Dumbbells vs DT fat bells vs CMB’s

[vhd16]

Why is that either Fat bells or CMB’s have not replaced dumbbells ?
Is it because of the unfamiliarity and are there specific advantages of fat bells vs dumbbells or it really makes no difference

Rogue makes DT fat bells and Sorinex makes CMB’s

This thread is not intended to discuss who came up with idea and all that copy right stuff
FYI I have trained not seriously but as a kid with what is now called fat bell .They were not made of iron. Any way that was going off topic

This is purely about benefits or lack there off comparison between dumbbells vs fat bells vs CMB’s

One thing I know is CMB’s handle varies according the size where as fat bell handles are little thicker even for smaller bells

Thoughts ?

[vhd16]

Here are the links

Donnie Thompson fat bells

https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-thompson-fatbells

Sorinex Center mass bells


https://www.sorinex.com/collections/...nter-mass-bell

[MGM711]

I've had this exact thought as well and I'm somewhat surprised that more people haven't turned to them as a replacement to a dumbbell. In the collegiate world, I've seen where schools will buy a standard DB set to 100, then go to a Fat Bell or CMB for the heavier weights. I think this is a great idea for the collegiate end.

I have toyed with the idea of selling my kettlebells and adding Fat Bells instead, but every time I see the prices and shipping costs, I think otherwise.

[davidk131]

I had a full set of CMB's that i sold recently. I didn't really see any benefits from them over a standard dumbbell. Having your hand inside of the weight with the opening around your wrist was an issue sometimes, they had to be perfectly balanced or it would hit your wrist. As the weight got heavier the CMB got so big around they were awkward to handle. I think there is a lot of hype put out there for these to be the next great thing, I just don't see it.

[TheShadowMan]

How would you do french presses and pullovers with fat bells? And microloading options are nonexistent.

[vhd16]

I had my hands placed on 50 lb CMB and with no issues . As per micro loading CMB's come in 5 lb increments same as any Dumbbells . If you want to further micro load then you need to get plate mates .

As per pull over , i don't think you can do that. Frech press i think you can do that unless you are using like above 50+ lb bell for that. That is heavy for french press.

Edit : As per the prices, you cannot expect any discounts on CMB's because they are "high end". For Fat bells best time to buy is BF so that at least shipping can be avoided.

[davidk131]

yeah the smaller sizes aren't the issue once you get into the 80's and larger they just get so big they are in the way.

[supramax]

yeah the smaller sizes aren't the issue once you get into the 80's and larger they just get so big they are in the way.

They will never replace dumbbells and kettlebells.

[ampire]

I'd love to have them but they are really expensive compared to dumbbells.

[MGM711]

yeah the smaller sizes aren't the issue once you get into the 80's and larger they just get so big they are in the way.

Same deal for Powerblocks, once you get past 90, they just don't feel right.

[vhd16]

I also cannot find any reviews comparing the bells with the Dumbbells from the usual suspects (coop ,Adam aka gamescocklifter and others )

[Cpl.Girthington]

Kudos for the links, I was unaware of these things. Seem kinda neat, but I can't recall a time I grabbed a dumbbell and thought "there's gotta be a better way". Perhaps these are a solution to a non-problem, eh?

[TheShadowMan]

Eh, why reinvent the wheel? Dumbbells have been around like 100 years and have worked to achieve all kinds of results. These seem like a novelty item that isn't necessary. Plus I mean, would most gym owners add a rack for fat bells when they already have kettlebells and dumbbells? That's lot of extra investing and space taken up.

[IronAbrams]

I've had my Fatbells for almost three years now so hopefully I can offer some perspective. I have almost a complete set including pairs of 106, 124, and 150s and storing them mostly on kettlebell storage racks. I'll talk about the drawbacks up front:

Negatives
- These face many of the same issues as hex dumbbells in that after a certain point their raw size becomes a hindrance. This is very apparent with the Fatbells above 80 lbs and the 124s/150s are cartoonish.
- DT and Rogue made the decision to go by kettlebell weight increments when in fact they are more of a dumbbell replacement. If you want to avoid this I believe the CMBs come in 10 lb increments instead.
- Piggy backing off the last point, these aren't a total kettlebell replacement just a different tool. There's no way to replicate a basic two hand swing with them. You can do some interesting "pinch grip" single arm swings and towel or rope swings but they're a form of grip training and not conditioning.
- To go along with this, there are some dumbbell exercises that these aren't feasible for (ex. pullovers and overhead tricep extensions)
- Almost impossible to use straps on
- I'm not an enormous fan of the contoured grips but you have different options with the CMB

Positives
- The ergonomics are pretty interesting and open up possibilities. Tate presses/elbows out tricep extensions were the main exercise that I thought they would be better suited for than dumbbells and that proved to be true.
- The bell design lets you semi-false grip for certain exercises (ex. lateral raises, tricep extensions, curls)
- They are more difficult than comparable weight dumbbells for most exercises especially upper body. This is related to the size of the contoured grip (over 1 1/2" for the largest weights) and center of gravity
- Easily inverted and used as either pushup handles or heavy anchors
- Superior as an improvised weapon against intruders

Overall, I'm still very pleased with the purchase but I could have done without the 124s/150s. Over 100 pounds, dumbbells are the wiser choice.

[dagdafitness]

- Superior as an improvised weapon against intruders

Lol. Good review repped. Do you find they rub against your wrists at all?

[IronAbrams]

Lol. Good review repped. Do you find they rub against your wrists at all?

I can understand why a lot of people have this concern looking at the design but its a complete non-issue. It doesn't happen unless I'm trying on purpose like using a semi-false grip for lateral raises. Never had any problems with dropping the Fatbells from a bench press or shoulder press position.

[vhd16]

Great feedback IronAbrams.

Couple of things
CMB's come in 5 lb increments .
The handle on CMB's is like york RH handle just that it gets little bigger as the weight increases. For some reason, Sorinex does not provide specs on the handle for each CMB unlike Rogue. I was able to "test" only up to 50 lb CMB. I was never big fan on contour handles on the dumbbells either.

As per over head tricep extensions, I think you can do them up to 35 lbs with Fat bells. There was a video on DT's IG , forgot his name ( west side power lifter, highest total now i think ) was doing lying tricep extensions with 26 and 35 lbs i believe.

So basically if you looking to get say say > 75lbs of dumbbells then these are not bad option ?