Misc tips for my fellow adjustable dumbbell users

[VTLifts]

EDIT: Meant to post in equipment forum. Could someone please move. Thanks.

I've been using adjustable dumbbells for almost a year now in my home gym and thought I'd share some tips.

Feel free to add anything.

I bought them because they were easy-to-find, cheap, easily micro-loaded and feel like a regular dumbbell during use. Pre COVID, you could buy a pair of handles for $5 and standard weight plates for $0.30/lb. Thus, you could have a fully adjustable pair of dumbbells from 5lbs to 90lbs for ~$75. I'm sure post COVID prices are up.

You should get at least sixteen 10lb plates, four 5lb, four 2.5lb. Old school pancake/cheap CAP plates are best. But I would buy some extra plates as you find them cheap. 7.5lb plates come in handy.

Buy a few sets of handles. They are plentiful in craigslist/******** for extremely cheap and even very cheap new ($7 CAP bars each from Wal-Mart). As important though, there are HUGE variations in the actual handles themselves which I view as a positive and why I prefer buying used. I have a 14" set that can hold 5 plates per side (the center is stubbier) while the new varieties can barely hold 4. Thus you could find handles that enable >100lbs per hand, which is plenty for me.

I find the 1" handle too skinny and some too aggressively knurled, so buy some grip tape. I bought white A&R sports tape off amazon for $7-8 for two rolls. It isn't that grippy, but doesn't make any sticky mess and it doesn't get slippery as you sweat. I haven't needed to replace it in almost a year of regular use. Howie's hockey tape will give you more grip, but might leave sticky residue for the first couple of weeks. Make one set of handles fat for pressing (I wrapped mine 10-12 times). Keep other handles skinnier for pulls/carries and general exercises (I wrapped it 6-7 times). It's also nice to have extra handles so you can have lighter warm-up sets ready-to-go.

Get the plates to microload. Buy the CAP 1.25lb 1" plates. Buy some washers for more precise microloading. I bought washers from my local Fastenal for $0.40 each (SKU 0159712, 1" insider diameter). It takes 7 of these washers per side to add one pound.

You can't tighten the dumbbells sufficiently by just turning the spinlock collars with your hands. So while facing the dumbbell, rotate the weight plates on the left side toward you while at the same time rotate the weight plates on the right side away from you. This should make them plenty snug. Re-tighten after sets if you drop the weight.

To get the dumbbells in position and not have the pointed end stab your thighs, get a spare set of spinlock collars and loosely put them on the end such that they sit in front or flush with the pointed end. You can rest this collar on your thigh and it should be comfortable enough to kick them into position. Place them on both ends to ensure even weight. If you don't have enough room at the end of the handle to add another collar, use a few of those washers to fill up the handle so that your spinlock collar sits flush or just beyond the pointed end. Alternatively, if you have the ability to weld, you could weld a circular metal sheet to the back of the spinlock collars.

[BulkMore]

Ill stick with my vintage york round heads.