How Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells Work

Now you can change the weight of your dumbbells with the turn of a dial. If you’ve seen the Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbell infomercial, 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 weighs exactly that amount. The key is in a patented locking mechanism that allows the dumbbell base to find and lift the weight plates that add up to the weight you want, and locks them in 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. The SelectTech 220 Adjustable Dumbbells adjust from 2 lbs. to 20 lbs. They also allow you to do something that’s 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 weight as quick and easy as turning a dial.

Everything’s fine. Now you can tell, how do they do that?

How conventional dumbbells work

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 (on bicep curls, for example) or one in each hand for bilateral training. 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 in each weight you want to use. That works fine, until your collection starts to outgrow your home gym. Adjustable dumbbells are a solution to that problem. Instead of adding a full set of dumbbells at every weight increment you need, you have a couple of barbells and sets of dumbbells at different weight increments.

Adjustable dumbbells used to look a lot like barbells’ baby cousins. 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, reattach the collar and screw 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, a 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 have to 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 off the handle. The remaining disks remain locked in the base. That’s really all there is to it: turn the dial at 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, and then raise it up. That’s it.

How SelectTech works

Each of the ten weight plates has a slot that the handle fits into. When all the discs are in place, the handle can be placed on the base, fitting into the slots. As long as the weight dials are set to 5, the weight of the handle itself, the handle will lift freely from the slots without lifting any weight.

Suppose you want to exercise with a 7.5-pound dumbbell. Simply turn the dial on the handle to 7.5 until you feel the click. The locking mechanism on the handle will close and lock onto the outermost weight plate (1.25lbs), locking it to the handle. Do the same thing 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 equally, 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 either way to twenty, and the patented lock will do the math for you. When you lift the handle off the base, the correct weight plates to add up to twenty will lock into place.

Patented Bowflex SelectTech system is safer than conventional dumbbells

The patented locking system is designed for both security and convenience. The weight plates are permanently locked in place like a Chinese puzzle. To raise the handle from the base, the weight selector dials must be set correctly. If the dial is not snapped into place, the base will not release the handle, so there is no chance of a weight plate slipping off the bar because it is not properly locked. 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 them disengaging and falling off the bar. The locking mechanism also keeps discs firmly in place. Weights that aren’t tight enough don’t wobble – you get the same balance you’d get with a single molded dumbbell.

SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells for Offset Weight Training

In general, you’ll want the weight at 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 unequal weights at each end, the SelectTech system increases your exercise and training options. Compensated training can help you strengthen your forearm and wrist muscles, something conventional dumbbells aren’t designed to do. It’s a great way to get a little 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 on each end for various weight combinations.

Space-saving rack holds SelectTech dumbbells at just the right height

Bowflex also manufactures a specially designed bracket for SelectTech. The rack is ergonomically designed to hold weights at the correct height and position for safe lifting. The space-saving design encourages proper body position and grip to help prevent strain or injury when lifting SelectTech Dumbbells. It’s the perfect storage option between workouts.

All experts agree that exercising with dumbbells is an excellent addition to your strength training routines. Dumbbells help you develop balance and accuracy, and allow you to target areas that are neglected in bilateral training with barbells or weight machines. Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells are the perfect way to add a full range of dumbbell weights to your workout in one small, powerful piece of equipment.