If you're looking for fitness equipment to start your health journey, there are almost too many to choose from.
Let's narrow it down to 5 of the most popular types of equipment and compare the pros & cons of each
Now of course it should be said that if you're doing some sort of physical activity, regardless of the type or equipment used, that is a great thing.
It's hard to determine which piece of gym equipment is 'best' because it is dependent on a number of factors like your goals, where you're exercising, your budget, your competency level etc.
In this post I will give you my subjective (but based on my years of experience) assessment of Dumbbells, Barbells, Kettlebells, Gymnastic rings, Resistance bands, then you can pick the one that fits your overall goal and circumstance the best.
Feel free to skip to the summary at the bottom.
Dumbbells
Ranging from 0.5kg typically all the way up to 50kg, dumbbells are very versatile and are amazing for both compound and isolation movements.
Pros
Perfect for strength and hypertrophy training
Multiple exercises for every muscle in the body
Probably the best and most effective for isolation exercises. Moving independently in each hand allows for easy adjustment and ideal hand placement, as well as the most comfortable movement path
Simple to progress and easy to track progress due to the fact that they are all labelled and the weight typically increases in increments of 2kg, the second most precise on the list
A great deal of exercises are beginner friendly and not too technically demanding
Cons
They are expensive if you want to get more than a few pairs of dumbbells, along with a rack to store them. The price can vary widely from the mid to high hundreds of pounds
Almost non-portable beyond a few kilograms, it would be hard to walk or cycle with them
Can require a lot of space to store (with and without a rack). One or two light pairs are usually fine, but any more and/or heavier, they become impractical for shelved units and need the floor space. You can store them outside, but keep them protected otherwise they will deteriorate quickly
Barbells
Somewhat similar to dumbbells, great for compound exercises and strength training. You'll see these in any gym, and one of two on this list you'll find at the Olympics.
Pros
Perfect for strength training and great hypertrophy training
One of the best for common compound movements such as a deadlift, squat, bench press, shoulder press etc., for 2 main reasons: 1. You can easily add high load to the bar and adjust by adding/removing plates; big adjustments at 25kg all the way down to 0.5kg 2. Your hands are in a fixed position which requires less stability, allowing you to generate more force
Simple to progress and easy to track that progress
Cons
Like dumbbells, to get your own is quite costly. For a proper Olympic barbell (6ft-7ft steel bar that rotates at each end) ranges from around £90 to £200+, plus you'll need the plates, potentially some floor protecting mats and a rack if you want to squat or shoulder press anything heavy. A set which includes a barbell, plates and a rack can cost between £300 and £800
Given the size, shape and weight of everything required, this may be the least portable equipment type on this list
Requires a fair bit of space to use, especially if you have a rack. However without the rack it can be stored quite effectively
There is a lot of skill required for the moves best suited to the barbell. While a squat, deadlift & shoulder press can be beginner friendly with a low load, moves like the clean and snatch are complex and require lots of practice
Kettlebells
The weird shaped weights you seen in the gym, these are typically used for core work, conditioning and ballistic training:
Pros
Amazing for power, strength and even cardio using compound movements
Ideal for strengthening the core, as many of the kettlebell moves require a lot of stabilisation of the spine from the core musculature
Easy to track given their marked weight (typically in kg)
They're also versatile, perform complex moves like a snatch, or back to basics with a shoulder press or bicep curl
They are really fun, yes exhausting too, but if you like throwing things around then these are right up your street
Cons
Another potentially cost prohibitive option on the list, cast iron kettlebells range from ~£15 (1x 4kg) - ~£90 (1x 32kg), or a set of 10 for ~£600
Some people find holding kettlebells on certain moves to be uncomfortable (specifically those involving front rack position), where the equivalent DB or barbell exercise may not cause any discomfort
From 12kg up, the weights usually go up in increments of 4kg, making progression to heavier weights sometimes more difficult and less 'smooth'
Although many dumbbell exercises crossover to the kettlebell, exercises for which the kettlebell is amazing, such as the swing, clean, snatch etc. are a bit more technical and require lots of practice, even with fairly light weight
Gymnastic Rings
The other one on this list that you'll find at the Olympics, or even hanging from a tree in the park, these are THE calisthenics (bodyweight) tool to strengthen the whole body
Pros
Perfect for strength, hypertrophy and even some mobility
Great for both compound moves such as pull ups and dips, and for isolation movements such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, and rear flyes
Can be very beginner friendly when using basic moves, and those easily adjusted just by slightly changing the angle of the body
Super affordable, ranging from £30-£40
One of the most portable bits of kit on the list. Very lightweight, take up very little space, and can be used anywhere you can find to hang them, a tree, a swing set, or a steel girder in your dad's garage... (all from personal experience)
Great for helping you practice advanced legs exercises like pistol squats, as well as assisting basic leg exercises like lunges or squats, holding the rings to reduce the weight through your legs
Cons
Although versatile, if you have nowhere to hang them from, they're unfortunately pretty useless
It can be hard to progress lower leg strength as the advanced exercises require a certain level of mobility to be able to perform
Many exercises, including the basics, can require a lot of joint stability compared to free-weights. This also makes progressing intermediate and advanced moves difficult, requiring high tendon strength and joint conditioning through supplementary exercises
Tracking progress is less precise and a bit trickier in the short-medium term. It's easy to track reps, but as you increase/decrease angles and adjust how deep you go on the exercise, the precision isn't quite there
Resistance Bands
The rubbery, multicoloured, stretchy things. Whether it's the big resistance bands, mini bands or tube bands, you can get fit and flexible throughout the whole body.
(Here I will focus the points on the larger resistance bands pictured as each band type has a slightly different function and purpose):
Pros
Good for strength but potentially better for hypertrophy and mobility
Also good for compound movements and some isolation movements
Very portable and lightweight, even a set of 4 bands and some mini bands will fit in most backpacks comfortably
Another beginner friendly option, most exercises on the bands require basic technique while still being a challenge
Another inexpensive option, depending on the type you go for, the highest price you're likely to see is £40 pounds for a set of 4, although they're almost always cheaper
Although great on their own for resistance training, they are amazing for assisting exercises (e.g. banded pull ups or assisted squats) or adding onto other exercises (e.g. banded push ups or dead bugs), helping to progress in both cases
Potentially the best for helping improve flexibility with movements like a banded lat stretch or banded hip flexor stretch, and mobility with exercises like Y raises or shoulder dislocations
Resistance can be easily adjusted by changing hand position on the band. Make it harder by moving hands closer to the anchor point (where the band is fixed)
Cons
As a resistance band gets longer (closer to the stretched limit), it becomes harder to stay stable making you more 'wobbly' and requires much more stability when compared to free-weights of equivalent weight. The thicker the band, the bigger the difference
For many exercises they don't quite reach enough resistance to be as affective as you may like, and even if they are, it can be very awkward or uncomfortable to set up and perform the move
The band lengthening also affects the strength curve* of exercises differently compared to free-weights. This can be useful for movements like the squat and push up, but can make a movement such as a lateral raise far less effective when compared to a dumbbell lateral raise
Like the rings, tracking progress is not exactly a precise endeavour. You can track when you jump to the next band easily, but placing your hands further down the band to increase resistance is unfortunately not a very objective measure
Definitely the most fragile on the list, they are very resilient but general wear and tear will eventually result in the bands becoming frayed and potentially snapping. Periodical inspection is recommended
*(The strength curve refers to the change in force required/produced by the muscle at different points through a movement.
e.g. a bicep curl: the hardest point is when the elbow is at 90 degrees, and gets easier as you move towards both the bottom and the top of the move, whereas a squat is hardest at the bottom and easiest at the top)
Summary
Here is an easy visual (based on my opinion of course) that rates each one based 5 categories:
So you can see that there is no objectively 'best' piece of kit to use, each has there own benefit and drawback. Now that you have some more information about each one, you can decide which one is best suited for you.
And don't forget you can mix it up; there is no need to stick to the same bit of kit if you have access to multiple types. If you typically use rings but you only have access to dumbbells or bands for a period of time, it's better to try them out rather than doing nothing at all.
Find what suits you, have fun, and keep moving!
Keep an eye out for further posts on health and fitness
If you would like further help with your health and fitness journey, reach out today and see where I can help.
Thanks for reading :)
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