I am going to buy some home gym equipment and have seen a couple people mention these.
I found a pair for $75, but my concern is that they look like they could qualify as a pain in the ass. ie constantly changing weights.
I perceive 3 options.
a)Olympic Dumbell Handles
b)Powerblocks
c)Conventional Dumbells
What do the home gym users think?
I have been using olympic dumbell handles for the past 6 months and i don’t think they are a huge pain in the ass. obviously they are not as convenient as a huge selection of dumbells but they are so much cheaper and if you have some tiny plates (2.75lb plates) you can adjust their weight in very small increments. i say go for the olympic dumbell handles.
If you can afford it, purchase 2 sets of oly handles…convenience won’t be an issue, as you can have two different weight sets ready to go. Obviously, at approx. $70/pair retail, this is a costly option. Depends on how much you use/need dumbells. Overall, they’re cheaper for a home gym if you have plenty of lightweight plates to use. Easier to store, too.
When I get out of my apartment, I’m going with oly bars/plates for the home gym.
E-bay often has these at around $40/pair including shipping.
Hi,
I have found DB handles for cheeper than $70. Ironmind has very quality DB handles, although pricey. As far as having to change weights…suck it up. Powerblocks are very expensive and dont go past 125lbs (that i’ve seen anyway), and regular DB’s are way friggin expensive.
i got my olympic db handles for 30$ at sports authority.
i definitly think they are worth it, but you’ll need to spend extra money on plates for them (since there are two, something i forgot about before buying them 
I would stick w/ a Olympic bar/ w/ weights and a Power Rack, and Powerblocks (rather then DB) for a home gym. And an adjustable bench. Maybe a Physio-Ball.
In Health,
Silas C.
I’ve used powerblocks a lot - and you can get heavy handle inserts to bring em up to a more manly weight if necessary. Only down side is they are freakin’ expensive. The heavier ones work out nearly double the cost of the standard fitness ones…but you will probably only have to buy one set ever so they are a pretty good investment.
The biggest issue I have with my olymic dumbbell handles is that they are just too damn long for some exercises. They only ran me $35 at Academy, though.
I have also found olympic DB handles too long, especially for Seated DB Press and Flat/Inc DB Bench Presses. If you go with standard DBs, you don’t have to switch plates when moving between Barbell and Dumbell exercises.
Dick’s/Sports Authority regularly has the standard 110 lb set on sale for $35. You get 1 BB, 2 DB handles, and 85 lbs of standard plates (4x10#, 6x5#, and 6x2.5#) . For your $70, you get 2 sets of DB handles and plenty of weights for starters. It ain’t Ivanko, but weight is weight.
You can work around the length problems if you turn the dumbells i.e. Do arnold presses for shoulders instead of normal prone grip presses.
I think one of the most important issues with dumbells is to get really secure collars. There is nothing worst than loosing your plates off the dumbell mid set not to mention dangerous!