How PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells Work

We all know what dumbbells look like, right? They usually consist of a narrow handle or hilt between two heavy spheres or discs. They look like an exaggerated hourglass figure. They’re designed to be lifted with one hand instead of two, to add weight and resistance to movements like unilateral bicep curls. They come in a wide variety of weights, from 1 pound and up, but the basic design is the same with one exception: PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells.

PowerBlocks are a revolutionary design that makes working out with dumbbells a real joy and allows you to have a complete set of free weights that is small enough to store on a shelf. This is how PowerBlocks allows you to fit an entire home gym into a space the size of a milk crate.

Exercising with conventional dumbbells

Conventional dumbbells come in a variety of sizes. If you want to work with different weights for different exercises, you should buy a set of dumbbells in each size you want. That adds up after a while, not just in money, but in the space needed to store your growing collection.

The solution is a set of adjustable dumbbells. Adjustable dumbbells have a center bar and multiple sets of weights. The weights slide over the bar and are held in place with some type of locking collar. The advantage is that they take up much less space. The downside is that you have to take them apart and put them back together every time you want to improve your training.

The Power Block Difference

PowerBlocks are a complete set of adjustable dumbbells that fit the footprint of a milk carton. Imagine having a whole set of dumbbells, in a carton of milk. However, the real difference is in the way you adjust the weight on the PowerBlocks. There’s no fiddling with wrenches, no weight rings to slide on and off the bars, and no chance of weights slipping or coming loose while you’re working out. Adjusting the weight is almost as easy as putting them down and picking them up again.

Most adjustable dumbbell sets have a dozen or more pieces. For each dumbbell, you have a barbell, a collar, a pin, and pairs of dumbbells in as many sizes as you like. PowerBlocks dumbbells have only four parts:

1. The core

An internal handle that weighs five pounds, the core holds the rest together. The handle itself is padded and designed to be gripped with one hand.

2. Weight plates

The weight of each PowerBlock is controlled by sets of 5-pound weight plates, connected together in pairs. Weight plates are similar to the plates you’ll see on adjustable weight machines at the gym. Each set of weight plates adds ten pounds to the five pound core. Add a set and you have 15 pound dumbbells. Add two, and you have twenty-five pound dumbbells, all the way up to 85 pounds. What if you want 50 pounds? We’ll get to that. Just wait.

3. The selector pin

Here’s the nifty part about PowerBlocks. The selector pin is a pair of metal rods that slide between the sides of the weight plates. To make a set of fifteen pound dumbbells, simply slide the selector pin into place under the first set of weight plates. Do you want twenty five? Slide the selector pin under the second set of weight plates. That’s pretty simple, but the folks at PowerBlocks have made it even simpler: they’ve color-coded it. Each set of weight plates has a different color. A chart that comes with the PowerBlocks lists the weights and colors so you know at a glance where to slide the selector pin if you want 75 lbs.

4. Weights of adders

So you want a set of 50 pound dumbbells but the PowerBlocks only go up in ten pound increments? The people at PowerBlocks also thought of that. Each PowerBlock has a pair of cylinder slots in the core. They are made to hold a pair of silver cylinders called viper weights. Adder Weights give you the ability to add weights in 2.5 pound increments, the weight of each adder. That means you can increase the weight of the PowerBlock from 5 to 7.5 pounds by adding one extra weight, or ten by adding two. So you want fifty pound dumbbells? Slide both adding weights into their slots and set the selector pin to 45. Voila! You now have a fifty pound dumbbell.

More PowerBlock Options

You can buy PowerBlock dumbbell systems in seven different sets ranging from the SportBlock (goes from 3lbs to 21lbs in 3lb increments) to the Elite Set 5-130 which allows you to go from fivelbs to 130lbs per dumbbell in five OR ten pound increments. With the PowerBlock Dumbbell System, you can have a complete dumbbell rack in the space of a milk carton. How does that compare to conventional dumbbells or other adjustable dumbbell sets? Have a look:

1 SportBlock 3-21 Total Weight: 42 lbs.

7 pairs of adjustable dumbbells – 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 pounds Total weight: 168 pounds

14 fixed dumbbells, 2 each of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 pounds Total weight: 168 pounds

That’s a lot of space saving right there. But it really adds up when you look at one of the larger sets. With the Elite 5-130, you have the equivalent of 37 pairs of dumbbells or 4,820 pounds of free weights in a block about the size of a pair of shoeboxes.

Add weights to your PowerBlock

Trainers will tell you that you’ll get your best workout by alternating between dumbbells and barbells. With PowerBlocks, you don’t have to go out and buy a whole new set of weights to have dumbbells and barbells. Some of the PowerBlock sets can be combined with a special bar that allows you to convert your SportBlock or Personal Block into a weight set as easily as you change the weight, and still fit on your shelf.

But if you want something a little fancier, you can also buy an optional PowerBlock rack that holds your dumbbells at just the right height for lifting. Additionally, several of the sets can be expanded to add more weight by purchasing an add-on kit.

If you’re thinking about adding adjustable dumbbells to your home gym, or looking to replace the bulky set you own now, the PowerBlock is definitely worth a look.