Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbell Features

• Each dumbbell can be adjusted from 5.0 to 52.5 pounds
• Adjustments in 2.5-pound intervals for the first 25 pounds
• Quick and simple mechanisms eliminates workout time wasted on setting up traditional free weights
• Combines 15 sets of weights into one, using a unique dial system
• Eliminates the need for multiple dumbbells taking up your home gym
• Five-year Bowflex warranty on weight plates, two-year warranty on parts
• Recommended to be used with the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbell Stand and Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Bench

The SelectTech 552 dumbbells adjust from 5 pounds all the way up to 52.5 pounds of weight.

Customer Reviews:

“I was surprised how well-designed they actually are. These guys look and feel like a pretty stunning example of modern technology; sleek and slick despite their size, you will likely not mind that they get looks.”

“AWESOME! The dials, in my opinion, are ten times easier than the magnetic pins of PowerBlocks, and these Bowflex dumbells look ten times more fashionable.”

Read more Bowflex 552 reviews here.

Although this bench is very similar to the Bowflex SelecTech 3.1 the extra positions do provide a much wider range of movement for more varied lifting. These extra positions also help if you are carry any small injuries or strains, as you can work around problems easier.

Main Features

• Provide solid support for working out with free weights
• 6 positions; 17-degree decline to 90-degree incline
• Provide extra decline position supports than many other free weights benches
• Corrects posture and stabilizes positioning for a safe, muscle-building free-weight workout
• Bowflex provide a 30-year warranty on frame; one-year warranty on upholstery

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 56″ L x 26″ W x 20″ H (142.25 L x 66 W x 51 H cm)
• 6 different positions with a 17° decline to 90° incline
• Constructed of heavy-duty commercial quality steel
• Corrects posture and stabilizes positioning for a safe, muscle-building free weight workout
• Can be used with more than 30 exercises
• Comes standard with a removable leg hold-down brace for added decline position support
• Wheels away for easy storage

If you are building a home gym based on free weights then a good bench is one of your most important investments. To safely use this bench for bench pressing and seated shoulder presses, you should also invest in a power rack (a.k.a. a cage).  This bench works very well with a set of dumbbells also though, and Bowflex also sell adjustable dumbbells which are great for saving both gym space and time when working out.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells (2009 Model)

The Bowflex PR3000 home gym is a great way to strengthen your muscles with over 50 strength exercises and a built-in rowing station. With up to 210 pounds of Power Rod resistance (can be upgraded to 310 pounds), this versatile machine helps work the abs, arms, chest, back, shoulders, and lower body.

Bowflex Home Gym Features

• Get a total body strength workout with affordable home gym; no cable changes needed between sets -
• Provides as little as five or as many as 210 pounds of resistance via Bowflex Power Rods (upgradeable to 310 pounds)
• Over 50 strength exercises; includes vertical bench press and lat pull down
• Upholstered roller cushions for leg extension and leg curl, triple function ankle cuff grips
• 300-pound maximum user weight; requires 100 x 78-inch minimum workout area

The Bowflex PR3000 home gym includes a no-change cable pulley system, vertical bench press, triple-function hand grips for lat pull-down, and four-inch upholstered roller cushions for leg extension and leg curl exercises. The PR3000 utilizes Bowflex’s patented Power Rods, which provide resistance, or weight, that feels as good as or better than free weights–but without the inertia or risk of joint pain usually associated with free weights. You can hook one, two, three, four or all of your Power Rod units to the cable pulley system and go from as little as 5 pounds all the way up to 210 pounds of resistance.

Features and Specifications:

• Multi-use Hand-Grip/Ankle Cuffs designed to add flexibility and performance to any workout
• Workout Placard displays workout descriptions for easy reference while you’re exercising
• Number of available exercises: 50+
• No-change cable pulley system
• 210 pounds of Power Rod resistance (which can be upgraded to 310 pounds)
• Four-inch upholstered roller cushions for leg extension and leg curl
• Vertical bench press
• Triple function hand grips for lat pull down
• Triple function ankle cuff grips
• Leg Attachment
• Height: 83 inches (211 cm)
• Length 64 inches (163 cm)
• Width 41 inches (104 cm)
• Workout Area: 100 x 78 inches (254 x 199 cm)
• Maximum User Weight: 300 pounds (136 kg)

Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym Exercise Options:

• Bench Press, with incline and decline settings
• Various  Pulldown options
• Triceps Pushdown and Extensions
• Seated Biceps Curl
• Triceps Kickbacks
• Crossover High Rear Delt Rows
• Seated Shoulder Press
• Shoulder Shrug
• Lateral Shoulder Raise
• Squat
• Standing Calf Raise
• Hip Flexion
• Shoulder Rotator Cuff
• Standing Low Back Extension
• Seated (Resisted) Abdominal Crunch
• Trunk Rotation
• Leg Extension

Overall, the Bowflex is a great option for those that want a versatile multi-gym for the home. All the major muscle groups can be worked effectively. The Bowflex PR3000 is not too large, so can fit into most spare rooms or garage spaces. The Bowflex products built to a very good standard and are well worth the money.

Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym
Buy new from Amazon from $999.00

1. Using the best exercising to meet your specific goals
2. Ensuring that you consume the correct foods and supplement your diet where needed
3. Get plenty of rest, including extra sleep

With competitive bodybuilding the aim is to build the largest and most defined muscles possible. It is really a display of perfection and not a display of strength. The main difference between bodybuilders and power lifters is fat content. Power lifters are solely interesting in lifting the maximum weight possible, and are not concerned if their nutritional requirements means increasing body fat if it also means becoming stronger. Bodybuilders focus on “cutting” their muscles, and getting fat content to an absolute minimum to get that “ripped” look.

Also unlike powerlifting, where the person that lifts the heaviest weight wins, in bodybuilding the winner is decided by a panel of judges. It is a more subjective sport, more like synchronized swimming than the 50 freestyle!

Bodybuilding is a more popular sport though, with the likes of  Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno shooting to fame as a result of their success in the bodybuilding arena.

Bodybuilders use strength training exercises to build muscle. When heavy weights are lifting, the muscles are actually damaged, resulting in micro-tears in the areas where most exertion is placed. This is the reason why muscles feel very sore after a weight training session. When the body then repairs these muscles, is will rebuild them stronger and larger than before, in an attempt to ensure that such damage does not occur again. For the body to repair the damaged muscles well, it needs uses proteins (and amino acids) and also requires time to recover. This is why without adequate nutrition and rest after bodybuilding, muscle growth is limited.

There is a lot of advice on Bodybuilding for beginners available on the internet, however when starting a beginner weight training / bodybuilding regime, advice often fails to highlight the dangers of overtraining. Please read the Problems of overtraining when Bodybuilding article before starting a beginner weight training routine.

More information on Bodybuilding:

• Bodybuilding History: The Early Years
• Bodybuilding History: The “Golden Age”
• Competitive Bodybuilding as a Sport
• Bodybuilding Nutrition Advice
• Overtraining Problems for Bodybuilders
• A Guide to Bodybuilding Supplements