Customer Reviews
Great product for the price and the safest! 
2007-09-03
I love the SportBlock. It is just the right size to do a variety of exercises and is relatively compact due to the square shape. These dumbbells are easy to manuever and the padded grips are comfortable. In my opinion, they are also the safest design of all the adjustable dumbbells and it is very easy to change weights.
The only issue with these blocks is that you have to be sure to insert the pin level and the pin assembly right side up. If you don't, while it is unlikely something will go wrong, it can. However, there is also an elastic safety mechanism just in case. This wouldn't help you in an overhead triceps press, but it's a very good design and a brief safety check before you do anything over your head will give you about as good a guarantee as you would get with any dumbbell used over the head.
Also, these things are rugged and the weight range is good for most people, especially if you use them along with a stability ball. A book that covers some workouts that is relatively inexpensive and well done is Weights on the Ball Workbook: Step-by-Step Guide with Over 350 Photos. If you handle heavier weights than this, then you may not want to work on a ball.
Also, eventually if you are serious about bodybuilding or putting on significant mass, you may want to upgrade to PowerBlock Personal Dumbbell Set or one of the similar products by the same manufacturer. Many people also like Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells, but I think PowerBlock is safer and a better value.
My favorite adjustable dumbbells and the best of the PowerBlock series 
2007-09-01
I really like this product because it is compact and not as cumbersome as the larger sets. For most people, this will suit their needs and they can get an upgradable set later on. The small size allows almost everyone to perform conventional exercises with proper form. With the larger PowerBlocks, this is a concern because of added bulk and length.
The square shape of these dumbbells allows the manufacturer to put more weight in a smaller place. This makes these much smaller than other rounded adjustable dumbbells over the same weight range and increments.
From a safety perspective, I also think these are the safest and most rugged adjustable dumbbells. However, this does not mean that nothing can go wrong. You need to be conscious of inserting the pins straight across and the pin mechanism right side up so the magnets engage to hold the pins together. There is a also a backup elastic band to prevent a plate from falling, but this might not save you in an overhead triceps extension.
This product is rugged and well made. It is less likely to break then some other brands and the concept is simple behind how the adjustments work. In other words, there are less things to break or go wrong and I believe these can take a fairly hard fall and still be fine. I haven't dropped mine, but I base this assumption on the way they are designed and the quality of the materials and how they are put together.
I would definitely purchase these if you do circuit training and want to keep your pulse up. If you become serious, you can buy an expandable set over a larger range later. This is great entry point product.
Durable and easy to store 2007-08-26
I have been using this dumbbell set for several months now, along with some more standard dumbbells and a Bowflex weight bench. While I prefer the feel of standard dumbbells, this set is very compact to store and it is very easy to adjust the weight for specific exercizes. I feel that they give me just as good a workout as any dumbbells I've used, even if they are a bit too bulky to use for wrist curls and other short range of motion exercizes. For the standard bicep curls, bench presses, overhead presses and the like, I highly reccomend.
Good for the whole family 2008-06-15
These weights are easy to use and are great for people with small hands. Great for adding weights to lunges, squats, deadlifts, chest, and shoulder exercises. I am a petite woman and I used them with my younger brothers as well. I am considering the bigger ones for my husband. He still gets good use out of these.
Perfect home set 2008-05-31
This is the perfect dumbbell set for home use . . . compact, flexible, easy to use.
Good compromise 2008-05-29
I've had these for a while now, and for the most part, I like them. They are a reasonable compromise between individual weight dumbbells and other, more expensive, adjustable weights. It's easy to select the desired weight and with a maximum of 24 pounds per dumbell, you can get a good amount of resistance for most common dumbbell exercise. The minor complaints I have are that they could have a bit more room between the rods that connect the weight discs, as my knuckles can sometime rub against them unless I hold it in just a certain way, and also it's not always easy to get the weight selector "thingie" in the right place. Other than that, a far less expensive option than Bowflex.
Easy to use 2008-04-28
I bought these dumbbells as a secondary set to the 5-50 lb. PowerBlocks I bought only a few weeks before. I liked the first product so much that I bought the lighter set so my husband and I can lift together.
These are extremely easy to use and surprisingly compact. I went to the fitness store and looked at these and the Selecttechs side by side and was astonished by the length of the Selecttechs. In my opinion, that product would not work for women due to how long the bar is to accommodate all the weights.
Though this system is a little oddly shaped (blocky) it is much more compact and thus easier to manipulate. True, it takes a little time to find a comfortable grip for a few exercises (such as things behind the head) but once you know what works for you the system makes lifting easy.
Best Christmas Gift I got this year.... 2008-01-18
My Fiancé bought me this set for Xmas and I absolutely love them. I live in a 1 bedroom condo and I was running out of room in my living room for all my dumbbells. I can already see me saving to get the next size up...which I'm sure I'll be needing before next year.
I have very small hands and the grips on these are just perfect to grasp them. Another thing I was worried about was placing them on my shoulders...they don't fit up there perfectly, but they don't fit up there uncomfortably either.
Another thing is they aren't incredibly cumbersome. When you get out of 20 pounders, the dumbbell ends become thick and big and hard for my little hands to grasp...not a problem with my powerblocks...Then ends are always easy to grasp and seem to stay the same size through the increments...which is perfect for my extra small hands.
I work out to Videos and have to pause the video in order to change the pin to a different weight, but it didn't take me long to get used to changing the pin into the correct increment and I'm getting faster with it all the time.
I've been slowly giving away my dumbbells because they just aren't needed anymore and I can't say enough about the powerblock...can't wait to buy my next set.
I'm thinking though that a stand would make changing increments easier...but for now...I'll make do.
