Bowflex 552 Dumbbells

The Bowflex 552 SelectTech is one of the simple, but very effective dumbbells that Bowflex brings out. Even with all the amazing gym equipment that companies bring out these days, the dumbbell is still one of the best ones for a lot of exercises because they are free weights and therefore give you better form.

Plus they are very cheap. Most normal dumbbells retail at $1 per pound so the money you pay for them just depends on the weight.

The only problem with going with a complete set of dumbbells is that you will have a number of different ones lying around.

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Using the same one with plates of different weights is not a new idea, but a number of people do not like this for two reasons. One is that bar becomes longer to accommodate the plates which makes it uncomfortable to do a variety of exercises. The other is the clanking noise, and the fact that if they are not tightened properly, it will pinch your skin.

There are other models where you will not have this problem, but there is always the fear that some of the plates may fall off, although this is not very common. The Bowflex 552 however solves all these problems apart from giving you something that also looks really great. Yet it costs nearly $360. Paying so much for dumbbells is just plain stupid for some folks. Let us therefore look at whether it does make sense or not.

You get around 52.5 lbs each which makes the set weigh 121.5 lbs totally. The plates are ergonomic, and each has its own place that it slots into. There is a dial at the outer end on each side and you just choose how much weight you want to carry with this dial. This activates a clip that only takes the required weight leaving the remaining plates behind.

The Pros

Everything about the 552 is good except maybe the price. The dial is very simple, but very strong. Some people have said that they have tried dropping their pieces instead of bending down and placing them on the ground without any problems. You get incremental increase in weights of 2.5 lbs which makes it very easy for you to increase weights. You don’t have to jump weights the way you would with normal dumbbells.

They look very nice too. The locking system is very strong and there is no clanking. You don’t need a separate stand, you can use the box that the dumbbells ship in. The handgrips are very good and will not slip even when you have sweaty palms.

The Cons

The biggest downside to the 552 is the price. If you have the place to stack an entire range of dumbbells, it may be cheaper to go with one, unless you want a really comprehensive list. Yes it looks really nice, and the dial system works, but for most of us who just want a couple of weights to train so that we can lose weight, the price is a big factor.

The second thing is the length. Because it has to incorporate so many different plates the dumbbells are naturally long which makes them a little uncomfortable to use in certain positions. This is not a big factor however, and there are a number of alternative exercises that can accomplish the same objective.

My Recommendation

The bottom line is always the price. If you feel that it is not too high then go for it. It is a much better designed product than many other similar dumbbells in the market. It gives you more flexibility in your exercises and really has no other downside other than the price.

>>> Shop for the Bowflex® 552 SelectTech® Dumbbells and Save <<<