After years of collecting the old standard hex dumbells, and trying to maintain a home gym in the city in various apartments (usually in the common basement) I found the PowerBlock dumbells.For someone without a dedicated room (with lots of space) for their workout equipment, these are fantastic dumbells.They go up to 85 or 90lbs without the add-on kit, and they are super fast and easy to change the weight. They are pricey, but considering the amount of dumbells they replace, well worth it, for the right user.After using the PowerBlock setup for a couple years I came across IronMaster, another brand with adjustable dumbells.They go to 75lbs without the add-on kit, and cost a little less than the PowerBlock dumbells.I have BOTH in my home gym now, and I will go over the pros and cons of each for those of you trying to decide on a set up like this.
PowerBlocks:
Pros: Well made, comfortable grip, fast and easy to change the weight in 10lb increments, nice stand included, made in USA, ability to go up to 85-90lbs as is, and 120lbs with add-on. Excellent for exercises where you change weight quickly or frequently. Square dumbells don't roll.
Cons: Funky design with 4 pillars around your hand/wrist. It works, but it makes me nervous at higher weights that if I were to drop them I could somehow catch my wrist in there and hurt myself.Difficult to quickly switch weights in increments smaller than 10lbs.This is a problem for many exercises.Although they are sturdy, and have never given out on me, they rattle and the plates move a little when you use them. Again, they seem sturdy but when doing shoulder or bench press it's a little disconcerting.You need to make sure the magnetic pins are fully inserted and in the right spot or disaster could ensue.The dumbells get long when using a lot of weight which can be somewhat awkward for certain exercises.
Overall:These dumbells are best for exercises where you change the weight frequently, or quickly, and work best for non-press exercises in my experience. The add-on kit is a nice option, but the dumbells are already pretty long at 85-90lbs, so it may be impractical for a lot of exercises.They were the first of their kind, they are still a serious contender in this ring.
IronMaster:
Pros: Well Made. More traditional looking & feeling dumbells.Up to 75lbs as is, and 125lbs with kit.Not as long as PowerBlocks, no awkward pillars to stick your hand in between.Nice stand included.Great bench and other accessories available (better than PowerBlock bench after using both). No rattling or moving of plates when in use.Sturdy and well balanced and made in USA. Excellent for press exercises. Just as quick to change the weight in 2.5lb or 5lb increments as it is by 10lbs or more.
Cons: Takes significantly longer to change the weight than PowerBlocks.For press exercises I find this to be less of an issue, but for curls and other quick change exercises it's a bit of a pain.No locking mechanism for the screw in pins.This has never been an issue, or caused a dumbell to fall apart during use, but there's no locking mechanism (or magnet such as PowerBlocks) just friction preventing the pin from unscrewing.I'm not too worried about it, but it has crossed my mind.
Overall: These dumbells are best for users who use higher weights for press exercises and want the traditional look and feel of a dumbell you might find in the gym.They don't rattle or move, and are very solid.They also go higher in weight than the PowerBlocks with the add-on kit, and cost less.Not as good for users using ligher weight and requiring quick changes.
Conclusion:For me, having both pairs is a pretty good set up, but If I were to choose just one, I would stick with the IronMaster.I like them for their sturdiness and lack of rattling especially when using heavy weight.In addition to the IronMaster, I would buy a cheaper set of adjustable dumbells with a lower maximum weight (50lbs maybe) that could be easily adjusted in 5lb (or smaller) increments to use for curls and kickbacks etc...and stick with the IronMaster for the heavier weights, where I really don't mind the extra minute of rest to change the weight! In fact, I think I will sell my PowerBlocks and get a set up like this, and have some money left over for Muscle Milk! :)
P.S. the IronMaster adjustable bench is the BEST I have used!
Product Description
The only dumbbell system that can expand to meet your strength needs, PowerBlock dumbbells are the most versatile and effective exercise tool ever developed for strength training. PowerBlocks work intuitively. Rather than requiring you to buy a room full of dumbbells, PowerBlocks act just like a weight stack at the gym, with a handle that fits inside the first weight, which fits inside the second, which fits inside the third, etc. When you want to change weights, you simply move the weight selector pin into the appropriate slot and you're set. As you lift the core, all the weights above the selector pin are lifted at the same time, turning your 5-pound dumbbell into a 10-pound dumbbell, or your 10-pound dumbbell into a 20-pound dumbbell. Not only is the system remarkably easy to use, but it's also cost- and space-efficient, as a single pair of dumbbells can do the work of dozens.
This Elite 90 set adjusts from 5 to 90 pounds in 5-pound increments, in effect doing the job of 28 pairs of traditional dumbbells. In essence, you'll be storing 2,565 pounds of free weights while taking up the space of just one dumbbell air (each 90-pound dumbbell is only 16 inches in length). And if that's not enough for your workouts, you can expand the set to 130 pounds per hand using the 8-11 Elite Big Block kit. Boasting black powder-coated weight plates in a traditional square shape, the free weights are ideal whether you're trying to build muscle mass, firm and tone your physique, or get rid of unwanted body fat. The Elite 90 dumbbells measure 16 by 6 by 6 inches (W x H x D) each and carry a 10-year limited warranty.
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