POWERBLOCK EXP Adj Dumbbells

I've worked out with weights at the gym for years, never bothered with home gym equipment because they tend to cheaply made, take up space and ultimately are no more convenient than just going to the gym ... and then COVID-19 hit and everything changed. I am at that age (63) where if I go for 1, 2 or maybe 3 months waiting for the gym to open I might never be able to get back to in shape. Dumbbells are a key part of my workout, I need them for bench chest press, seated shoulder press and shoulder shrugs. I use 80, 75 & 70 for chest press, 55, 50 & 45 for shoulder press and 90, 85 & 80, for shrugs. I would need a lot of separate weights which can be expensive and take up a lot of space. The format is key, I am only 5'8" and weight 150lbs, so when I do the 80's on the bench press I need to rest them on thighs/knees and then use my legs to help me get them up, so the typical adjustable where you screw on the weights won't work because the won't comfortably rest on my legs. The only two options being the bowflex and these. The bowflex appear to be very good as the look like a regular dumbbell with a slick way to change weights, however I had the occasion a few years back to try them and wasn't impressed as they didn't seem very solid (too plasticy), they don't really rest flat on your thigh and it is hard to find the set that goes over 55lbs. These seem ideal, as I got the stage 2 and 3 to get up to 90lbs and they will fit flat on you leg. The concern was that look like some rinky dink thing you would see on an infomercial. Plus you put your in this odd looking bear trap cage thing. But while they look rinky dink, they are actually very robust and an intelligent design. Most of the gym stuff that I've gotten only have to be 'good enough' to bridge me over for a few months and not something I would get if I were building a serious home gym, but these are much better than 'good enough' and they are a reasonable alternative to proper dumbbells if space and convenience is an issue. While I prefer the fixed weight dumbbells at the gym, the compromise you make for space savings and flexibility is not too significant and I could see these being part of a serious home gym. They may become a permanent option after COVID for the days I can't drag my butt to the gym. It is still a compromise vs. proper dumbbells but if you are looking for adjustable like these, then you will be impressed. The Bowflex may look pretty, and these not so much, but these are more durable and usable.update 11 June:now that I have been using them for a few months, I am even happier with them than I was before. Their Compact heavy duty weight stand is a must, but at only $69 it is well worth. It holds the weight at the right height to work with, a big plus is that it keeps things lined up so that the plastic pin slides in and out easily.

I was initially skeptical of the power blocks at first. Not any longer. I have had them about two years and they are far better than I hoped to be. They are well balanced, feel good through the arc of motion in exercises, and have never had a single issue. There are a couple things to keep in mind though. Do NOT purposely drop them on the ground like some do which will possibly destroy the mechanistic characteristic of these dumbells. They do every exercise perfectly minus a few rare movements none of which I do anyway. Pressing movements for chest, flye movements for chest side rear and front delt raises are excellent, Bicep curls feel very natural even better than traditional hex dumbells. The only negatives is the upfront cost and that you must be "somewhat careful" with not dropping or slamming them which you should not do to any dumbells anyway as dumbells were designed to be picked up to work the muscle hard then set down NOT DROPPED OR SLAMMED! Another downside or I should say a minor inconvenience is you must be careful when you pull out the sleector and push it in to select a given weight that it is perfectly lined up and not on say 30 lbs on one end of the selector and 40 plbs on the other end of the selector side I have done this a few times but it is super easy to catch before you lift. Just make sure you select the weight you want and then carefully push in elector and make sure it is engaged with one weight level. I also highly suggest getting the stand in my picture it is by far the strongest and most solid and well designed stand specifically made for these dumbells. They are close to perfect for space considerations as they replace dozens of dumbells so the cost is well worth it! Do youself a favor and get them you will thank me later. There are far more positives than negatives to these well designed dumbells.

I was back and forth about buying these, a set of weights or Bowflex adjustable weights. I took a gamble on the convenience of Powerblocks and very glad I did. The convenience of these are tough to be beat. No more wasting time adjusting weights or skipping reps because you didn't feel like adjusting weights. There's also no cheap parts to worry about breaking over time. Powerblocks are well thought out.Sure, there's a little clinking and clanking of the weights while working out but that's bound to happen with weights in general. The sound of the weights will drown out some of your heavy breathing. It's a win-win.The one thing I was worried about was the grips and spacing for your hand. It looks tight but just enough space to get a solid grip without your knuckles being jammed against anything.I've been using these for a month or so now. Wish I bought them sooner.