If you are getting into weight lifting, please buy ...
919278
If you are getting into weight lifting, please buy this book. It will save you so much time in the gym trying to figure out what the hell to do.
2531214
This is a great lifting belt for beginners to advanced lifters.  The belt will do its job as long as you keep proper form during your lifts!  It is low profile, comfortable, yet provides the support I need while doing squats and other exercises which puts pressure on my lower back.  SIZING: I wear 33inch pants and the Medium belt fit perfectly with plenty of room if I grow a couple inches or if I lose weight too.  The Velcro strap is long and sturdy providing the necessary hold.
921474
I'm not exactly a gym guy, so maybe I'm not the best qualified to review this thing, but to meet it seems solid as hell. I've owned it for a few months now, and it's every bit as tough and well constructed as anything I've seen in a commercial gym. If you can break this thing you either messed up the assembly, or you need to sign up for the NFL.

If you're capable of figuring out Ikea instructions, you'll be fine here. It took me less than 30 min to get it put together. Just read it a few times first and identify everything before you get started. Also, don't really torque the bolts down until it's ready to go. I've had zero squeaks, rattles, or wobbles despite daily use, and I'm benching over 250 with this thing.

The ability to make each arm move independently is amazing. If you have a weak side, this will identify it pretty quickly.

Depending on your workout style, if you like to move heavy weights but prefer to work out alone, this is one of the best options around. I routinely use weights that would be dangerous to lift solo on a traditional bench, but with this thing you can go high intensity all day long.

The option to add on accessories moves this up from "good" to "great." I added the lat tower, and with a little creativity there really isn't an upper body exercise you can't manage to figure out. Again, I'm not a weightlifter, a purist might argue that point. No matter what you're looking for, they have an accessory to create a perfect machine that you can stick in a small office or bedroom.

That said, it's not perfect. I can't get the bench to lock in a flat position for some reason (and customer service has been zero help, I think they're allergic to email). But doing decline and incline presses work just finI. Also, I wish the grips went out a little wider for a little more variety in hand positions, but I'm 6' 1" and built like a oversized spider monkey, so that might be a personal problem.
3643150
I bought these at Target for $70, but I would definitely buy them for $90, so worth it!!
Obviously the amount of weight you use will be specific to your own needs, this is plenty for all upper body excercises I do, with some room for improvement. For lower body it suffices, at some point I'll invest in a barbell or heavier weights, but for now it works great!
After reading other reviews, I wasn't expecting superb quality, but so far I am impressed. The weights are very easy to adjust. I use FitnessBlender's workouts, they have PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells and I sometimes have to pause to give me time to switch weights, but not a huge bother for 1/3 of what theirs cost.
I have been using them for a week, so far nothing has come loose. It looks like all you need to do is periodically check to make sure the screws aren't loose.
During one workout my hands were sweating enough that it made grip a tiny bit difficult, but not enough to completely slip. Lifting gloves would solve that.
These are awesome weights!
2431596
Dude, this thing is amazing. I gives you the grip you need and breathes well unlike gloves. Way way better than any other gloves I have ever used in my last 18 years of lifting. I bought 5 of them incase the company goes under. Bodybuilding dot com gives them away for free if you buy $200 worth of stuff, but I still buy them here. I use to carry a whole bag when I went to the gym, nowadays, I only have this and my BlackBerry smartphone.
1411140
I can't believe all the bad reviews this book is getting. Ive been into fitness for 12 years and seen far, far worse efforts by self-styled "experts".

 I'm aware that power lifting is hard on the joints. So is every sport I can think of. Sad to say, as a weightlifter and martial artist, my sports have a lot of envy and gossip. The author is a professor of Physical Ed at a Virginia University. What are the qualifications of his critics?

If you want a book that shows real strengh training, get this one. It's about ten dollars used and twenty new. You won't be sorry.
1139199
To start off, don't base your decision on these weights off of all the negative reviews you may read. I will state the simple problems and solutions to each one. I purchased 3 total sets, 50 pound set, 105 pound set, and 200 pound set which cost about $400 total. This is the cheapest and best option to obtaining the most weight as now I have over 360 pounds in total dead weight, 135 per arm, the reason for stating this is because this is absolutely the cheapest solution for the most weight. Now most of the complaints span to roughness of the handle to as ridiculous as giving one star for weight plates being to "greasy" upon first opening. The first major issue stated is that the star twist clamp doesn't stay tight enough for safe heavy lifting which causes the weight to constantly have to be checked for safety. The first obvious thing is that you should always check your weight for safety no matter if your clamp is tight or not, and I will assure you that if you tighten these clamps and put actual force into it they will stay put, take out the rubber rings if you must as that helps them stick together, for those of you that cannot put so much force than simply twist the last weight plate next to each clamp right and this will tighten it with little effort. The next most complained about is how rough the handle is, and metal splinters are common upon first opening, I will make it clear that I received 3 different sets of handles through my total orders so I know the extent of how rough they may come and honestly if your used to holding a shovel or have used lighter weights than you'll be fine, the metal splinter shards that people have stated really are not extreme enough to give these dumbbells one star over, this goes with the greasy weight statement, just have some paper towels like I did or a rag to be prepared to wipe down each weight and handle, I expected to do this even before my first order. When it comes to scraped paint and dents and scrapes in weight plates the scraped paint is minimal and expect to see some of the paint slightly come off when first using and especially upon opening, as for dents there is none, the "dents" are just how some come and is expected to see in every type of weight plate, I will show another picture for that. The last issue stated is shipping, know that the 50 pounds ships in 1 box, the 105 ships in 2, and the 200 ships in 3. Some have stated to be missing weights and handles which is really not to be expected so I wouldn't worry as I received over 7 packages in my 3 back to back orders and received every part of my order with no issues and received each order in only 3 days with free shipping. These weights are heavy duty and meant to last a lifetime and also not for beginner weight lifters, which is why there are so many negative reviews. These weights are perfect for if you need heavier weight and cannot afford it, do not expect pretty smooth handled easy grip amature weights as these are great for hardcore workouts and great to push you to your limits, and sky rocket your strength, if your truly for lifting than you will be completely satisfied with these weights. I have tried my best to accommodate every question as I wish I had this review when I made my major decision on this big purchase as major insight really eases the mind. I hoped this helped.
667267
I started lifting at 16 years old.  I have been lifting weights all wrong.  The only way to train is  Sammy's way and  you will be feared.
3474584
Not going to waste a lot of time on reviewing this product. All I can tell you is that if you are really into weightlifting you will think WTF did I just buy once this big *** bench is put together.

Cons:

Big as hell (I'm 6'3 and my feet can't touch the floor)

Not really a "flat bench"

Doesn't decline

The shipping is ridiculous (first one that arrived was falling out of the box and the man asked my wife to help him bring piece by piece in, I told her to tell him to send it back, the second one was delivered by the same company, 3 weeks total)

Giant gap in the middle of flat bench

Very cheap leather that most likely will rip

PROS:

Best for working out your hams and quads (not what a "bench" is supposed to be best at)

Other Notes:

I would love to trade this thing in or sell it and hope that I can. I will just get a standard bench and if I have to get multiple for the 3 types of benching. One of my most regrettable purchases.
1930056
This is a great set for the beginner / novice lifter.  They have a 52 lbs max so if you need more, look for something else.  If that weight sounds good, go for it.  These are good quality, nice looking and most importantly, easy to use.  I like to do multiple sets with differing weight and the change from one weight to the other is fast.  Recommend you get the rack as well.  Enjoy.
320104
Metal weights, good for those who are just starting at lifting, but not practical if you can lift more than 50lbs.
1687807
I purchased this product because I had joined a gym, read that free weights were the best way to train, but had absolutely no idea where to start. I was looking to enhance my workout at the gym without paying for a trainer.

With these cards, I definitely got a lot of benefit for the price. The box says there are 50 exercises. I was concerned that there would be like 30 with a bunch of variations to make it 50. This is not the case. If you include variations, there are 78 exercises! If you are concerned about equipment, there are several that don't require any equipment, but you'll definitely want dumbbells - or at least a serviceable substitute such as soup cans or bottles of water. With that, you will be able so do most of the exercises. Other than that, a balance ball would probably be the next most important, but a few other things make an appearance: bench, step, resistance bands, and maybe a few others. There are plenty of individual exercises to get you started with toning your whole body.

The circuit training cards are kind of neat, but I find them a bit tricky to make practical use of at the gym. They do, however, give a great workout plan to try, and could be fun to do if you have a workout buddy to help keep you from taking constant breaks to check the cards.

The exercises are great, and the box gives you enough information so that you know how to get started and make the most out of cards. If you are looking for  some exercises to get you started at home, or a how-to that you can reference while at the gym, this is a really great buy and I doubt you will be disappointed.
2328138
These fit my home gym perfectly. All of my equipment is Olympic, so no issues changing plates on my machines. There are no corners when gripping the handle, which makes it comfortable to pick up. Before the CAP plates, I bought the Champion plates about 7 yrs ago. Those were the cheapest plates back then (about $1/lbs). I've always wanted the CAP plates, but they were almost 1 1/2 times the cost, at the time. I can't believe they're $1/lbs now. I wish I could trade my whole Champion weight stack for CAP plates....SMH. Oh well....it's all timing.
2180445
I bought this because I'm deployed to Afghanistan and have limited access to a proper gym.  If this relates to your situation then this is the product for you.  I haven't tested out customer service yet because I haven't had to use them at all.  The weights and accessories are sufficient and very durable.  I'm using mine in 135 degree temperatures with no problems.  One thing I will say is ensure you don't hook them up to slide through the leg fittings.  I tried to do cable flies with a setup and chewed up the green cord a little.  It still works like new but I'd advise against it.

Some of my co-workers have the lower level sets of these and the weight isn't enough.  From my impression this set goes low enough for high reps and high enough for a challenge. A few others have purchased the cheaper sets and got exactly what they paid for.  Broken bands, snapped handles, and minor injuries plague the other lower quality brands.

In summary this is great set that I'd recommend to anyone.  I'll probably purchase a few more handles for versatility and specific muscle groups but the set comes with handles that work for pretty much anything.  Like any exercise routine though, you have to be creative with these and dedicate the time to see results.  Understand this and you won't regret your purchase.
1677106
Story time. In High School nearly a decade ago our weight room was stocked up with these magical, black twisting barbell collars. That's where I learned to lift and those were the only collars I ever knew. Those things took abuse like none other. Just imagine a high school weight room and the typical high schooler with no respect for public property or authority, and then imagine multiple strength and conditioning classes going through the gym every single day, plus football weights sessions and other team sports. Those things were used and literally abused day in and day out for my entire 4 years there and they just kept on trucking. I saw them thrown on the ground, smashed with weight plates, and even stomped on. I bet you could probably run these things over with a car and they would be fine. You can probably guess by now that we were using Husker Power Locks.

Fast forward to now and ever since then I have never been able to find these things. They're not called "barbell collars" so unless you know the brand and product name or you are lucky enough to have them at your gym, you won't be able to find them very easily. Heck, there are only 2 total reviews on amazon so that tells you something. I guess Husker primarily does business with colleges and high schools so outside of those circles you probably won't see these in your gym. However, they are still the best barbell collars ever made. Better than clips, wraps, lockjaw clamps, screw-ons collars, you name it.

Basically the way these work couldn't be simpler. Slide them on the bar (thick end first), grab each end and twist in clockwise motion until tight. The collar rotates about 4-6 inches or so, so you can easily tighten them with about one or two turns of the wrist.  They're super fast to get on/off and even faster than clips because they slide effortlessly on the bar and you don't have to wrestle with it. They clamp on super tight and the barbells simply will not move no matter how much weight you're lifting. None of that lame sliding/wobbling stuff that happens with clips or other inferior collars. The only downside I can possibly think of is that they are rather long (maybe 6-8 inches) so if you are doing olympic lifts with bumper plates you'll probably only be able to fit 3x45 bumpers on each side before you start running out of room on the bar. The solution then is to remove a bumper and start adding steel plates which are obviously much thinner.

So I finally found a low res image of these things buried deep in a bodybuilding forum on the net and from there I tracked down what they were called. I wish Husker would call these "Power Lock Barbell Collars" or something so that google would find them easier, because they were extremely hard to track down. Chances are if you are here right now reading this, you already have used these collars before and already know how great they are.

Anyway, I bring a set of these into my globo gym and spread the gospel whenever someone asks what they are. Everyone loves them. They're a bit pricey, but like I said they will withstand abuse and they have a LIFETIME WARRANTY, so you can't go wrong with that. Basically, just stop reading this review and buy a pair if you need some collars. You won't regret it.
4917351
I did a little research on what to buy for my home gym I was building and decided on the BSG10X over other brands.  Let me start by saying that this gym is perfect for a normal person who wants to add some weight training to keep in shape.  It will probably not offer enough options for someone who wants to get into serious body building.  However, it does offer 40 or so (depending on what accessories you buy) different useful exercises.  I am a pretty big guy (6'2" about 300 lbs) and I fit comfortably into the machine for all of the exercises I've done so far.  As far as putting it together goes, it was pretty simple.  Don't be misled it's a little more complicated than "9 bolts" but far less complicated that other gyms I looked at.  It took me about 1 1/2 hours to assemble it (and I wasn't really in a hurry) and the directions were extremely simple to follow.  I read another review about this product saying it was large and heavy.  Keep in mind it stands 6 1/2' tall and has a 160 lb stack....that means the box is gonna be pretty large and heavy (mine arrived on a double pallet).  I guess I would recommend that you be home when it's delivered so you can have them use a pallet jack to put it right where you want it.  If you have to go upstairs....get some help and take it up in pieces.
2213189
First off, I am not some beefy guy who bench presses 400 pounds.  I am however, an avid weight lifter and have been for 5 years.  There are times at which I don't want to drive to the gym which is why I am slowly accumulating home fitness equipment.  I already have a pull-up bar and pushup bars, so logically my next purchase was dumbbells.

I was deciding between these dumbbells and the Power Block ones, and I'm glad I made the decision I did.  The BowFlex SelectTech 552s are wonderfully constructed.  You can see where your money goes when you pick one up.  They have a good thick solid handle and solid weight plates to match.  I was afraid that there would be a lot of plastic in the assembly, but I was wrong.  Changing a weight takes only a second, and you can go from 5 to 52.5 in a flash.  You also have the option of "offsetting" the weights, thus making one side of the dumbbell heavier than the other.  This allows you to do even more varying types of exercises (it comes with a DVD and book of a few exercises for each muscle group)

Each dumbbell comes in a "base" which is also sturdy and allows you to lock the dumbbell in place.  There is an optional stand you can buy, but unless you have a bad back I wouldn't bother with it.  I keep my dumbbells under my bed on a blanket, and just drag the blanket across the floor when I want to use them.  The stand does look better visually, but it's not needed.

Perhaps the only flaw is the size of the dumbbells.  They're pretty massive length wise.  This really isn't a problem though.  I just wouldn't be swinging them around in a tight space.  You also have to remember that a set of dumbbells ranging from 5 to 55 would take up a TON more space than these puppies.

I have one tip for the up and coming home gym enthusiast.  If you're not in the market for a bench, I recommend a fitness ball (also called Swiss balls).  The great thing about the ball is you can just deflate it when you're not using it (saves space, not time).  However, I plan on getting the BowFlex bench 5.1 because it allows you to be a decline, incline, 180 degree, and 90 degree position.

Overall these dumbbells are a must have if you want to workout at home.  More and more often I find myself skipping the gym and hitting the weights at home.