Easy and adjustable dumbbells on the go

In today’s fast paced world trying to get a full workout in can be difficult on a normal day. We get busy with our careers, family, social media, running kids to hockey practice, soccer games, dance recitals, and the myriad of other activities that seem to eat up our 24 hour days. No one wakes up first thing in the morning hoping they don’t get to workout, it just happens when you aren’t intentional about scheduling time for a workout. Once you’ve come home from a full day’s work and errands, grabbing your gym bag, getting in your car, and driving to a gym can be the last thing you want to do.

The physiological and psychological benefits of properly working out on a regular basis are well documented. Increased strength, increased libido, improved moods, and the body’s ability to more easily fend off disease, as well as the effects of aging, are some of the obvious benefits to an active lifestyle. With all these benefits proven time and time again, why do we still find it so hard to workout regularly? For me, it comes down to time and accessibility. This brings about an interesting question, “What can we do to make working out more accessible?” Having a full gym at home would certainly make things easier, but it’s incredibly expensive and space can be a issue. So how can we get a workout in at home that is cost effective, and does not take up your parking space in the garage?

One option is the Bowflex 552 Selec Tech adjustable dumbbells. They run around $300 a set. These are selectable weight dumbbells that can be adjusted from 5lbs to 52.5 lbs per dumbbell. It replaces an entire rack of conventional fixed weight dumbbells, taking up only a couple square feet, and saving you space in your workout area. The Bowflex 552’s allow the user to perform almost any exercise that was previously done with fixed weight dumbbells.

Product: Bowflex 552 Select Tech Dumbbells

Weight Range: 5-52.5 Lbs (2.27-23.8 Kg) Each dumbbell

Number of Exercises available: Unlimited

Number of Weight Settings: 15

Weight Settings: 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 52.5 lbs

Dimensions: 15.75” Long x 8” Wide x 9” High (40 x 20 x 23 Cm) Each

Warranty: 2 Years

Color: Black with Red trim

MSRP: $299-$499

Pros: portable, well built, compact, replaces a large array of fixed weight style dumbbells

Cons: You have to return dumbbells to their stand to adjust the weight. Dumbbells are reported to not respond well to being dropped. Cost can be prohibitive.

Overall Evaluations: These work well for someone who knows what they are getting into. If you are a person who drops weights, then these aren’t for you. These are perfectly suited for a person with a busy lifestyle who wants to work out in their garage or apartment to stay active. The 52.5 maximum weight might seem a little on the light side for some people, but Bowflex does make a similar set with a higher weight limit, the 1090 Select Tech. They have a range from 10-90lbs.

It’s not only important to maintain a healthy lifestyle as much as possible for ourselves, but for our families and teammates as well. Our leisure activities and careers often require us to possess a certain level of fitness and flexibility, and the Bowflex 552’s can help with that. It doesn’t matter if you are hiking and skiing Mt Shasta, surfing in Baja, training to gain overall strength and fitness, or you just want to have more flexibility and strength to perform better at your regular job, fitness matters.

I have only been using the Bowflex Select Tech 552’s for three weeks, and so far I am enjoying the workout they provide. Each dumbbell can be selected to increased or decreased in 2.5 lbs increments. This allows people to gradually ease into exercises they are unfamiliar with and reach their personal strength building goals. This also lowers the likelihood of injury from pushing yourself to the next level too quickly by allowing you to take smaller steps to get there.

There are other brands of adjustable dumbbells that I considered when in the market, but I selected the Bowflex 552’s over them, as they fit my needs better. I read several reports on the Bowlfex website written by people who’ve used them for the last six years on a daily basis, with no problems to the gears or mechanisms in the handles. There were more than 2,000 positive reviews for the Bowflex Select Tech 552’s. Those evaluations weighed heavily in my decision making process. Another factor in the decision was that I had seen these dumbbells being used to treat patients in both a physical therapy clinic and a chiropractor’s office. If doctors, who generally disagree with each other on professional grounds, can agree on the benefits of this product, then that’s a product I trust.

Those of us who served in the military remember doing physical training. It was often monotonous, and seemed to drag on for an eternity. That isn’t a problem while using these dumbbells. With a little research and creativity a person can use them in dozens of different exercises from Goblet squats to Reverse Crunches for your core. Then you can turn around and attack your shoulders and laterals with various forms of rows and presses.

These did take a chunk out of my wallet, but I decided I wanted an effective tool that didn’t take up a lot of space in my home. I wanted equipment that I could and would use daily while I’m preparing to return to ice hockey and improve my overall fitness. There are undiscovered adventures awaiting me in life, and I want to be able to take them head on. It’s never too late to get back into shape, get active, eat right, and be intentional about your life. Your friends, family, and teammates are all counting on you to be the best you can be, and the right equipment and motivation can help. Don’t be put off by their cost, it’s cheaper than the doctor bills that may result from doing nothing, and the cost equates to only a few months of the average gym membership.

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The Bowflex 552’s can be purchased here.

The Bowflex 1090’s can be purchased here.

This Weeks Quote:

Adventure is worthwhile in itself. — Amelia Earhart; Pilot, Explorer

— Rick