As some countries around the world are slowly relaxing their quarantine rules, and people are cautiously allowed out while maintaining (mostly breaking) social distancing rules, gyms are starting to open again. I have to admit, I am still a little weary of going to the gym for 2 reasons mainly, which are:
I don't want to be part of the rising statistic of new infections due to people generally not heeding the government's guidelines on being extra cautious.
I am inherently a lazy-ass anyway and would much rather not expend extra energy in getting dressed and walking to the nearby gym.
So what's a lazy guy like me to do in order to make myself feel better about not going to the gym? Bring the gym into your house! Now why didn't I think of that sooner?
No, I didn't go crazy like I did years ago when I actually bought a Body-Solid fitness station home gym for my home in Malaysia, which served as a nice rack for drying towels and other laundry items.
My advanced years has provided me the wisdom to dial down my enthusiasm to a level that is a little more practical, so I went and got a little dumbbell set.
Curiously, yet understandably, this pandemic has seen a very sharp rise in the purchase of home fitness equipment, resulting in many of the regular stores being out of stock of these things. So when I saw some that were available at the nearby Decathlon superstore, I bought it.
I got the 20kg Domyos Dumbbell Set for AUD79. This was the only set I could find that was available at the time of this writing; all the other 20kg sets (that were lower in price) in other stores like K-Mart were all sold out for months. Still, I thought these were pretty good because of their quick-release weight disc collars. The other cheaper sets all had screw on collars, which are fine of course, but they just take a little longer to screw on or off, whenever you need to add or take off discs. Plus, this set came in a nice carrying case, which is a nice extra.
The set consists of 2 x 2 kg solid bars (diameter 28 mm, length 35 cm), 4 disc collars, 8 x 1 kg weight discs (diameter 28 mm) and 4 x 2 kg weight discs (diameter 28 mm). The numerous discs allow for different exercises at different intensities.
They look very well made (weighted discs are 80% iron and 20% steel), and I think they will probably stand the test of time. I would have preferred if they had a rubber coating on the discs, but them being metal is certainly not a deal-breaker for me. I just have to be a little more finessed in placing them back down on the floor gently when I'm done, like a civilized person.
As mentioned earlier, the part that sets this set a part from others within this general price range is the innovative quick-release and lock weight collars. Once you flip the lever, they slip off the bar so you can add or take out the weights as you see fit. (Check it out below)
(NOTE: To see the action of the clamps again, just right-click on the picture below and select "Reload Image")
Once they are locked, they securely keep the weights in their place. I hope this clamping action doesn't weaken over time.
(NOTE: To see the action again, just right-click on the picture above and select "Reload Image")
Although I am far from being a gym-rat, I think this dumbbell set is worth it's weight (see what I did there?), especially with the amount of discs you get with it, and if they aren't enough weights for both bars, you can pile the discs up on one of the bars and work with the heavier weights on that one bar.
So here are the PROS:
Relatively inexpensive
Innovative quick-release and lock weight collars
Comes with a large array of weighted discs
Comes in a case
Quality construction
And here are the CONS:
Weighted discs aren't rubberized (Not really a con for me, but I have to mention it)
Discs aren't angular, so the dumbbells could roll a little on uneven floors (not a major con)
I am a lazy-ass and may not use these regularly at all
So if you're in the market for some home workout dumbbells, these are a pretty good value for standard dumbbells with some innovative features. There are many other dumbbell sets which are a lot sexier, but those come with price tags that are disproportionately higher. These strike the right balance for me although, if I never use them for working out, I can't use them as a drying rack like my fitness station at my other home.