The Nucleus Omnibell: A Unique Cross Between Kettlebell and Dumbbell

The Gopher Performance Nucleus Omnibells look a little strange at first, but you’ll quickly realize how nice they are. The uniquely-shaped implement is a new and improved take on the classic dumbbell.

Omnibell Overview

The Omninbell changes the weight distribution of the classic training tool so that it surrounds the hand, which creates a much more stable center of gravity for the implement. So instead of having two big weights on either side of the hand, the Omnibell features one circular weight perfectly balanced around the hand. This makes it easier to hold on to, especially for beginning lifters, and makes a rotational movement much easier and smoother.

Athletes will experience a more natural movement pattern for many traditional dumbbell exercises. They can literally be used for any dumbbell exercise and they instantly make the movement feel better as you are doing it.

The Omnibell can also be used to improve many traditional kettlebell exercises. In fact, the Omnibell is superior to both kettlebells and dumbbells for movements like Windmills or Turkish get-ups because the weight is easier to control, rotate, and stabilize. The weight surrounding the hand makes all the difference and when teaching those two exercises, so the Omnibell is my first choice. Once the lifter masters the windmill or get-up, progress to other implements if you choose.

For other kettlebell exercises, the bell itself can feel awkward. During particularly cumbersome movements, like the kettlebell snatch, the weight flips up and over the hand to chest rack position. With the Omnibells, you don’t have any of that awkwardness because of the redistribution of weight for optimal balance around the hand. Omnibells make it much easier to learn these lifts.

And because you can use Omnibells for both dumbbell and kettlebell exercises, they eliminate the need to have both. You can save a tremendous amount of storage space in your gym by only having one thing to store, giving you more room for other things.  

Omnibell (and dumbbell) Variations:

When you program 2-arm dumbbell or Omnibell exercises within a workout, the majority of people almost always perform the lift in the traditional sense, moving both arms together at the same time. But there are actually many of ways to change that up and activate the core stabilizers. In doing so, these variations will play a much bigger role than doing the standard 2-arm movement over and over.

I’m going to use a bench press as an example, as seen in the video, but these same variations can be done with practically any traditional dumbbell exercises.

  • Standard, 2-arm press.
  • Alternating, moving at the same time.
  • 1-arm press with isometric hold at the top.
  • Single-arm press with isometric hold at the bottom.
  • 1-arm press with isometric hold in the middle.
  • Alternating with isometric hold at the:
    • top
    • bottom
    • middle
  • Single-arm press.

Don’t limit yourself to only one way to use Omnibells or dumbbells. There are lots of ways that they can be used. And just making slight changes to how the Omnibells are held or by moving each side individually and separately from each other can greatly change how the exercise feels. Give these variations a try in your own workouts as well as those for your athletes.

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