Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell Pair

"Very compact and good investment"

"These are great for anyone wanting to workout from home to avoid the health clubs. They are the size of 60# dumbbells so they are large but not obnoxious. Initially they seem to be quite expensive, but if you bought dumbbells from 5's to 50's...it would cost more than a set of the selecttechs. Changing the weights is easy and the stand makes moving them a breeze. I don't think the bodybuilder who screams while throwing his weights around would like these though. Great for anyone who understands the art of good form."

"These are great for the casual fitness buff who doesn't want their house overrun with weights. They are marvels of design and both my wife and I have enjoyed using them.



If I have one complaint, it's that when set to a low weight they are larger than an equivalent light dumbell, which may make them a little unwieldy for certain exercises. That said, I find I can do a full range of dumbell exercises quite easily.



They are apparently a little fragile, as the included DVD (which is a great bonus, btw) stresses not to drop them on the floor like you might a normal dumbell. Of course, I wouldn't recommend throwing any weights around unless you don't care about your equipment or your floors.



Overally, I would highly recommend these as a great solution for anybody looking to add free weights to their home gym without filling a room with a dumbell rack."

"Overall, these weights serve my purposes well. I have a machine that is good for many types of weight lifting exercises, but I feel that adding dumbbell work to my regimen allows me to involve the "helper" muscles that the machine just doesn't quite hit.



The good.

1) A versatile set of dumbbells that support a variety of weight increments without taking up a substantial amount of space.

2) Weights don't rattle when using them even though they are not fixed in position.

3) It is quick and easy to adjust the weight increments.

4) Design does not require you to put your hand into a notch or hole, so your movements are not as restricted as with some other adjustable designs.



The not so good.

1) Weights change quickly and easily enough, but you have to put them back in the rack to do so. I understand this is the design, but it still reduces the flexibility somewhat (i.e. if you want to exercise outside, but your rack is inside).

2) The weights are kinda long and remain the same length regardless of the amount of weight used. This can be a pain when doing military presses and so forth."

"These are perfect for anyone who works out at home and a must have... unless you have a ton of room, then you may want a set of dumbells. I live in a small place and not sure if I'll ever have a fully dedicated gym area in my home so these are perfect. I froze my gym membership for a few months so though these are pricey, they'll pay for themselves and then some.If you have some spare money and like to work out at home, don't think about it another minute!Also, buy them here on Sports Authority on-line [...] Perfect for P90X."

"Bought these SelectTechs for use with my home workout program. I wouldn't of bought anything else. I looked at the single weight dumbells and thought it is worth the $$$$ to get one set that is multiple weights. Plus this saves so much room! I bought these online and got free shipping and the free stand when it was on sale, the stand is a must other wise you will be doing a lot of bending over! Don't look at anything else just grit your teeth and fork out the $$$$! You won't be sorry."

"I have used these for about two years now and I disagree with the Gold's dumbbells being better. I find them difficult to adjust even when the plates are lined up properly and they are not as easy to line up in the first place. The Bowflex dumbbell plates on the other hand drop in to their slots easily and align on their own thanks to their nylon coating that makes them slide easily. When replacing the dumbbells on the rack, they drop in place and line up on their own. Even if the dumbbell is rotated from its proper position, it will rotate back and drop into the slot when you let go. I have had no problems with the plastic coating breaking and I do no baby them - but I don't drop them on the floor either. The Gold's are not a bad set, but the Bowflex are better made and easier to adjust.



On the negative side, yes, they can be bulky on the lower weights since the bar doesn't change regardless of how much weight is on it. I consider this a fair trade off since you are getting a full range of dumbbells from 5 - 52.5 pounds in one package. Some don't like that you have to re-rack them to change the weight, but if you have a full set of individual dumbbells, you have to do that anyway. And the locking mechanisms is a safety feature to make sure the plates don't come off while you are using them."

"I needed a set of weights for P90X that were fairly inexpensive, and wouldn't take up too much room. These fit the bill perfectly! When I first started using these weights a couple weeks ago, the first thing I noticed was how sturdy they were. I handled the "other" brand of selectable weights and they were just too shifty. Plus the one they had on display was already falling apart. So I knew that wasn't the way to go. The Bowflex Selectech's are the best!

I also bought the stand which I highly recommend if you are doing sets requiring different weight selections with a quick turnaround. (Not to mention, saving your back every time you need a new weight.) And if you are planning on using them for P90X then the stand is a no brainer. They have very comfortable grips, no gloves needed. Bottom line, GREAT ease of use and phenomenal BOWFLEX quality product!! BEST BUY!!"

"I got the dumbells on Friday.. by Sunday I was back for the 3.1 bench and stand. [...]The stand is a must to keep the weights at a convenient height and safely stored. Also makes it easy to wheel them around and out of the way when not in use.I got the bench after watching the Bowflex DVD that came with the dumbbells. The bench is key to using these properly and to getting the most variations.You get the equivalent of 30 dumbbells in just two. The dumbbells can be weighted unevenly too, to allow you to work wrists, forearms etc in supinated position.I think this was a great value and look forward to finally getting into shape. May be even run for California governor one day! :-)Seriously... great stuff. Go for it."

"I bought these as a way to save space in my home workout room. They work great!! I used to belong to a gym for years and am very familiar with other equipment. Would I put these in a gym for everyday meat head use? No. They are not designed to withstand dropping all the time BUT that is why Bowflex designed a stand that works fantastic! The dumbells are in the same position all the time. No bending to the lower rack or lifting to the upper rack.I'm not a big fan of Bowflex stuff, but these are the perfect design. The versatility is excellent! Is sampled other selectable dumbells and they were either to bulky (Power Blocks) or a pain in the @#$ to adjust (Weider Power Switch). That's why they are all cheaper in my opinion. Don't believe me? Go to [@] or wherever and try them all for yourself before buying. Be sure to pull them off the rack, then replace them and change the weight. You will see what I mean (Weider).Hold out for a deal to get the stand included for the [$] price or just ask for it like I did and they gave it to me because a competitor offered it.I see NO downfalls with these unless you like dropping them on the floor after use.The grip is great too! Semi-rubberized instead of skin/glove chewing checkering."