Now you can change the weight of your dumbbells with the turn of a dial. If you’ve seen the infomercial for the Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells, you may be wondering how they work. All you have to do is turn the dial on the end of the dumbbell to the weight you want to use, and when you lift the dumbbell off the base, it will weigh exactly that amount. The key is a patented locking mechanism that allows the dumbbell base to find and lift the weight plates that add to the weight you want, and locks them into place on the handle. That way when you lift, only those plates will lift off the base.
SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells come in two different versions, each with the equivalent of 30 individual dumbbells in a single pair. Each SelectTech 552 dumbbell adjusts to fifteen different weight settings from five pounds to 52.5 pounds. SelectTech 220 Adjustable Dumbbells adjust from 2lbs to 20lbs. They also allow you to do something that is difficult to do with most adjustable sets and impossible with fixed dumbbells: vary the weight on each side of the dumbbell. And they make changing dumbbell weights as quick and easy as turning a dial.
Alright. Now you can tell, how do they do that?
How conventional dumbbells work
The dumbbells are designed to be gripped and lifted with one hand, adding weight and resistance to your exercises. You can use just one to work one side of your body (in bicep curls, for example) or one in each hand for a bilateral workout. Add a pair of dumbbells to standing lunges and you’ll increase the weight load for your lower body, as well as add a good upper body workout to the mix.
To get the most benefit from dumbbells, you need different weights, for different exercises, and to increase the weight as your muscles develop. One way is to have a set of dumbbells at each weight you want to use. That works out well, until his collection starts to outgrow his home gym. Adjustable dumbbells are a solution to that problem. Instead of adding a full set of dumbbells at each weight increment you need, you have a couple of bars and dumbbell sets at different weight increments.
Adjustable dumbbells used to look a lot like the baby cousins of barbells. Conventional adjustable dumbbells consist of a short bar, a pair of weights, and a safety collar. If you want to change the weight, unscrew the collar lock, slide the collar off the bar, slide the weight off the bar, slide the new weight onto the bar, put the collar back on, and screw it down to lock. Then you repeat the whole process on the other end.
SelectTech Dumbbells Dial-a-Weight technology makes it easy
Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells are a new generation of adjustable dumbbells. Each dumbbell consists of a handle, base, and ten interlocking slotted weight plates. When the handle is in place on the base, the dumbbell looks like a miniature barbell with a full set of weights on the bar.
At each end of the handle, you will find a knob marked with numbers from 5 to 52.5. To select a weight, all you do is turn the knob until it clicks into place with the weight you want, then lift the handle. The patented locking mechanism selects the correct weight plates to match your chosen weight so only those plates come out with the handle. The remaining pucks remain locked in the base. That’s really all there is to it: turn the dial on each end to the weight you want, and lift the dumbbell off its base.
Changing the weight is also that easy. Simply lower the dumbbell to its base, turn the dials on either side of the dumbbell to your new weight, then lift it up. That’s all.
How SelectTech works
Each of the ten weight plates has a slot into which the handle fits. When all the discs are in place, the handle can be placed on the base, fitting into the grooves. As long as the weight dials are set to 5, the weight of the handle by itself, the handle will lift freely out of the slots without lifting any weight.
Suppose you want to exercise with a 7.5-pound dumbbell. Just turn the dial on the handle to 7.5 until you feel the click. The locking mechanism in the handle will close and lock onto the outermost weight plate (1.25 lbs.), locking it to the handle. Do the same on the other end and the lock snaps onto the 1.25 pound weight plate on that end. Lift the handle up from the base and the two locked weight plates lift with it, leaving the rest on the base.
Do you want 20 pounds? Since the handle weighs five pounds, you need fifteen pounds of weights. Divided evenly, that’s a five-pound weight and a 2.5-pound weight on each end, but you don’t have to calculate all of that. Simply turn the dial selector on either end to twenty, and the patented lock will do the math for you. When you lift the handle from the base, the correct weight plates to add up to twenty will lock into place.
The patented Bowflex SelectTech system is safer than conventional dumbbells
The patented locking system is designed for both safety and convenience. The weight discs are permanently locked into place like a Chinese puzzle. To raise the handle from the base, the weight selector dials must be set correctly. If the dial doesn’t snap into place, the base won’t release the handle, so there’s no chance of a weight plate slipping off the bar because it’s not locked properly. If the lock is not fully engaged, you cannot lift the dumbbell.
Once you’ve lifted the dumbbell off the base, the dial can’t be turned, so there’s no chance of it unlatching and falling off the bar. The locking mechanism also keeps the discs firmly in place. Weights that aren’t tightly clamped don’t wobble – you get the same balance as you would with a single shaped dumbbell.
SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells for Weight Training
In general, you’ll want the weight on both ends of the dumbbell to be the same, but SelectTech also allows you to choose different weights for each end of the bar. By allowing you to use uneven weights on each end, the SelectTech system increases your exercise and training options. Offset training can help you strengthen your forearm and wrist muscles, something conventional dumbbells are not designed for. It’s a great way to get some extra power into your tennis swing and increase flexibility, strength, and range of motion in your wrists. The owner’s manual even includes a handy reference chart to tell you which weight to select at each end for various weight combinations.
Space-saving stand holds SelectTech dumbbells at just the right height
Bowflex also manufactures a bracket specially designed for the SelectTech. The rack is ergonomically designed to hold dumbbells at the correct height and position for safe lifting. The space-saving design encourages proper body position and grip to help you avoid strain or injury when lifting SelectTech dumbbells. It’s the perfect storage option between workouts.
All the experts agree that exercising with dumbbells is a great addition to your strength training routines. Dumbbells help you develop balance and precision, and allow you to work areas that are neglected in bilateral training with bars or weight machines. The Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells are the perfect way to add a full range of dumbbell weights to your workout in one powerful little piece of equipment.
