Home Exercise Equipment Adviser

What Are They?

Wrist and ankle weights are the weight packs that can be attached to the arms and legs like bangles. There are a number of different size options on the market and you can get sets purpose made for men or women. Womens sets tend to be brightly colored and can be covered with a variety of feminine patterned fabrics whilst mens sets are often more conservative. These weights are often touted as being great for burning extra calories while you walk, run or even carry out your daily activities, but whilst this might help sell lots of units, these weights should be approached with caution.

Can Using These Be Bad For You?

The main issue with these weights is that they are sold to individuals as an easy way to increase the effectiveness of a standard workout at little cost or effort to the user. The user is advised, generally, to use while walking or running to increase calorie burn. The truth is that using these weights in this manner can be problematic. Essentially, using these weights can add stress to your joints. By placing extra load on the joints you can risk potentially permanent damage to tendons and ligaments in the hips, ankles, knees or elbows.

For overweight individuals looking to lose weight the temptation is to use these weights as a short cut. If you are already overweight you are carrying an extra load on your joints and heart so using these sets may be a mute point. The risk is that you may put further unnecessary stress on an unfit heart and joints and cause unnecessary damage.

How To Exercise With Ankle And Wrist Weights

To safely use wrist and ankle weights they should be incorporated into a strength training exercise regime that is stationary or carried out at a slow pace. Specifically, these weight sets are ideal for trimming and toning when used for certain exercises such as leg raises, pull ups, side leg lifts, arm swings or other stationary strength exercises. Only fit, experienced individuals, under guidance should use these weights in high intensity workouts.

What Sizes Are Commonly Available?

Ankle and wrist weight cuffs are generally available from 2 pound through to 20 pound weights either measured per cuff or per pair. Most cuffs are sold in pairs and can often be used (especially on smaller weight sets) for either ankle or wrist although buying a purpose made set for either the ankles or the wrists is often preferred by regular users who want higher levels of comfort . Many sets are adjustable in size to suit most body types and limbs and some sets are made with detachable or removable weights so you can buy a heavier set and remove weights to create the perfect set for your strength level and develop into higher weight levels.

What Do Ankle And Wrist Weight Cuffs Cost?

Expect to pay from $10 through to $50 for a set of cuffs depending on the weight involved and the “brand value” associated with the manufacturer. These cuff sets are manufactured extensively so choice is not limited to the odd maker and as a result prices can vary widely.

What Do We Think?

We think these cuff sets can be useful if you are looking to tone up certain muscle groups or improve strength in certain areas. The ankle cuffs can be particularly useful for developing exercises such as leg raises into tougher, more effective workouts although there is great potential to replace wrist cuffs with dumbbell sets for most stationary strength exercises of the upper body and arms.

The risks associated with using these weights for high intensity cardio workouts seem to great to warrant use for beginners although experienced or individuals with higher fitness levels may find use of the lighter cuffs useful for some cardio exercises if used with caution. It is worth considering vest weights for higher impact regimes as these can give you a balanced core load that although still stressful on your joints/heart is unlikely to lead to the same level of problems that ankle and wrist weight cuff sets may bring.