Lift advice: what do you think of bowflex dumbbells?

CoderGal
CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
edited January 7 in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone have anything bad to say about these boflex thinggers? Apparently my bf's physio center has them.

http://www.bowflexselecttech.com/bowflex-selecttech-us/homepage.jsp

check out the video at about 45 seconds.

Replies

  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Last time i looked at these they only went up to 50lbs. Looks like they now go up to 90 which should be plenty of room to grow into. If you are looking to purchase for home, consider other brands as well like IronMaster and Powerblock. Some might be better than others.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Last time i looked at these they only went up to 50lbs. Looks like they now go up to 90 which should be plenty of room to grow into. If you are looking to purchase for home, consider other brands as well like IronMaster and Powerblock. Some might be better than others.
    Right now, 50 is plenty :P At least I hope so...how long would it take me to grow out of 50s? :S I'm not doing heavy heavy stuff right now and some of it (like the lunges) requires twisting which I'm pretty sure I'd pull something if I did it with something heavy. I also have arthritis and a f-ed up spine that is falling apart so I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to lift 50.

    Right now, 10 is plenty :P

    But how long do you think it would take for a normal girl to grow out of 50s if she's on like 10s now?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    The first question is whether 52 pounds is enough for you. If so, I think they're worth the cost for the convenience.

    Here's a cut and paste of my response to a thread a couple days ago about them:

    I own the Bowflex SelectTech 552s (5-52.5 lbs.). I've had them for almost a year and they've held up very well. I don't drop/throw them around while working out, but they have been inadvertently dropped (hard!) a few times with no harm to them. Some people complain about the fact that they're larger (longer) than solid dumbbells - they are, but it hasn't negatively affected any of the exercises I do with them. They take up much less room than a rack of solid dumbbells, if space is a factor for you at all. The "must-have" feature I'd recommend is the storage rack - it takes up more room than leaving them on the floor, but it's also much more convenient to rack/un-rack them, change weights, etc.

    If your workouts include a lot of banging/dropping dumbbells, I'd recommend a set of solid/cast ones instead - I'm sure they'd stand up to the abuse better than something with moving parts. Otherwise, I have no complaints/reservations about the SelectTechs.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Last time i looked at these they only went up to 50lbs. Looks like they now go up to 90 which should be plenty of room to grow into. If you are looking to purchase for home, consider other brands as well like IronMaster and Powerblock. Some might be better than others.
    Right now, 50 is plenty :P At least I hope so...how long would it take me to grow out of 50s? :S I'm not doing heavy heavy stuff right now and some of it (like the lunges) requires twisting which I'm pretty sure I'd pull something if I did it with something heavy. I also have arthritis and a f-ed up spine that is falling apart so I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to lift 50.

    Right now, 10 is plenty :P

    But how long do you think it would take for a normal girl to grow out of 50s if she's on like 10s now?

    Well if you ever want to squat with them, you might outgrow the 50's in a few weeks time...
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    always heard they break easily. id look to craigs list for old fashioned ones.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    always heard they break easily. id look to craigs list for old fashioned ones.

    I've had mine for 5+ years and have had no issues with them. I absolutely love them.

    I have the set that goes from 5-52.5 lbs. I'm a female and the heaviest I go with dumbbells is 45lbs.. That said you won't grow out of them anytime soon.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Would be nice if they showed cross section of hand-hold. I know that's very specific.

    Oh great, all 3 ads are now for Bowflex!

    Anyway, I've noticed at gym they have replaced some dumbbells with same brand and style, but the 3 flats in the hand-hold or smaller, and I don't like them. I like the old one where it's much wider flat section.

    These appear to be totally round. But even there I guess they could have changed through the years.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    always heard they break easily. id look to craigs list for old fashioned ones.

    I've had mine for 5+ years and have had no issues with them. I absolutely love them.

    I have the set that goes from 5-52.5 lbs. I'm a female and the heaviest I go with dumbbells is 45lbs.. That said you won't grow out of them anytime soon.

    for clarity i was thinking about the ones that go up to 90 or so pounds. maybe its the heavier weight that causes the problems?
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member

    for clarity i was thinking about the ones that go up to 90 or so pounds. maybe its the heavier weight that causes the problems?

    Not sure about the 90 lbers. Honestly, if you drop them after lifts and aren't careful with them, you probably will break them, regardless of the weight. I've just been very careful with mine.
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