What are Hex Dumbbells?

You might not have heard of Hex Dumbbells, but you’ve probably seen them. Unlike round dumbbells, the ends are a hexagonal shape and are often made with a rubber or plastic coating.

Both round and hex dumbbells are great pieces of equipment for a home gym because you can do a multitude of different exercises with either a single, or a pair of dumbbells. That being said, there are some reasons why you might choose a hex dumbbell over a conventional round one.

Benefits of Using Hex Dumbbells

All dumbbells, no matter the shape and size have several benefits compared to other pieces of gym equipment. Dumbbells are a functional piece of equipment that can be used for a wide range of exercises, regardless of your experience level. They are easy to store making them a great piece of equipment for home gyms.

However, hex dumbbells have their own unique benefits that makes them more suitable than round dumbbells in some circumstances.

Hex Dumbbells Don't Roll

One of the biggest benefits of a hex dumbbell is that they don’t roll on the floor. As they have been designed with six flat sides, this means when dropped or placed on the floor, they won’t roll away like a round dumbbell.

But why is this beneficial? Well it makes them a lot safer as they are not going to roll into other objects or people. As they don’t roll, they become less of a trip hazard, making them safer for both you and those around.

They Keep Your Floor Protected

Hex dumbbells are often designed with a rubber coating on the ends. This rubber coating will not damage the floor in comparison to cast iron dumbbells that will leave dents and marks if dropped from a certain height. If you want to keep your gym tidy then this is essential.

On top of this, cast iron can make a blood-curdling cracking noise when they hit certain types of flooring. Again, the protective rubber layer of a hex dumbbell will stop this from happening.

Top 10 Hex Dumbbell Exercises

1 - Renegade Row

In a renegade row, you begin in a high plank position, holding the dumbbells in each hand and alternate pulling the dumbbells towards your hips in a rowing motion. This is one of the exercises you aren’t able to do with round dumbbells as you wouldn’t be able to maintain a stable plank position without the dumbbells rolling away.

2 - Dumbbell Push Ups

Hold the dumbbells underneath your shoulders in a high plank position. Drop down so that your chest is close to the floor, then push back up to the start position. Dumbbell push ups are a great alternative to regular push ups because you get more depth if your chest goes below the dumbbells and therefore puts more strain on the chest and triceps.

If you want to increase the difficulty, you can place the dumbbells in a vertical position. This requires a lot more full body stability.

3 - Devil Press

Take your burpees to the next level with a burpee dumbbell press. Complete a regular burpee, holding the dumbbells, then as you stand, instead of jumping, push the dumbbells in the air into an overhead press.

4 - Goblet Squats

Hex dumbbells are a great piece of equipment to use for a goblet squat because they are easier to hold than a regular round dumbbell. Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest and complete a squat, keeping your spine neutral and chest tall.

5 - Lateral Raises

On the other end of the spectrum, hex dumbbells are great for Farmer’s walks where the weight needs to be heavy as the weight goes up to 70kg (2x35kg dumbbells). Farmer’s walk is a great full body exercise that helps to improve stability, core strength and posture. Hold the dumbbells in both hands, stand tall and walk. The aim is to keep your core strong to stop your body from rocking.

6 - Dumbbell Bench Press

Mix up your training and use dumbbells instead of a barbell for your bench press. This way you will not use your dominant side to lift the weight and it can help to reduce muscle imbalance in the chest and tricep muscles.

7 - Farmer's Walk

One of the benefits of hex dumbbells is that they come in a variety of weights, often from 1kg upwards. This means you can perform single-joint movements such as lateral dumbbells with lighter weights. Begin standing and lift the dumbbells laterally to shoulder height, then control back down towards your legs.

8 - Russian Twists

Incorporating dumbbells into your core workouts is a way to increase the load and therefore improve abdominal strength. As you progress with Russian twists, you build strength by increasing the dumbbell weight. Sit on a mat with your feet lifted off the floor, hold the dumbbell in both hands and twist your body, touching the mat with the dumbbell on each side.

9 - Single Arm Row

This is another unilateral exercise that will help reduce the chance of muscle imbalance in the upper body. You will need a Weight Bench to perform this exercise and make sure you control the movement without swinging your body for optimal results and muscle gain.

10 - Walking Lunges

You can use hex dumbbells in a variety of ways to perform walking lunges. For beginners, start by holding one dumbbell in front of your chest, making it a goblet walking lunge. If you want to increase the weight then you can hold two dumbbells either side of your body. For a more advanced movement, single arm overhead lunges can be included to improve upper body strength and core stability.

Ready to kit out your home gym? Remember to include hex dumbbells if you want a piece of equipment that will allow you to complete a diverse range of exercises with limited equipment.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength