Nautilus® SelectTech™ Dumbbells - Your thoughts?

[Swedish_Captain]

What do you guys think of these? - Click for link

[Coz]

Powerblocks were the first to come out with this type of product. http://www.powerblock.com/frame.html

Both seem to be great products. They are expensive but cheaper than buying every single dumbell.

You can also get powerblocks that go up to 125lbs, not sure if the Nautilus ones go that high, didn't check.

[Revival]

They remind me of Powerblocks too. I actually own Powerblocks, and they're great. I find them extremely easy to adjust, and they are very comfortable and allows you to maneouver almost every kind of dumbell exercise out there. There's a price tag involved, but to me, it's worth it over a rack of different sized dumbells.

[soccerchick]

"Nautilus® SelectTech™ Dumbbells unique weight system lets you adjust each dumbbells from 5 lbs to 52.5 lbs quickly, easily and safely. Just rotate the dial to the weight you want. The tumblers automatically fasten to the weight you want to lift."

for $399 and only up to 52.2 lbs, i'd look at something similar to buy, not these.

[sta63bmx]

I'm with you on the price. If I had $400 to spend, I'd buy a 300 lb oly set ($120), oly DB handles ($40)m and then a selection of 10's. 5's, and 2.5's, probably another $20. They are cool and handy, but I just can't imagine dropping four bills on that.

Now, a new guitar...

[Mr. Dumbell]

It really depends upon what your priorities are. Money, Convenience, and Durability are all issues. Since I'm a home gym guy I went through the selection process also. Here's my opinions on dumbbells:

POWER BLOCKS: While a great concept, they are expensive and not practical for everyone. The weight limit can be prohibitive and so can the small size opening for large hands. Their 4 sided design makes some lifts that require non-conventional grips (like pullovers and two handed standing tricep dumbbell press) difficult to try. The ability to curl the wrist is also severely restricted. Too pricey and too many concessions for me. Great for fitness people but not really made for extreme lifting.

NAUTILUS - The open design is an big improvement on the Power Block, but there are still issues with unconventional grip lifts, weight limits, and price.

HEX - The cheapest you can buy, these are great. The knock here is that they break unless used with absolute care. Few things are more frustrating than having to spend your hard earned money to replace weight equipment that broke. Avoid unless you need something to hold you over until you can afford something better.

ADJUSTABLE - These are great but they have 3 drawbacks. First you have to change the weight every time which almost eliminates the ability to do rapid dropsets/stripsets. Also, your collars are going to come loose unless you use a wrench to tighten them ever time. Finally, and most importantly, adjustable bars are simply too long. Try doing seated dumbbell curls with a 15" or 20" bar in each hand. The best overall combination, but not as good as:

PRO STYLE (FIXED) - These are ultimately expensive, but they last forever. Bolt the weights on these with the hex scews and forget about them. If you want to throw some Loc-Tite on the threads you will never have to worry about them working loose again. You can do the unconventional grips with 100% confidence. You can buy them in stages, a handle here, some plates there, and slowly increase your collection as you go. The real factor that makes these the best is that the handle is only as long as the weights, there is not 6" of empty bar getting in your way. They are also well balanced and you never have to change the weights. Resale value on these is generally pretty decent because they last forever.

I went with the Pro Style and I have never regretted it. I don't have a full set yet, but I'm getting there and my kids will be using them long after I'm gone. (Alright, they will probably sell them for beer money, but you get the point...)

[NutMeg]

I am thinking about these actually, because I think they go up every 2.5 pounds to 52.5, which I think may help me immensely and I know I'd get good use out of them for a while as most gyms I know don't have that selection... DB Curls and Press immediately come to mind as I can get stuck between a couple set of dumbbells for a while

Edit: Nevermind, I found this in a prdocut decription on another site "Settings: 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 52.5"

[NJIron]

$400 for 2 dumbells? I wouldn't get 'em, not at that price.

[JTiger]

Seems kind of expensive. I would go with the hex dumbells. There is something about that worn, sweaty, steel smell.

[RaiseDaBar88]

I just saw a different version for one of those racks on TV.

I think it was alot cheaper too, but I don't remeber the price.