Now you can change the weight of your dumbbells just by turning a dial. If you’ve seen the infomercial for the Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells, you might 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 from the base, it will weigh exactly that amount. The key is in a patented locking mechanism that allows the base of the dumbbell to find and lift the weight plates that add to the weight you want and lock 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. The SelectTech 220 Adjustable Dumbbells adjust from 2 lbs to 20 lbs. 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 the weight of your dumbbells as easy and fast as turning a dial.
It’s okay. Now you can say it, how do they DO that?
How Conventional Dumbbells Work
Dumbbells are designed to be grasped and lifted with one hand, adding weight and resistance to your exercises. You can use just one to exercise one side of your body (in bicep curls, for example) or one in each hand to do a bilateral workout. Add a couple of dumbbells to standing lunges and you’ll increase the weight load for your lower body, as well as adding a good upper-body workout to the mix.
To get the most out of the 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 for each weight that you want to use. That works well, until your collection begins to outpace your home gym. Adjustable dumbbells are a solution to that problem. Instead of adding a full set of dumbbells in each weight increment you need, you have a couple of barbells and sets of dumbbells in different weight increments.
Adjustable dumbbells used to look a lot like barbell baby cousins. Conventional adjustable dumbbells consist of a short barbell, a pair of dumbbells, 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
The 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 dial knob marked 5 through 52.5. To select a weight, all you need to do is turn the dial knob until it snaps into place on the weight you want, then lift the handle. The patented locking mechanism selects the correct weight discs to match the chosen weight so that only those discs come out with the handle. The remaining discs remain locked in the base. That’s really all there is to it: turn the dial at each end to your desired weight and lift the dumbbell from its base.
Shifting weight is that easy, too. Simply lower the dumbbell to its base, rotate the dials on either side of the dumbbell to your new weight, and then lift it up. That’s.
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 attached to the base, snapping 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 from 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 on the handle will close and lock onto the outermost weight plate (1.25 pounds), locking it into the handle. Do the same at the other end and the lock will lock onto the 1.25 pound weight plate at that end. Lift the handle up from the base and the two locked weight plates lift with it, leaving the rest at the base.
Do you want 20 pounds? Since the handle weighs five pounds, it needs fifteen pounds of weight. Divided evenly, that’s a five-pound weight and a 2.5-pound weight at each end, but you don’t have to figure all of that out. Just turn the dial selector on either end to twenty, and the proprietary lock will do the math for you. When you lift the handle off the base, the correct weight plates for adding twenty will lock into place.
Bowflex’s patented SelectTech system is safer than conventional dumbbells
The patented locking system is designed for security and convenience. The weight plates are permanently locked in place like a Chinese puzzle. To lift the handle from the base, the weight selector dials must be set correctly. If the dial does not snap into place, the base will not release the handle, so there is no chance of a weight disk coming off the bar because it is not locked properly. If the lock is not fully engaged, you cannot lift the dumbbell.
Once you have lifted the dumbbell from the base, the dial cannot be turned, so there is no chance it will unlock and fall off the bar. The locking mechanism also holds the discs firmly in place. There is no wobble from weights that are not properly adjusted – you get the same balance that you would get with a single molded dumbbell.
SelectTech adjustable dumbbells for offset weight training
Generally, you’ll want the weight at both ends of the barbell to be the same, but SelectTech also allows you to choose different weights for each end of the barbell. By allowing you to use uneven weights at both ends, the SelectTech system increases your training and training options. Compensation training can help you strengthen your forearm and wrist muscles, something conventional dumbbells are not designed to do. It’s a great way to power 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 specially designed bracket for SelectTech. The stand is ergonomically designed to hold weights at the proper height and position for safe lifting. The space-saving design encourages proper body positioning and grip to help you avoid strain or injury when lifting SelectTech dumbbells. It’s the perfect storage option between workouts.
All experts agree that working out with dumbbells is an excellent addition to your strength training routines. Dumbbells help develop balance and precision, and allow you to work in areas that are neglected in bilateral training with dumbbells or weight machines. Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells are the perfect way to add a full range of dumbbell weights to your workout in just one small, powerful piece of equipment.
