Weider Adjustable Dumbbell Set Review (50lb per dumbbell) Hex

The Weider Adjustable Dumbbell Set isn’t a high-end product. This set is way off commercial-grade, even Weider themselves said back in the early 2000’s they don’t make commercial-grade gear; instead, they like to cater to people on a budget, so while this set of dumbbells isn’t the highest quality set you’ll find, it is still a solid set, and easily good enough for a home gym, plus its better than most I’ve reviewed in this price bracket.

Why Do We Like The Weider Adjustable Dumbbell Set?

If you’ve ever used a Bowflex Dumbbell, you might have noticed how long the handles are nearly 18″, and that’s because they use a fixed-length handle. The problem with fixed-length handles is that they stay the same length no matter what weight you are lifting, you can lift 10lb or 50lb, and the handle remains the same length. They can be awkward to train with, especially when setting up for presses and curling.

Many selectable sets use fixed-length handles, which you should avoid if you can.

The Weider Dumbbells use a handle that only increases in length when you add weight. This results in a more compact dumbbell, much easier to train with than sets like the Bowflex, and gives you that natural feel of a fixed weight dumbbell. The closer we can get to the natural feel of a fixed weight dumbbell, the better.

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Speedy Adjustment Times

Gone are the days of loading plates and spinlocks onto dumbbell bars; all of this takes time, and if you want to perform exercises like drops sets, etc., you’ll need a dumbbell that adjusts fast. Under 5 seconds is what we look for from an adjustable dumbbell as no advanced or basic bodybuilding technique requires a weight change faster than 5 seconds.

To adjust the Weider adjustable dumbbell, all you need to do is pull the selector and slide it across to the desired weight you wish to lift. You’ll need to adjust each side of the dumbbell. It takes a few seconds.

Click here to check price of Weider Dumbbells on Amazon

Big Jumps in Weight Can Slow Progress

One of the problems with the cheaper 50lb per dumbbell sets like the Weider’s is the large weight increases. This set has 10lb increments which is a huge jump in weight, not just for beginners. Even season lifters would shy away from a dumbbell set that offers such large weight increases.

Small weight increases are one of the keys to progress, no matter what equipment you’re using or what exercise you’re performing. Ideally, we look for 2.5lb or 5lb increments for dumbbells. Think of it this way if you can curl a Weider 10lb dumbbell for ten reps and you want to continue adapting, curling a 20lb dumbbell represents a 50% increase in the load. That’s a huge jump in weight.

However, unlike other sets that use 10lb increments, the Weider set is slightly different as you can independently adjust each side of the dumbbell, allowing for the desirable 5lb weight increments. Yes, you’ll end up with an unbalanced dumbbell, but it’s much better than dealing with 10lb increments.

There’s So Much Plastic!

Selectable Dumbbells always have some plastic in their designs. It’s something that’s been plaguing the fast-to-adjust sets for nearly two decades. So how much is too much plastic? The Weider’s have plastic casing surrounding the weight plates and plastic in the adjustments system and handles.

The plastic surrounding the steel weight plates is usually the most problematic because if you drop a dumbbell and crack the plastic casing, these things become unusable. This isn’t just an issue with the Weider dumbbells. Bowflex, Core Fitness, NordicTrack, and most of the top-selling sets have the same problem with many customer complaints. Drops are not covered in the warranty, so you’ll end up paying to get them fixed.

The only way to avoid expensive repair bills? Don’t drop them from height, which means no training to failure and dropping the dumbbells. They’ll survive drops of 6″ or so but nothing higher.

Also, the adjustment systems on most selectable sets, including the Weiders, are fragile, so another reason not to drop these things. This isn’t a deal killer. All you need to be is extra careful not to drop them

50lb is The Max Per Dumbbell: there are no weight expansion packs available

Something everyone should think about before buying any set of dumbbells is how serious they are about lifting. Why? Because gains in strength and muscle mass come fast when you first start lifting, and while most people will not outgrow a 50lb dumbbell anytime soon, a few of you could find yourself outgrowing a 50lb dumbbell in a year or so.

There’s no way to add extra weight to the Weider 50lb per dumbbell set. There are no expansion packs available, so once your training hits the max per dumbbell, you’ll have to sell this set and buy a heavier one to continue your progress.

If you’re serious about your lifting, you might want to consider sets like the PowerBlock Elites or Ironmaster Dumbbells that allow for weight expansion packs. The Powerblock Elites have 70lb and 90lb packs available, and Ironmasters go right up to 120lb.

Anything Else Worth Mentioning?

The Weider dumbbells come with their own storage trays/cradles. But they are not just handy for storage. The cradles are also used to change the weight of the dumbbell. Whenever you want to select another weight, make sure to use the cradles.

Also, if you buy a set of 50lb dumbbells, you don’t want to have to keep bending down to pick the dumbbells up from the floor. There’s no stand available for these dumbbells. So it’s a good idea to buy a cheap but sturdy small table to keep the dumbbells on.

Alternative

Bowflex 552 Dumbbells

The Bowflex 552 dumbbells have been around for years, and they continue to outsell everything else on the market. This set of bells is so popular because of Bowlfex’s reputation of making high-quality gym gear, and they offer small increments of weight, so they are great for beginners.

The small increments of weight are what I like most about this set from Bowflex. They adjust in 2.5lb increments up to 25lb and then 5lb increments after that. 2.5lb is ideal for beginners and isolation exercises where you need small weight increments to progress quickly.

Also, Bowflex was the first super-fast adjustable set that all others copied or learned from. They use a select dial system where you turn a dial at both ends of the dumbbell to select the weight you wish to lift. It’s fast foolproof, and you can adjust both ends in under 5 seconds.

The Bowflex dumbbells have a lot going for them, but they have drawbacks, just like most selectable dumbbell sets. The first is the amount of plastic used in the build, they have the plastic casing surrounding the plates and plastic in the adjustment system, so they are another set of bells you have to avoid drops with.

And you have the fixed-length handles with the Bowflex dumbbells. Almost 18″, which can be awkward to train with, they are certainly not a compact dumbbell.

The quality is there with the Bowflex pair, I haven’t come across many complaints about quality, and there shouldn’t be considering the price and this companies rep.

Overall an impressive dumbbell set, the long handles will take beginners a few weeks to get used to. Still, you shouldn’t let the handle length put you off buying a set because otherwise, this is a great set for beginners and intermediates, the small weight increments being their best feature.

To Sum Up

I was impressed with the Weider Adjustable Dumbbells Set, okay they don’t have the quality of a set of PowerBlocks, but they don’t have such a hefty price tag either. What I like most about the Weider Dumbells is that they are more compact than the majority of selectable dumbbells sets, and that’s because you don’t have that annoying fixed-length handle to deal with.

Usually, I’d say 10lb weight increments of the Weider dumbbells are a deal-killer for bodybuilders because you can’t really progress properly in bodybuilding with such large increases in weight, especially for isolation exercises. However, the Weider set of dumbbells lets you adjust each side of the dumbbell independently, which gives you 5lb increments if you don’t mind an unbalanced dumbbell.

Overall a fast-to-adjust solid set of dumbbells (and by solid, I mean no plate movement when lifting). Just be careful not to drop them from height as there is a fair bit of plastic you could break.