The Smartest Dumbbells You Can Get
For those of us who are iron pumpers, having a home gym is not always an appealing option. A serious (or semi-serious) weightlifter needs a good range of weights at his or her disposal as different muscle groups require different loads. Having this weight spread in one’s house necessitates a huge rack of weights. For most of us, a gym–with its ample real estate and wide range of dumbbells and barbells–is the logical way to go.
But maybe there’s no gym near you, or your lifestyle doesn’t permit you to get to one. What then?
A company called PowerBlock offers an alternative to huge personal weight sets. Their dumbbell and kettlebell systems have add-on weights that can be affixed to a base, so units can range anywhere from 2.5 lbs to 175 lbs for each dumbbell (kettlebell weights are a bit lower. Specific weights of all units vary depending on particular configuration). The dimensions of the biggest set is a scant 20.75″ L x 8.5″ W x 8.5″ H; the company claims this largest dumbbell set replaces 55 pairs of dumbbells or 10,075 lbs of free weights, not to mention a 20′ long rack. Sets start at $149 and go to $1098 for the biggest set; larger sets of individual dumbbells with racks easily run in excess of $2K.
While gyms might be a better representation of the LifeEdited ideal as they facilitate access over ownership, sometimes we need our own stuff. And if we’re going to have our own stuff, why not make it the smartest, most versatile, compact stuff we can buy?