing on plates can get tiring - particularly as you add larger and larger weights. Adjustable dumbbells still make a lot of sense for intermediate lifters too. Advanced lifters can take advantage of even the heaviest weights on these dumbbells for exercises like deadlifts, rows and squats. Not only will these dumbbells cost less, but you'll also get more use out of the full range of weights.

Adjustable dumbbells are fashioned each in their own unique way, meaning they all have benefits and quirks that may make one a better fit than another. Constructed from cats iron (and a little bit of plastic), the dumbbells feel solid and with an overall package weight of 27kg, you'll probably want some help if you're thinking of lugging them back from the shops alone.