Everlast adjustable dumbbell expert review
Thinking of buying an Everlast adjustable dumbbell? Read our in-depth independent review to find out if it’s a smart addition to your home gym set-up
If you’re working out at home, the first item of kit you should invest in is a set of dumbbells. But should that be an Everlast adjustable dumbbell? Does it do what you need from a home gym dumbbell? And is it good value? To help you decide, we took a pair for a training test drive.
What weight is the Everlast adjustable dumbbell?
As the name suggests, it’s an adjustable dumbbell. That means you can change the weight quickly and easily using a dial. If you don’t go for an adjustable option, you could choose one where you change the plates manually. The downside with those is that they can be slow to adjust. The other option is a set of fixed weight dumbbells, like you’d find in a gym. They are usually well made and they’re quick to use but a full set could cost over £1,000. They also take up a lot of space.
What weights are available?
The Everlast adjustable dumbbell range comes in three weight options:
• 12.5kg – £59.99 per dumbbell
• 25kg – £149.99 per dumbbell
• 32.5kg – £199.99 per dumbbell
We’ll go into more detail on each of the above options but, first, we’ll tell you what you need to know about the range.
Who is the Everlast adjustable dumbbell for?
The Everlast adjustable dumbbell has been made for anyone who wants to exercise at home. They are suitable for people who are new to exercise and those who are more experienced. The dumbbell weight you choose should be determined by your experience level. But all options in the range are made in pretty much the same way.
What exercises can you do with them?
You can use an Everlast adjustable dumbbell to do any dumbbell exercise or session, including our most-popular fat-loss dumbbell workout, or this muscle-building upper-body dumbbell workout. The limiting factor when it comes to dumbbells is the size and shape of the plates. If you’re using a pair that is plate loaded and you want to go heavy, the size of the plates may make it difficult to use the full range of motion in exercises such as the dumbbell shoulder press.
The shape of the plates is significant for moves such as the renegade row. That exercise involves rowing the dumbbell up to your waist from a press-up position. If the plates are round, you’ll struggle to balance. The Everlast adjustable dumbbell is flat at the bottom, which means you can balance when doing that move. So you should be able to do any move you want to do with them.
What’s so good about the Everlast adjustable dumbbell?
They are easy to change
Making your workouts as easy as possible to execute will help you enjoy the sessions and stick to your plan. If changing plates is a hassle, as it can be with loose plate dumbbells, you may feel like you can’t be bothered to train. If selecting the weight you want to use is easy, you focus all of your effort and energy on doing your workout.
The weight is quick to change
Because you can change the Everlast adjustable dumbbell weight in seconds, that expands your workout options. It allows you to easily do supersets (two exercises back to back), which are a really effective way to train. You can also do circuits using different weights for different moves. And you can do drop sets. They involve doing one set of an exercise, immediately reducing the weight slightly and going again. That’s a really fantastic way to train if you want to add muscle.
What’s not great about the Everest adjustable dumbbell?
The base is made of plastic
The base that you use to adjust and store the Everlast adjustable dumbbell is made of plastic. This isn’t automatically a problem. It just means that it isn’t the most durable material they could have used.
It comes as a single dumbbell
A lot of dumbbells come as a pair. The Everlast adjustable dumbbell comes as a single. Again, this isn’t necessarily a problem, particularly given the price. But you should be aware of this before you make a purchase.
Is the Everlast adjustable dumbbell good value for money?
It would be brilliant if you could get a really cheap, great quality adjustable dumbbell. In reality, that doesn’t exist. If you want adjustable dumbbells, you’re going to need to be prepared to go beyond bargain basement prices. So, for what it does, the Everlast adjustable dumbbell is decent value. And once you start using it, you’ll be glad you don’t have to manually remove and adjust weight plates. Another way to look at it is the fact that you’ll probably be able to use it for years. If you’re going to do that, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Everlast adjustable dumbbell, 12.5kg
£59.99 per dumbbell
Who is it for: Beginners
Weight adjustment: Starts at 2.5kg and goes up in 2.5kg increments to 12.5kg
Adjustment mechanism: Sliding pin on one end of the dumbbell
This is a really good entry-level option. Up to 12.5kg per dumbbell is sufficient to make most exercises challenging, including all of the best dumbbell biceps moves. It’s certainly enough if you’re going to do high intensity circuits for fat loss.
You may, however, struggle to sufficiently challenge yourself if you’re doing big compound lifts, such as squats. But that’s just a case of structuring your workouts in the right way. If doing 3 sets of 10 with 12.5kg isn’t challenging then get creative. Pair a squat with a lunge and do them back to back as a superset. Or pre-fatigue your legs by doing a set of bodyweight squat jumps before your dumbbell squats.
So, it is possible for more experienced lifters to get a good workout. You just need to think a bit more about what you do.
Buy it now from sportsdirect.com
Everlast adjustable dumbbell, 25kg
£149.99 per dumbbell
Who is it for: Beginners and intermediates
Weight adjustment: Starts at 2.5kg and goes up in 2.5kg increments to 25kg
Adjustment mechanism: Dial at the end of the dumbbell
This is going to be a good option for most people. Up to 25kg per dumbbell is enough to challenge most people on most exercises, including the dumbbell bench press (or dumbbell floor press if you don’t have a bench) and the incline dumbbell bench press. The only real reason you’d need a heavier option is if you’re already pretty strong and looking to get stronger.
Buy it now from sportsdirect.com
Everlast adjustable dumbbell, 32.5kg
£199.99 per dumbbell
Who is it for: Everyone
Weight adjustment: Starts at 2.5kg and goes up in 2.5kg increments to 32.5kg
Adjustment mechanism: Dial at the end of the dumbbell
This option is good if you’re going to be training at home and want to lift heavy for all the major compound lifts. It will also work well in combination with a workout bench. If you do dumbbell bench presses for a while, you may well work up to using a 30kg weight. The same goes for single arm rows or chest supported rows.
So if you’re looking for a long term investment, this is a great option. And if 32.5kg ever becomes too light, you can play around with tempo (the speed or lift). Or you can use pre-exhaustion techniques or supersets or trisets to ensure you get a good workout.
Buy it now from sportsdirect.com
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