Any fitness trainer will tell you that choosing the right dumbbells for home-training is essential for creating a successful and regular workout routine. Many newcomers to the world of strength-training cringe at the thought of having to purchase a wall-sized rack of weights to accompany the changes in their strength abilities over time. Powerblock dumbbells are one of the most popular, adjustable weight training sets on the market. They are a great product to help you jump-start your own home fitness routine, without having to sacrifice a room of your house. These balanced, adjustable dumbbells provide good stability for strength-straining movements, while taking up very little space in your home. The following article will walk you through some of the finer points of these great, space-saving dumbbells.
Don't let their cage-like square shape fool you. The square shape actually weighs more than traditional round or hexagonal weights. These weights are impeccably composed of rectangular steel plates, side-rods and stacked vertical square plates, taking up about the same space as two of your average large dumbbells. In the realm of quick change dumbbells, Powerblocks are also extremely compact, allowing you to seamlessly integrate them into your space, without the bulkiness of a more traditional weight-lifting set. Powerblocks are adjustable dumbbells that can provide the entire weight-choice spectrum of a more traditional set of dumbbells. A small set can fit into an 18 X 22 inch space, and can replace a whopping 37 pairs of traditional dumbbells. This means that you can store your entire free-weight workout facility in the space the size of a shoe box, instead of needing a massive wall or floor mount for your rack of weights.
This ingenious "all-in-one" setup is achieved through a pin mechanism that allows you to select the desired weight you want to lift. The pins mark off the needed weight to be lifted, and store the rest of the weight in the waist-high stand. Another great advantage to using this type of dumbbell is that they not only are they the heaviest of the non-traditional set-ups, but they are also super-versatile, in that they allow you to start with a 50-pound set, and expand upward in increments of 3 pounds towards a maximum of 130 pounds per dummbell. This means that you can easily shift weight from as little as 5 lbs. to 50 lbs. in around 5-10 seconds.
Powerblocks also provide the ideal setup for micro-loading, as the Powerblock set allows for small increases on the weight increments. To do this, you simply select your desired weight, and then easily add on the 2 pound micro-weights, which slip seamlessly into the hand-weight itself. In this way, the dumbbells are equally suited for all you beginner lifters, as well as the more seasoned lifting pro. Another advantage is that you can work slowly to move toward your desired strength goals, instead of having to jump from one weight to the next, as with other types of home-gym equipment.
Fitness wise, this is intelligent design. Powerblocks allow you to slowly and safely increase your strength and endurance without the risk of injury that comes from jumping and struggling with a heavier 5 pound increase. Safety and reduction of risk are of extreme importance, especially when working from a home-based gym without the supervision of a coach or trainer. The structural design of each Powerblock handle creates a very comfortable lifting experience for both the novice and advanced lifters. More importantly, for a beginner weight-trainer who may have weak wrists, the Powerblock has a wrist-protector handle padding to ensure wrist support, reducing the chance of injury.
Cost-wise, the average dumbbell will run you anywhere from 80-99 cents per pound and up. The average cost of Powerblocks run around 11 cents per pound, making them one of the most affordable products on the market. The set-up also comes with an easy-to-move workbench and a triceps bar that attaches to the the back of the workbench. Powerblocks offer a several versions of their selectorized dumbbell sets. The first is the Elite Personal Set, which equals 500 pounds of free-weights, or 10 pairs of dumbbells. This set allows you to train within a range of 5-50 pounds per dumbbell. The second version of this product is the Elite Powerblock, which equals 28 pairs of dumbbells, or a whopping 2,570 pounds of free weights. This allows you to work anywhere from 5 to 130 pounds per dumbbell.
All in all, with a good weight bench and a set of these dumbbells, anyone can have a quality weight-training set-up in a small space in their home. Powerblocks are the best bet for an efficient, safe workout, for both beginner and advanced lifters alike.
