Powerblock 15 Year Update: Still "The World's Best Dumbbell" or Not?

[@pauldack5129]

Bought my set of Powerblocks in 2000. Still using then today. That's 23 yrs of pretty much constant use. Best purchase ever.

[@cjcycledude]

I've had my PowerBlocks for 25 years and use them on every workout for some exercise or another!

[@hybridresistance]

You got me beat on that one! I feel like the older models were actually better built at least compared to my Elite that I'm working with.

[@giornelseisa6029]

​@@hybridresistancey😊😊 your t😊😮 you

[@megamorph77]

I bought powerblock U 125s I think it was called, 10 yrs ago. Made of urethane. Now after 10yrs of use, the urethane has cracked and broken off the rails, rendering them worthless. Mind you, I never dropped them from tall heights or abused them. At most I'd drop them to my home gym flooring from a few inches off the floor and Id drop them level and flat. Nothing unreasonable. Today, I just bought the powerblock USA elite which is all steel and I think it will be indestructible for the most part. I wouldn't advise to get the urethane because they will crack and break over time

[@cesarpadilla2541]

I think that the PB elite are for lasting all life, maybe currently are some obsolete comparing with others,but they are really useful, space saver. I have one pair with the rack and the complete weights, I guess they arrive to 130 lbs, I love them.

[@countbelisarius9742]

I have had the Powerblock Pro Rexan with the addon kit to 125# for many, many years. No rust, no dings and when I couldn’t remember the weight settings (this was even before they had stickers to mark it), I emailed Powerblock and they sent the info to me. I am skeptical that the newer systems, despite the advantages of faster weight change and being less boxy, will last anywhere near as long as the Powerblocks. I am not that strong but being able to set up shrugs with over 100 # in a few seconds without the hassle of having to load up a barbell is priceless.

[@hybridresistance]

Want to trade!? Awesome to hear that about that product.

[@aclsass]

@@hybridresistance did you ever make the trade? lol

[@steverapos3904]

I had powerblocks forever - finally sold them when I moved. In my new area I saw some knock off Nuobells for quite cheap - thought I would like them better - 5 pound increments are easier but I find the Powerblocks are easier to get in and out and seem way more durable - if the price was the same I would go with power blocks for sure

[@hybridresistance]

thanks for your comment on this.

[@oldnatty61]

1) Just over on the website. $1086 (not including shipping) gets two 21/2 to 100 lbs. DB's in 21/2 lbs. jumps. Per pond that's hard to beat, and you could get 'em used? 2) Whatever you get you want a type that has a flat surface like PB's or Hex so you have the option to safely load Burpee movements. 3) Power Blocks were the first on the market and have a long history of durability/quality. 4) PB's offer bars that allow one to turn their DB's into a BB's, and offer some cool bench options (to include pull-up/dip). Also offer a KB handle. 5) A solution to the pin coming out is tying a string around the pin and the weight it is attached to. I highly recommend this for dynamic oly/kb type work and heavier loads, because, even though, the pin is magnetized it can get bumped and be unseated.

[@GGhostStudios]

I love my PowerBlock pro’s. There is also 2 adder weights in the block that allow for 2/1/2 lbs increments. That’s the biggest pro to me. The con is the weight distribution Is slightly off on certain movements with the adder weights depending on how you hold the dumbbell

[@hybridresistance]

That is a key perk as many of these newer models don't have the minor adjustments. I also always love those inserts for warm up weights. They also serve as good dumbbells for my young kids when they want to work out with me!

[@Brockthedog315]

My elite powerblocks are over 10 years old and still working great. I particularly like the option of a two handed neutral grip when you turn them over. Makes pullovers and goblet squats much better than normal dumbells. There are some good options now out there but in the end I would still go powerblocks

[@RUmlas]

Love this. I still have my PowerBlock Sport 5.0 with stage two expansion of 55/65/75 Ibs. I bought them in 2008? 22010? when I was getting into shape doing P90X. But by 2014, it sat in storage. I still have the PB 5.0 and it's still in great shape. As you mentioned, mine has minor rust and chips here and there. When I purchased the initial set and expansion, it was super expensive. But at the time, I knew it would be worth it. I was right.

[@cripper73]

Definitely can replace the selector pins. I just got new ones from my Elite set I purchased in 2002. "Classic steel" pins is what you want. I actually got the "Big Block" kit back in the day and they go up to 125lbs but man are they huge. 😂 Great video!

[@hybridresistance]

Thanks man. One of my biggest home gym regrets right there.

[@donuts4dilla]

My dad found me a set of powerblocks for $40 each at goodwill, going up to about 50lb each. They look like they lived in a garage for 20 years but work perfect. great deal. super easy to adjust the weight multiple times throughout my workout for flys, squats, curls, press, anything really. only equipment I own in my tiny apartment.

[@hybridresistance]

Solid deal right there

[@steverapos3904]

They do have power blocks that go up to like 120 or 125 and a different set that goes up to 175. The weight increments are different and they may require 2 different starting handles to use the different increments. They are wildly expensive new though, but if you are in a highly populated area you might find a pair for a good price used.

[@hybridresistance]

This is true!

[@TonyTorzido]

After many videos it seems PowerBlocks are tanks if taken care of. Last forever. And Minecraft block vibes. My gym closed so it was my sign to finally start my home gym. My PW get here next week, pretty excited!

[@Jay30k]

I've got the nuo a year now. But somehow I feel they won't last as long as your blocks. Not because I drop them, but because of the plastic parts

[@hybridresistance]

Where you been brother! Been a long time since I've seen you on here. Thanks for that tip, I did hear about the plastic parts. Those do look sleek though. Also, don't know if you ever saw it, but awhile ago I messaged you about purchasing a song of yours to use in videos. Let me know if that is ever an option. Hope all is well with you.

[@dwintster]

I have the u90 woth the expansion from 90 to 125. Its been over a decade bow and they are still as good as new. Though I wish the increments between 90 and the expansion was smaller. You go from 90 to 102.5 ,105, 107.5 to 120, 122.5 to 125.

[@wilfredotorres6628]

Hi Sliding Bench Trainer, I'm a bigger fan of dumbbells than barbells because you individually train each side evenly with the same amount of weight. The power blocks do look a bit more cumbersome than conventional dumbbells but of course, they do take up less space. Using the rubber plates would make more sense with less wear of metal or major injury.

[@eladmitchell752]

a great space saver,i like the way yr wrist is locked in,easier changing the weight.i agree with dropping them will damage them,but over all i always thought they were cool,and if i can find a deal on some,im in😊i have hex dumbells from 10-100 but i relize i dont need that many.but that quick switch with the weight is the big advantage

[@hybridresistance]

Yes, the quick switch is really awesome and makes you want to use them more. Thanks again for watching Elad.

[@miagee2]

got myself a set used for only 100 with delivery

[@toneman8478]

Cool analysis.. Yeah I refrained from buying these because of the whole hands Inside the blocks which seemed awkward for certain movements

[@plmn93]

Nuobells are junk. They use tiny plastic cam followers to move the shafts in and out. It's not a matter of if they break, it's a matter of when. And when that happens you can't fix them, you have to buy a new handle. Inexcusable at that price point, IMO. If you want something to last decades your two choices are still Ironmaster or Powerblock. Well maybe Pepin now too, we will see, but their cost is hard to justify.

[@hybridresistance]

I've heard that too. I'm looking into those snode possibly because of the quality.

[@adamj2683]

Have you seen the Rep x Peppin adjustable dumbbells coming out soon? Better than original peppins but at a fraction of the cost. We're living in great times for adjustable dumbbells!! This is probably the dumbbell to end all other adjustable dumbbells to be honest. It's unreal.

[@MarioMontecillo-p2b]

Hope you can review the TRULAP adjustable dumbbells too... thanks 👍

[@hybridresistance]

Thanks for that suggestion, I will check them out.

[@xdmc005]

I wound up purchasing a set of Bowflex Select tech a few years back, before I got my TG. The weights felt fine, but they had this gimmicky “rep counter” that connected via Bluetooth to your phone. I didn’t like how it worked, so I never used it. I did like how to change the weight - it works just like that set of Great Flex you have, with the center twist - but one of them seized up. Overall, not super thrilled. Still love the TG, though!

[@williamsullivan1126]

Another good clip Mike. I had a Power Block set when they were the first to offer an easily adjustable dumbbell. I liked them a lot, and used them often. The one problem I had was that after time the labels that said how much weight each increment was wore off, so I wasn’t sure how much weight I was using. More recently I bought a set of the Core Fitness dumbbells, which have that cradle system. They feel great and I’m very pleased with them. They only go up to 50 lbs apiece though, so for people who want more weight they’d have to look elsewhere. For me, however, they’re just what I was looking for: they feel great and adjust with a simple twist of the handle. I look forward to seeing what other commenters have to say about their adjustable dumbbell experiences.

[@hybridresistance]

I've heard nothing but good things about the CORE brand as well. Thanks for sharing that.

[@craigcornejo9190]

I have the 90lbs set.. since 1998.. still using them..

[@MISSYMINX261]

For yrs I've been searching for adjustable dumbbells just can't find ones that I like. I did try the power blocks but returned them, they were too bulky for me and a little annoying to switch the weight.

[@hybridresistance]

My wife would for sure agree, she never liked them.

[@Smokeninja4]

I bought the powerblocks made from china on ebay. I only bought them for their expansion up to 90 lbs.

[@Sommitps]

Nuobell is absolutely better in most aspects, BUT... if I could only choose 1 pair for the rest of my life, I'd most definitely pick Powerblock, no doubt. I never use my Powerblocks anymore, only Nuobell, but I do love my Sport EXP Powerblocks, which is also why I don't want to sell them. Powerblock is a solid choice and not something you'll ever regret (well, I did purchase the Pro EXP and I did regret that, as they are simply too big and bulky, but that's just my opinion).

[@brianportillo5412]

I’ve been wanting to get a pair of power blocks for a while , but I have a question, how does it feel when curling ? Like hammer curls , bicep curls ?

[@hybridresistance]

That's one of may biggest issues is how they feel for things such as curls. Hammer curls no problem though. I did pick up (and have a review for) the Snode dumbbells, which are awesome IMO

[@brianholland5447]

Great review! What do you recommend for someone who already has the Select Tech 552s, and just wants some heavier dumbbells that go up to 100 or maybe 120, but doesn't want to buy another set of adjustable dumbbells, and doesn't want to buy a bunch of individual dumbbells either.

[@hybridresistance]

I think based on what you said you’d really limited to just buying an individual pairs of heavy dbs. Really the best option might be to sell your select tech for another set of heavier adjustable dbs. There’s a couple brands that have over 100s such as iron master and I’m drawing a blank on this other pair of quick change style.

[@brianholland5447]

Thanks! Is it Pepin?

[@PaulChoate-s4v]

130lb expansion?!!?!! Shit, I’m wondering if I’ll ever use the 70lb lol

[@outtrigger]

while traveling if u had to pick between the two would you bring a set of bands (just bands, no bar + plate) with you or a set of adjustable dumbbells

[@hybridresistance]

That's tough especially since you're not allowing the bands/bar in this question. Definitely depends on how I'm traveling and for how long. I'm leaning towards bands, but you guys know if we're talking bands+board+ bar, hands down that's what I'm choosing.

[@michaelcortez8470]

Just wondering how you had the dumbbells hanging from the total gym weight bar?

[@hybridresistance]

Haven't done that in a LONG time, but I just slid them through the weight bar.

[@giulianopetronelli4454]

Can you do a review on the total body bar from Ron Williams?

[@hybridresistance]

That is on the list. I'm honestly just wondering how much I'd use it considering the other tools that I think might be better suited for the job.

[@hybridresistance]

Just an update for you, that a body bar review is coming!

[@giulianopetronelli4454]

@@hybridresistance Awesome!!!!! I can’t wait! Thank you!

[@briand5047]

Commercial Pro version with expansion goes up to 175 lbs, but costs over $2Gs.

[@hybridresistance]

I did hear the pro version went higher, but didn't know it was that much!

[@briand5047]

@@hybridresistance P.B. has a lot more competition these days. Maybe they will bring back the 130 lbs option. That'd be great.

[@rpf958]

I think Ironmaster can be expanded to 120 lbs

[@hybridresistance]

Yes, the Iron Master would be the ideal pick for heavy weight, the only downside (IMO) is the adjustment time for weight.

[@plmn93]

165 actually. And they will last forever.

[@videogazer801]

To summarize, the PowerBlocks are less preferred when compared to Nuobell and other modern style competitors.

[@jamealjordon1376]

Powerblock ProEXP owner here…love ‘em

[@hybridresistance]

Awesome to hear.

[@Mr2004MCSS]

The new Helix adjustable dumbbells that Clench Fitness is selling look pretty nice. I thought about getting a set of adjustable dumbbells in the past but never did.

[@hybridresistance]

Those do look awesome. Didn't even see those, thank you for sharing that! Shameless plug you can save 15% off Clench with my promo code "SBT15"

[@Mr2004MCSS]

@@hybridresistanceYou are welcome. They do look very nice and solid.