I trained with Bowflex’s adjustable dumbbells — here’s the pros and cons

From my small inner-city apartment, I don’t have the space to store the best home gym equipment in my home gym. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about how to deck it.

I’ve seen the Bowflex SelectTech 552i Adjustable Dumbbells power nearly every of the best adjustable dumbbell guides in fitness, including ours (read our full Bowflex SelectTech 552 review here). increase). Therefore, I wanted to engage more hands-on with them to see how they coped with the high-intensity strength and conditioning programs.

Call it the old fashioned way. However, I prefer strength training with dumbbells during my workouts, especially when lifting heavy objects overhead or laying them on the floor with my Devils Press or Renegade Row. But I was blown away by these adjustable dumbbells. Here are some of the things I liked and some pain points I found during testing.

What are the Bowflex SelectTech 552i Adjustable Dumbbells?

(Image credit: Amazon)

The Bowflex SelectTech 552i Adjustable Dumbbells are available in sets for about $300 (depending on where you buy them), have a weight range of 2-24 kg (up to 55.6 lbs per dumbbell), and can be adjusted in a dumbbell tray using the quick select dial. adjusted.

With a one-year free access subscription to the JRNY app’s on-demand workout library, you’ll have access to 15 different weight settings for your cardio workout, endurance training, or strength training program. Your subscription now includes motion tracking to keep an eye on your forms and assignees. It costs $19.99/month or $149/year.

I Worked Out With Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbells — Here Are The Pros And Cons

Writer Sam is at the gym, holding a Bowflex SelectTech 552i Adjustable Dumbbell overhead and raising his right arm to perform the Dumbbell Snatch.

(Image credit: Fuure owns/Sam Hopes)

Here’s why I think these dumbbells should be a staple of your home gym equipment, along with some pros and cons I discovered along the way.

they are amazingly sturdy

If you’ve never seen these weights, Bowflex dumbbells fit in trays with plates slotted on either side of the handle. Simply use the selection dial to select your desired weight, lift the dumbbells out of the tray, and the plates will be firmly attached to the dumbbells, ready to use.

For the first 10 minutes, I flinched every time I lifted the weight above my head. I fully expected to be hit with a plate, but it didn’t budge an inch.

I was able to swing it over my head during the snatch and position it over my chest during the floor chest press (here’s how to do a bench press). dumbbell. Plus, I was able to hold them in the high plank position without rolling out and hurting my shoulders.

Bulky

These are not the weights you can expect to carry on the go as you will need a tray due to weight changes. Out of the tray, it weighed quite a bit, making me want the sleeker hex dumbbells I’m used to.

The SelectTech 552’s aren’t wallflowers, but if you have the space to store them, you’ll save a ton of money and space overall without needing space-sucking dumbbell racks to store individual weights. You can save money.

These adjustable dumbbells work well enough for movements like presses and renegade rows, but for exercises like tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, or learning how to do kettlebell swings with dumbbells instead. was found to be too large.

Perfect for home gym.

I feel the need for adjustable dumbbells. They are convenient and (as mentioned above) save space and money with multiple sets of dumbbells. It’s getting more and more.

We understand the need for them, especially if you enjoy a strength training program at home during your lunch break or outdoors during the warmer months.

Easy to switch weights

A dial allows you to select different weights in seconds. This means you can quickly scale up and down while resting. It also takes about the same amount of time as lifting another dumbbell.

My program started with a strength component. Doing 5 sets of 5 heavy reps on the floor press, then his WOD (workout of the day) consisting of snatch, rowing machine, push press, farmer’s hold, handstand he’s AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) has moved to Starting with two reps (or calories) per exercise, he added two more per round.

Regardless of your training preferences, we chose this exercise format to test our adjustable dumbbells — can you seamlessly transition between weights? Were the weights sturdy enough to lift heavy weights? can provide enough weight variation? Was it too bulky to use? This model passed all the tests for me, but personally, it’s far too chunky to play with and toss or bang on the floor during high-intensity power training.

the handle is slippery

The rubber and steel grips make it more ergonomic than other models we tested on Tom’s Guide. However, anyone planning to use these adjustable dumbbells should consider gripping gloves or chalk (I swear by liquid chalk) if they plan to sweat during their workout. After using the AMRAP a few times, my hand started slipping on the handle and the snatch became quite unstable.

Bowflex SelectTech 552i Adjustable Dumbbells: The Verdict

If you want a reliable pair of adjustable dumbbells to target major muscle groups, burn calories, or strengthen your limbs, look no further. It’s hugely popular in the fitness industry, offering a functional, full-body strength workout without hunting around for plates or changing dumbbells, but nothing too subtle.

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