@@hybridresistanceam I allowed to ask how many years young you are? I’m 46 and hoping I can keep up with weight training for as long as I can! You motivate me man!
Much needed comparison that I couldn't find anywhere else on TH-cam. I ended up going with the Iron masters due to multiple people will have access to the dumbbell and they had a 32% off for black Friday. If you want to keep up with the dumbbell material. I'd like to see something like the uclips being used to place dumbbells on a Olympic bar.
Thanks man. I really made the video, because I genuinely was curious from people's past comments. I still for sure love my IronMasters. I'll also consider that video suggestion.
Free idea for Kensui to follow up on. Make a version of that screw that has a torx head in it so that you could keep one of those cheap cordless screwdrivers handy and after you'd broken it free you could just take it and zip out the screw really quickly.
I just picked up a used 270lb set pepins great dumbell i have ironmasters as well another great dumbbell. I do prefer round plates but for a quick change the ironmasters are better. I use both and they are great for how i use them. Great review
Nice video, thanks for good info. Been trying to decide if I wanted either of these options. But honestly, this made me decide I’m just going to stick with fixed dumbbells.
Harbor freight has metal carts with 3 tiers for about 50$ depending on sales. That's what I got. Top two tiers I use for my two sets of handles and plates as well as the kettlebell handle. Then I hang all the screws in the space between the handle of the cart. Then I use the bottom shelf for random gym crap and I also have magent hooks all over it to hang other crap.
I went with Eisenlink adjustable dumbbells from Temu, which are far cheaper than on Amazon. I also bought the Eisenlink barbell and kettlebell attachments from Amazon. I also bought the longer screws, which allows me to create adjustable dumbbells up to 160 lbs. With all four different Eisenlink exercise equipment items, I have a complete progressive weight muscular overload system. I had a problem with my pair of Kensui Adjustabell. I had to use a jar opener to untighten one of the Kensui Adjustabell polymer caps because it wouldn't unscrew by hand. It seems to be defective.
Thanks for sharing that. I mentioned it briefly in the video, but I had that same issue with the Kensui's where I had to break out vice clamps to loosen them. What avoided that was just not counter tightening them too hard.
I think that you need to make sure that the standard plates have the right hole diameter. I have some old standard Gold's gym plates that have exactly a 1 inch hole vs some newer 1.1 inch hole. Kensui's website lists the diameter of their adjustabells as not working with 25 mm hole plates. Website: However standard plates come in 3 sizes. 25mm, 28mm, and 30mm. The Adjustabells work with 28mm and 30mm.
I think these kinds of videos are great. Most people would never consider, let alone know ahead of time, what thr difference between square weights vs round weights vs hex weights, etc. I personally prefer round weights, it just feels smoother to me when lifting, especially for single joint movments like curls, lateral raises, etc. But honestly most people wont know what they like until they try them for an extended period, but you also can get used to whatever you have too, so pros and cons to everything out there. On one hand its easy to get paralyzed with how many options there are, on the other hand you can always adapt and upgrade later if needed. But this was a good look into the differences and things to consider when looking for a long term choice for a dumbell system.
Great points Taylor. I totally agree, you get used to whatever you're using. It's a blessing and a curse to try out all these different things. I'm with you on the round weights as well.
Nice review! I have the Rep Quickdraws and the Adaptabells Max. The only two heavy dumbbell movements I really do are presses and rows so I just keep them loaded, which I think makes me more likely to use them than taking plates on and off every time. I also like the pro-style look and feel of the Adaptabells, but I agree the thicker diameter handles take a little getting used to.
@jmk.3943 The Quickdraws are nice: fast adjustments, feel good in-hand, and obviously very durable. The biggest cons are the weight capacity limit and how long they are at their max weight. For reference, my Adaptabells are actually shorter at 120lbs (using only 10lb plates) than the Quickdraws are at 60lbs.
@jmk.3943 Overall, I'd recommend the Quickdraws for lower weight arm and shoulder exercises and getting something like the Adaptabells or Ironmaster if you wanna go heavier. Hope that helps!
I also own the Kensui Adaptabell Max + extender rods and loaded 120lbs for dumbbell rows no problem. Their marketing is misleading as the max weight for pro is 140lbs for BOTH dumbbells so actually 70lbs each. Similarly actually just 150 for the max and not 300 each. They do feel like true Ivanko/Troy dumbbells but I would be wary with dropping them.
Wow I feel incredibly heard! I commented on your previous video where you discussed choosing the IronMasters over the Rep x Pepin's, and suggested the Kensui handles (Pepin & Baada$$ too) and you actually spent more of your own money to do a proper review. You're the 1st person I've seen on youtube to go in depth comparing these. Respect! Thank you. Side note, you're *very* strong to be throwing the 120's around that casually. Nice! IronMasters are more durable of course, they're known to be tanks. Do you feel the Adaptabell's (the aluminum ones) fragile at all, or just weak compared to IronMasters? Do you trust the durability in a vacuum with less-than-gentle use? Also that kettlebell handle you showed looks interesting
I love my ironmaster quicklock dumbbells, but I also prefer the old prostyle dumbbells from the gym. Glad to see that this option is available with standard weights. The other reviews ive seen use olympic plates and that just looks uncomfortable with the larger diameter plates. The yes4all plates seem resonably priced.
@@jsgaragegym thanks man. I was thinking the same thing when I first saw these things reviewed that I wasn’t attracted to them on the big plates so I really wanted to see them with a smaller diameter standard plates.
I have the Kensui hard plastic handles and they work great. I use them more as set dumbbells that I was using before I got powerblocks. I was using them as 80s. You can save cost on the standard plates as A LOT of people are either giving them away or selling them cheap in bulk. I have my plates going back to high school/college so it was really cheap for me. But for what they are, they hold up well. It's good that you didn't demo the Olympic because those are just silly looking.
I had alot of issues with the Kensui ones, the UHMW peeled off and the coating quickly wore off after some initial use. The biggest thing holding it back though was probably the long agonizing spinning to change the weight. At first it doesn’t seem like a big deal until you realize you have to do it 4 times
@@reachon7396 I found the flow of switching out moderately lighter weights, no problem, but when I got to the heavier loads with the extender rod, that for sure took a long time with the kensui’s. I can also see where I don’t know how long longevity of those handles would last.
I've seen a lot of people in older youtube videos (like a few months ago & older) have similar issues with the UHMW on the Max handles only being glued on, and peeling off. But in more recent review videos I've watched, it seems Kensui's added what look like 4 screws to keep the UHMW on, so I believe that issue was solved at least
nice review- i too considered the kensuis- i like the old fixed plate Troy dumbbells- not a fan of flat surfaces on plates or dumbbells but i've gotten used to my hex rubber dumbbells- have those up to 50 and ordered the ironmaster 75 for 488$- can't beat that. also remember ironmaster doesn't charge tax
I've owned Powerblocks, bowflex, and plate loaded. I now own Ironmasters and Trulaps. Ironmasters up to 165lbs/ Trulaps up to 92lbs. I have had the ironmasters for about 2 decades. They are the closest to a real dumbbell I've personally used. They are leaps and bounds more tough than others too. I could get to 185lbs per bell with the handle kit, but I'm not going to get there 😅
I almost picked up Ironmaster after your prior vid. Ultimately, I like being able to use the same plates for barbell work so I just bought the Kensui. Unfortunately, I also bought some calibrated plates, which even at 20% off, are not cheap. Probably should have just bought the Rep x Peppins, but same drawback as with Ironmaster. Can’t use that weight elsewhere.
You can use 25 lb. plates for some exercises. Farmers walks, db deads, heavy rows. A lot of us older guys have been buying "standard" plates for 30 years. I have a few hundred pounds of them, including some 50s and a half dozen 25s. They are not as cheap as they used to be, but still cheaper than the alternatives. Add two or three pairs of spinlock handles, its hard to beat for the price. (To solve the problem of the rod sticking out past the spin on collar, I pad it out with 1" washers from the hardware store so it is more or less flush).
@@hybridresistance In a way, they are not even that "old school." I have a pair of db handles that were in a 110 lb. set my dad bought us around '72 or so. Those handles are solid one inch steel rods with metal sleeves for the hand grip that went over the bar, secured with cast iron collars with a screw that was tightened against the rod. That is old school! (The "barbell" was the same thing, a 6' one inch steel rod that slid into a metal sleeve for gripping. ) The plates were "Dan Lurie Brooklyn." I still use the db handles and the plates. (Not the barbell, though).
25 lb plates have a pretty big diameter tho. But buying standard size plates used is a good option. You can use them with other bars too (ez curl, tricep, even barbell).
@@Frennemydistinction Agree, the 25 lb. plates are too big to comfortably bench with. Good for things like farmer's walks, though. I have a couple 12.5 lb plates. One could buy more of those to help increase the amount of weight you can put on a bar. They are just a little wider than the 10s. and not any thicker. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a few 1.5 lb. plates from the old '70s weight set. Good for micro loading.
Powerblocks have that similar balance issue on some movements. Presses feel great but curls feel funky. I ended up switching to fixed and circular for those. But now I'm on bands 😂😂
I honestly never knew about Ironmasters until much later after I purchased my powerpower blocks years ago. But I always thought they felt weird on some exercises. How long are doing that band only experiment for?
Those look great for sure, but I was curious with these as a cheaper option. Plus I believe they were sold out when I was initially looking into these.
Great video. Im curious what the dumbbells weighed on the scale vs stated weight. Im gonna assume the more expensive dumbbells are closer to stated weight than the Yes4All plates.
I was going to do that, but the weights really vary plate to plate, even with the Ironmasters. For the most part though, they're both pretty accurate even in feel from one to another.
Are you able to put the 1' IM square plates on the Kensui pro and max handles? For those who want to do supersets with IMs, the Kensui handles could provide a cheaper alternative than another IM handle
They sell heavier standard plates 15lbs, 20lbs and 25lbs the 15 lbs seems like the limit in terms of comfortable diameter but if you can fit 6 on each peg that's a total of 180lbs per dumbbell which is 10lbs less than the ironmasters.
Yes, I mentioned it briefly that I have a pair of 25 (even 45s), but you got it the reason I went with 10s is to replicate those plate weighted gym DBs I used to love.
@@hybridresistance would it be possible to use the round plates on the ironmasters to get the best of both? Maybe even with the heavy handle kit for better balance
The Ironmaster plates have standard size holes... could you put them on the Kensui adjustable handles? Maybe use a Yes4all plate for the inside, then stack up the Ironmaster plates outside. I don't know why I'm suggesting this. It won't create any advantages.
I use Kensui dumbbells, but like I would rather have the Ironmasters, because they are faster. Still, I have metal and plastic handles from Kensui so in practice I can do some basic drop sets, and really good drop sets for single arm exercises since I can use 4 different weights. The other thing that has sort of kept me away from spending the money on the Ironmasters is that I have small hands and the handle is so big that I know I would greatly benefit from the heavy handle kit, but I am a middle aged woman, I am simply not that strong so I would have to remove them for some exercises, and would absolutely be removing them from drop sets. It seems like that could be mitigated a bit by 3d printing a few pieces to clamp on to make the handle smaller without adding much weight, but I feel like I shouldn't have to modify a product just to have a reasonable handle size.
@@verablack3137 I failed to mention that in the video, but my wife definitely loved the plastic Kensui when I had her try it. Really good points in that comment.
Selfishly, I want you to get and compare these to reppins over time and report back on the ones you actually use the most. Still rocking powerblocks over here, but think reppins might be in my distant (2 years out) future.
haha, I do have one in the garage. I actually like when it's cold after about 15min. Always surprises me that even in single digits, the body can heat up enough that I turn the heater off and be hot.
They haven't innovated at all in a decade and you have to be a bit more careful cause of the cage, but I think the powerblocks are still the king, at least if you want them heavy and adjustable in seconds. Their new pro series goes up to 175 lbs on one hand (350 total). I'm using an old pair of them that goes up to 125 and it's great being able to switch from lighter arm stuff to a decently heavy squat in seconds. Been switching between powerblocks and the harambe system with a bro split and I've had noticeable gains. Have to say I find bro split better than PPL for my body.
For sure, PBs are not bad at all. I got my power blocks back around 2010ish and they held up great (minus a dented change pin when I dropped them once). They're only downside (for me at least), is again the balance in the hand and how they feel for single joint exercises.
I have the kensui adaptabells but I only use them for heavy rows really. I’ve never had any issues with them at all. Changing the plates isn’t fast by any means but it’s nothing unbearable.
I mentioned it briefly, but I do actually have a pair of 25lb Yes 4 Alls. They're great, but just increase the diameter a bit for what I was looking for.
@@mrsalamander9246 I think they’re great no question, but I ended up canceling my pre-order of the peppins. On my initial ironmaster dumbbell video (which I linked down below), I got into why I canceled that and ended up going with ironmaster.
I guess I should leave some info I've found while looking at these options Titan fitness makes a dumbbell stand for around ~$120 that works *AMAZINGLY* with plate loaded dumbbells like Kensui / IronMaster. Look into it. It's probably a better setup than IronMaster's cart or any DIY option The Kensui's *_Do Not_* work with every single 1" plate out there. The rods are ~27mm (1.063") and won't fit true 1" (25.4mm) hole plates. If you want to go heavier than 120lb on the Kensui's, replace some 10's with a few sets of 1" 12.5lb / 15lb / 20lb plates. The diameter should still be reasonable. 25lb plates are probably too wide tho. And Thinner 10's than yes4all's (13/16") do exist With those holes on the kensui extension rods, it look like you could use an adjustable spanner wrench to tighten/loosen them. Which would help the "gettin stuck" issue To compare price At a fair $1.20/lb, loading out each Adaptabell fully (24x10lb / 4x5lb / 4x2.5lb) totals ~$325. Kensui sells a bundle with the Max's, extension rods & 2" plate adapters for $200. Kensui also seems to run good sales, They've got a 20-30% off going on right now. That's about ~$525 total IronMasters are $700 for a 75lb set and $400 for the 120lb addon.That's ~$1100 for an equivalent 120lb set (The heavy handle kit is $160). IM does bulk pricing between 5-10% depending on your loadout. Even so it's quite a bit more expensive Heck. At that price difference you could buy spare set of adaptabell's to offset the slower changing speed, and _still_ wind up spending less.
I absolutely LOVE ironmaster but $500 for that cart is absolutely RIDICULOUS!! It will never be in my home. On a different note I wish they would make some stainless steel heads and weight plates. They would be the most desirable Ironmaster dumbbells ever!
I hear you Jason. I appreciate that they are reinventing the whole system, but it would be cool to see some optional handle changes people could upgrade to.
@@hybridresistance I have heard of people screwing in TWO heavy handle kits so the weight was right around their wrists. You could find out if it worked by removing it from one handle and seeing if you could add it to the other handle.
I got the Powerblock Pro 100s for $880 on black friday. I dont recommend them. The selector is cheap plastic, and both dumbells broke during shipping.😢
Thanks for sharing that. Although my powerblocks lasted a long time, when I dropped them one time by accident, I damaged my selector pin. Sounds like you got a case for a refund though.
@@hybridresistance Eisenlink is one of various companies on aliexpress, but if you go to there website you can see the different features, the biggest being the fact you don't have to remove the pin
I am currently using traditional spinlock dumbells with 1 inch weight plates, they work great in a lot of aspects but that gosh darn sticking out rod can REALLY put a limit on how you can hold them on your legs or against yourself, also when pressing the rods can easily limit your range of motion and clack against each other long before you want them too due to their long reach depending on the size/length of the rods. I bought them to save money and they do a decent job for most lifts up to moderate weight but are a massive pain in their own ways. I'll be upgrading to something else one day for sure. But thats just my experience, you definitely get what you pay for in most instances.
@@taylorpark3544You can buy Kensui handles and keep the cheap handles as backups. With 2+ pairs of handles you will never have to change weights mid-workout. I keep the Kensui handles loaded heavier and the cheap spinlock handles loaded lighter (usually 45 for Kensuis & 23lbs for spinlocks). The protruding rod doesn't bother me at all for lighter loads. I am not as strong as Mike and will never need to go heavier than 70+70 pound dbs if I need to load up the Kensuis. GL 💪
@@taylorpark3544with systems where you just basically adjusting the weights like the original 1 inch dumbbells All your paying for those thousands and thousands of pounds is an end cap, When I was going to the gym in 90's where they had massive bolts going through dumbbells, you just used to it To me if you're going to buy an adjustable dumbbell I would rather not have than plate loaded set up.
@@hybridresistanceyep like the classic gym dumbbells from the 90s giant bolt through the plates Just seems so expensive just for a plate loaded 1 inch dumbbell
For sure depends on your needs and abilities. I was using the Snodes for a long time and said the same thing, but back when I used to go to the gym there was a variety of exercises that I could over 100lbs. So I mentioned in my first IM video, that was my main motivation for making the switch.
This guy is probably the only garage gym reviewer that actually looks like he trains
Garage gym homie is pretty damn big lol
I disagree. Nofate247 and Gluck look like they train.
@@7-z7y I appreciate it, but I’m nothing special. Just been at it a long time.
😂
@@hybridresistanceam I allowed to ask how many years young you are? I’m 46 and hoping I can keep up with weight training for as long as I can! You motivate me man!
Thank you for this video! There are a lot of comparison videos on youtube but none of them actually demonstrate the Kensui ones very well
Appreciate you watching
Awesome channel for people comparing and buying new equipment Mike!
Thanks so much Jay.
You are quickly becoming my go-to for gym reviews and I really appreciate your channel. Keep up the great work.
@@brbv4473 thank you so much my friend. That means a lot
Much needed comparison that I couldn't find anywhere else on TH-cam. I ended up going with the Iron masters due to multiple people will have access to the dumbbell and they had a 32% off for black Friday.
If you want to keep up with the dumbbell material. I'd like to see something like the uclips being used to place dumbbells on a Olympic bar.
Thanks man. I really made the video, because I genuinely was curious from people's past comments. I still for sure love my IronMasters. I'll also consider that video suggestion.
Free idea for Kensui to follow up on.
Make a version of that screw that has a torx head in it so that you could keep one of those cheap cordless screwdrivers handy and after you'd broken it free you could just take it and zip out the screw really quickly.
Oddly enough the extension rods have 2 holes on the end cap. You could probably use an adjustable spanner wrench to do the same thing and tighten it
I just picked up a used 270lb set pepins great dumbell i have ironmasters as well another great dumbbell. I do prefer round plates but for a quick change the ironmasters are better. I use both and they are great for how i use them. Great review
@@zoogie1964 appreciate you sharing that, thanks
Cap sells 12.5 plates that are close in size to 10s. That's a good way to put more on your handles without taking up more space.
Nice video, thanks for good info. Been trying to decide if I wanted either of these options. But honestly, this made me decide I’m just going to stick with fixed dumbbells.
Harbor freight has metal carts with 3 tiers for about 50$ depending on sales. That's what I got. Top two tiers I use for my two sets of handles and plates as well as the kettlebell handle. Then I hang all the screws in the space between the handle of the cart. Then I use the bottom shelf for random gym crap and I also have magent hooks all over it to hang other crap.
That's awesome. Thanks for that valuable comment.
Great comparison you saved many people a ton of time and money.
Thanks LOU!
I went with Eisenlink adjustable dumbbells from Temu, which are far cheaper than on Amazon. I also bought the Eisenlink barbell and kettlebell attachments from Amazon. I also bought the longer screws, which allows me to create adjustable dumbbells up to 160 lbs. With all four different Eisenlink exercise equipment items, I have a complete progressive weight muscular overload system.
I had a problem with my pair of Kensui Adjustabell. I had to use a jar opener to untighten one of the Kensui Adjustabell polymer caps because it wouldn't unscrew by hand. It seems to be defective.
Thanks for sharing that. I mentioned it briefly in the video, but I had that same issue with the Kensui's where I had to break out vice clamps to loosen them. What avoided that was just not counter tightening them too hard.
I cant find eisenlinks on Temu?
You’ve planted a seed in my mind, I could get these and heaps of standard weight plates from market place.
No problem man.
I think that you need to make sure that the standard plates have the right hole diameter. I have some old standard Gold's gym plates that have exactly a 1 inch hole vs some newer 1.1 inch hole. Kensui's website lists the diameter of their adjustabells as not working with 25 mm hole plates.
Website:
However standard plates come in 3 sizes. 25mm, 28mm, and 30mm. The Adjustabells work with 28mm and 30mm.
I think these kinds of videos are great. Most people would never consider, let alone know ahead of time, what thr difference between square weights vs round weights vs hex weights, etc.
I personally prefer round weights, it just feels smoother to me when lifting, especially for single joint movments like curls, lateral raises, etc.
But honestly most people wont know what they like until they try them for an extended period, but you also can get used to whatever you have too, so pros and cons to everything out there.
On one hand its easy to get paralyzed with how many options there are, on the other hand you can always adapt and upgrade later if needed.
But this was a good look into the differences and things to consider when looking for a long term choice for a dumbell system.
Great points Taylor. I totally agree, you get used to whatever you're using. It's a blessing and a curse to try out all these different things. I'm with you on the round weights as well.
Nice review! I have the Rep Quickdraws and the Adaptabells Max. The only two heavy dumbbell movements I really do are presses and rows so I just keep them loaded, which I think makes me more likely to use them than taking plates on and off every time. I also like the pro-style look and feel of the Adaptabells, but I agree the thicker diameter handles take a little getting used to.
How do you like the Quickdraw dbells ? Thx
@jmk.3943 The Quickdraws are nice: fast adjustments, feel good in-hand, and obviously very durable. The biggest cons are the weight capacity limit and how long they are at their max weight. For reference, my Adaptabells are actually shorter at 120lbs (using only 10lb plates) than the Quickdraws are at 60lbs.
@jmk.3943 Overall, I'd recommend the Quickdraws for lower weight arm and shoulder exercises and getting something like the Adaptabells or Ironmaster if you wanna go heavier. Hope that helps!
I also own the Kensui Adaptabell Max + extender rods and loaded 120lbs for dumbbell rows no problem. Their marketing is misleading as the max weight for pro is 140lbs for BOTH dumbbells so actually 70lbs each. Similarly actually just 150 for the max and not 300 each. They do feel like true Ivanko/Troy dumbbells but I would be wary with dropping them.
VERY key point there about the weight/marketing for the DBs. Really appreciate that comment again brother.
Wow I feel incredibly heard! I commented on your previous video where you discussed choosing the IronMasters over the Rep x Pepin's, and suggested the Kensui handles (Pepin & Baada$$ too) and you actually spent more of your own money to do a proper review. You're the 1st person I've seen on youtube to go in depth comparing these. Respect! Thank you.
Side note, you're *very* strong to be throwing the 120's around that casually. Nice!
IronMasters are more durable of course, they're known to be tanks. Do you feel the Adaptabell's (the aluminum ones) fragile at all, or just weak compared to IronMasters? Do you trust the durability in a vacuum with less-than-gentle use?
Also that kettlebell handle you showed looks interesting
No problem my friend. Thanks so much for the comment.
I love my ironmaster quicklock dumbbells, but I also prefer the old prostyle dumbbells from the gym. Glad to see that this option is available with standard weights. The other reviews ive seen use olympic plates and that just looks uncomfortable with the larger diameter plates. The yes4all plates seem resonably priced.
@@jsgaragegym thanks man. I was thinking the same thing when I first saw these things reviewed that I wasn’t attracted to them on the big plates so I really wanted to see them with a smaller diameter standard plates.
I have the Kensui hard plastic handles and they work great. I use them more as set dumbbells that I was using before I got powerblocks. I was using them as 80s.
You can save cost on the standard plates as A LOT of people are either giving them away or selling them cheap in bulk. I have my plates going back to high school/college so it was really cheap for me.
But for what they are, they hold up well. It's good that you didn't demo the Olympic because those are just silly looking.
Thanks for sharing that Frank. I did fail to mention that, that these standard plates are found pretty cheap on the used market.
I had alot of issues with the Kensui ones, the UHMW peeled off and the coating quickly wore off after some initial use. The biggest thing holding it back though was probably the long agonizing spinning to change the weight. At first it doesn’t seem like a big deal until you realize you have to do it 4 times
@@reachon7396 I found the flow of switching out moderately lighter weights, no problem, but when I got to the heavier loads with the extender rod, that for sure took a long time with the kensui’s. I can also see where I don’t know how long longevity of those handles would last.
@ it would be interesting to see if ironmaster came out with their own version of the kensui handles mainly to implement their quick lock design
I've seen a lot of people in older youtube videos (like a few months ago & older) have similar issues with the UHMW on the Max handles only being glued on, and peeling off.
But in more recent review videos I've watched, it seems Kensui's added what look like 4 screws to keep the UHMW on, so I believe that issue was solved at least
@@ashoif77 Yea i ordered mine when the metal version first came out and the uhmw was already off
nice review- i too considered the kensuis- i like the old fixed plate Troy dumbbells- not a fan of flat surfaces on plates or dumbbells but i've gotten used to my hex rubber dumbbells- have those up to 50 and ordered the ironmaster 75 for 488$- can't beat that.
also remember ironmaster doesn't charge tax
Great comment, thank you.
The iron master dumbbells look very well made
I've owned Powerblocks, bowflex, and plate loaded. I now own Ironmasters and Trulaps. Ironmasters up to 165lbs/ Trulaps up to 92lbs. I have had the ironmasters for about 2 decades. They are the closest to a real dumbbell I've personally used. They are leaps and bounds more tough than others too. I could get to 185lbs per bell with the handle kit, but I'm not going to get there 😅
Thanks for sharing that Walter. Great to hear your experiences
I almost picked up Ironmaster after your prior vid. Ultimately, I like being able to use the same plates for barbell work so I just bought the Kensui. Unfortunately, I also bought some calibrated plates, which even at 20% off, are not cheap. Probably should have just bought the Rep x Peppins, but same drawback as with Ironmaster. Can’t use that weight elsewhere.
Thanks for that comment.
Yes4all sell 15 and 20 pounds pancake plates. If I want a dumbbell heavier than 120 I will use those.
The kensui metal handles look solid. In reality it's true ? Thanks 💪
Yes, very solid but a little bulky compared to a normal handle.
You can use 25 lb. plates for some exercises. Farmers walks, db deads, heavy rows.
A lot of us older guys have been buying "standard" plates for 30 years. I have a few hundred pounds of them, including some 50s and a half dozen 25s. They are not as cheap as they used to be, but still cheaper than the alternatives. Add two or three pairs of spinlock handles, its hard to beat for the price. (To solve the problem of the rod sticking out past the spin on collar, I pad it out with 1" washers from the hardware store so it is more or less flush).
@@richardmather1906 I definitely respect the old school spin locks. At the end of the day, you can still do just as much damage with those.
@@hybridresistance In a way, they are not even that "old school." I have a pair of db handles that were in a 110 lb. set my dad bought us around '72 or so. Those handles are solid one inch steel rods with metal sleeves for the hand grip that went over the bar, secured with cast iron collars with a screw that was tightened against the rod. That is old school! (The "barbell" was the same thing, a 6' one inch steel rod that slid into a metal sleeve for gripping. ) The plates were "Dan Lurie Brooklyn." I still use the db handles and the plates. (Not the barbell, though).
@@richardmather1906 that's awesome
25 lb plates have a pretty big diameter tho. But buying standard size plates used is a good option. You can use them with other bars too (ez curl, tricep, even barbell).
@@Frennemydistinction Agree, the 25 lb. plates are too big to comfortably bench with. Good for things like farmer's walks, though. I have a couple 12.5 lb plates. One could buy more of those to help increase the amount of weight you can put on a bar. They are just a little wider than the 10s. and not any thicker. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a few 1.5 lb. plates from the old '70s weight set. Good for micro loading.
Powerblocks have that similar balance issue on some movements. Presses feel great but curls feel funky. I ended up switching to fixed and circular for those. But now I'm on bands 😂😂
I honestly never knew about Ironmasters until much later after I purchased my powerpower blocks years ago. But I always thought they felt weird on some exercises. How long are doing that band only experiment for?
@hybridresistance I'm thinking until the spring. So far it's paying off... I'm trying to see how far I can take it!
I bought a whole set of Ivanko for a little more money! Save time from having to change weight each time. Seemed like a better investment for me
thanks for the review..... I might buy a pair of Kensui ...
They are pretty cool and somehow a little satisfying loading up. Thanks for watching and for the the comment Mario.
What about the Baadass Dumbbells?
Those look great for sure, but I was curious with these as a cheaper option. Plus I believe they were sold out when I was initially looking into these.
Great video. Im curious what the dumbbells weighed on the scale vs stated weight. Im gonna assume the more expensive dumbbells are closer to stated weight than the Yes4All plates.
I was going to do that, but the weights really vary plate to plate, even with the Ironmasters. For the most part though, they're both pretty accurate even in feel from one to another.
@hybridresistance i guess it really only matters for competition lifts.
Great video!
Appreciate it brother.
Are you able to put the 1' IM square plates on the Kensui pro and max handles? For those who want to do supersets with IMs, the Kensui handles could provide a cheaper alternative than another IM handle
Yes, you can do that.
They sell heavier standard plates 15lbs, 20lbs and 25lbs the 15 lbs seems like the limit in terms of comfortable diameter but if you can fit 6 on each peg that's a total of 180lbs per dumbbell which is 10lbs less than the ironmasters.
Yes, I mentioned it briefly that I have a pair of 25 (even 45s), but you got it the reason I went with 10s is to replicate those plate weighted gym DBs I used to love.
Yeah. I'd say 15 is probably the most you can use practically. My 15s are only slightly bigger than 10s. I haven't used them on the Kensuis though.
@@hybridresistance would it be possible to use the round plates on the ironmasters to get the best of both? Maybe even with the heavy handle kit for better balance
The Ironmaster plates have standard size holes... could you put them on the Kensui adjustable handles? Maybe use a Yes4all plate for the inside, then stack up the Ironmaster plates outside. I don't know why I'm suggesting this. It won't create any advantages.
@@eN-Rom yes you can, I saw it on somebody’s previous video. But I honestly didn’t try it myself yet believe it or not.
I use Kensui dumbbells, but like I would rather have the Ironmasters, because they are faster. Still, I have metal and plastic handles from Kensui so in practice I can do some basic drop sets, and really good drop sets for single arm exercises since I can use 4 different weights.
The other thing that has sort of kept me away from spending the money on the Ironmasters is that I have small hands and the handle is so big that I know I would greatly benefit from the heavy handle kit, but I am a middle aged woman, I am simply not that strong so I would have to remove them for some exercises, and would absolutely be removing them from drop sets. It seems like that could be mitigated a bit by 3d printing a few pieces to clamp on to make the handle smaller without adding much weight, but I feel like I shouldn't have to modify a product just to have a reasonable handle size.
@@verablack3137 I failed to mention that in the video, but my wife definitely loved the plastic Kensui when I had her try it. Really good points in that comment.
Selfishly, I want you to get and compare these to reppins over time and report back on the ones you actually use the most. Still rocking powerblocks over here, but think reppins might be in my distant (2 years out) future.
@@Mrwatson185 If I had the funds, I would definitely do it. A lot of my “reviews“ are really just me in search of the perfect home gym for myself.
You need to ask Santa for a heater
haha, I do have one in the garage. I actually like when it's cold after about 15min. Always surprises me that even in single digits, the body can heat up enough that I turn the heater off and be hot.
They haven't innovated at all in a decade and you have to be a bit more careful cause of the cage, but I think the powerblocks are still the king, at least if you want them heavy and adjustable in seconds. Their new pro series goes up to 175 lbs on one hand (350 total). I'm using an old pair of them that goes up to 125 and it's great being able to switch from lighter arm stuff to a decently heavy squat in seconds.
Been switching between powerblocks and the harambe system with a bro split and I've had noticeable gains. Have to say I find bro split better than PPL for my body.
For sure, PBs are not bad at all. I got my power blocks back around 2010ish and they held up great (minus a dented change pin when I dropped them once). They're only downside (for me at least), is again the balance in the hand and how they feel for single joint exercises.
I have the kensui adaptabells but I only use them for heavy rows really. I’ve never had any issues with them at all. Changing the plates isn’t fast by any means but it’s nothing unbearable.
I'm right there with you on that.
You could buy some 25lbs plates for the Kensui.
I mentioned it briefly, but I do actually have a pair of 25lb Yes 4 Alls. They're great, but just increase the diameter a bit for what I was looking for.
What do you think of the REP adjustable dumbbells?
@@mrsalamander9246 I think they’re great no question, but I ended up canceling my pre-order of the peppins. On my initial ironmaster dumbbell video (which I linked down below), I got into why I canceled that and ended up going with ironmaster.
Ironmaster plates can be used with the Kensui handles ?
@jmk.3943 yes, I have seen a video where someone demonstrated that
I guess I should leave some info I've found while looking at these options
Titan fitness makes a dumbbell stand for around ~$120 that works *AMAZINGLY* with plate loaded dumbbells like Kensui / IronMaster. Look into it. It's probably a better setup than IronMaster's cart or any DIY option
The Kensui's *_Do Not_* work with every single 1" plate out there. The rods are ~27mm (1.063") and won't fit true 1" (25.4mm) hole plates.
If you want to go heavier than 120lb on the Kensui's, replace some 10's with a few sets of 1" 12.5lb / 15lb / 20lb plates. The diameter should still be reasonable. 25lb plates are probably too wide tho. And Thinner 10's than yes4all's (13/16") do exist
With those holes on the kensui extension rods, it look like you could use an adjustable spanner wrench to tighten/loosen them. Which would help the "gettin stuck" issue
To compare price
At a fair $1.20/lb, loading out each Adaptabell fully (24x10lb / 4x5lb / 4x2.5lb) totals ~$325. Kensui sells a bundle with the Max's, extension rods & 2" plate adapters for $200. Kensui also seems to run good sales, They've got a 20-30% off going on right now. That's about ~$525 total
IronMasters are $700 for a 75lb set and $400 for the 120lb addon.That's ~$1100 for an equivalent 120lb set (The heavy handle kit is $160). IM does bulk pricing between 5-10% depending on your loadout. Even so it's quite a bit more expensive
Heck. At that price difference you could buy spare set of adaptabell's to offset the slower changing speed, and _still_ wind up spending less.
omg lol i'm eyeing a utility cart with panels and a door- global industries and uline cart nice ones- harbor freight has a cheap one
I was surprised the how many utility carts were out there along with their price.
I absolutely LOVE ironmaster but $500 for that cart is absolutely RIDICULOUS!! It will never be in my home. On a different note I wish they would make some stainless steel heads and weight plates. They would be the most desirable Ironmaster dumbbells ever!
I hear you Jason. I appreciate that they are reinventing the whole system, but it would be cool to see some optional handle changes people could upgrade to.
@@hybridresistance I have heard of people screwing in TWO heavy handle kits so the weight was right around their wrists. You could find out if it worked by removing it from one handle and seeing if you could add it to the other handle.
@@hybridresistanceyou said you appreciate that they are reinventing the entire system - you’ve heard word of a redesign from ironmaster?
@@jasonmckinney3876it would be way too tight. I have the heavy handle add on and there’s no way that would work for most people’s hands at least
I got the Powerblock Pro 100s for $880 on black friday. I dont recommend them. The selector is cheap plastic, and both dumbells broke during shipping.😢
Thanks for sharing that. Although my powerblocks lasted a long time, when I dropped them one time by accident, I damaged my selector pin. Sounds like you got a case for a refund though.
Be careful about advising 80 lbs on a Kensui Adaptabell handle. The 140 lbs limit is for the pair. So the max per handle limit is 70 lbs
Yes, good point.
Neither, have you seen the aliexpress variations of these, they seem to have perfected the design
I haven't seen that no, but thank you for sharing that.
@@hybridresistance Eisenlink is one of various companies on aliexpress, but if you go to there website you can see the different features, the biggest being the fact you don't have to remove the pin
Can you give link?
Link or name?
Why not buy 1 inch dumbbells sets,
Much cheaper
The attraction to these types of designs (there's other more expensive ones) is that there's no protruding rod.
I am currently using traditional spinlock dumbells with 1 inch weight plates, they work great in a lot of aspects but that gosh darn sticking out rod can REALLY put a limit on how you can hold them on your legs or against yourself, also when pressing the rods can easily limit your range of motion and clack against each other long before you want them too due to their long reach depending on the size/length of the rods.
I bought them to save money and they do a decent job for most lifts up to moderate weight but are a massive pain in their own ways. I'll be upgrading to something else one day for sure. But thats just my experience, you definitely get what you pay for in most instances.
@@taylorpark3544You can buy Kensui handles and keep the cheap handles as backups. With 2+ pairs of handles you will never have to change weights mid-workout. I keep the Kensui handles loaded heavier and the cheap spinlock handles loaded lighter (usually 45 for Kensuis & 23lbs for spinlocks). The protruding rod doesn't bother me at all for lighter loads. I am not as strong as Mike and will never need to go heavier than 70+70 pound dbs if I need to load up the Kensuis. GL 💪
@@taylorpark3544with systems where you just basically adjusting the weights like the original 1 inch dumbbells
All your paying for those thousands and thousands of pounds is an end cap,
When I was going to the gym in 90's where they had massive bolts going through dumbbells, you just used to it
To me if you're going to buy an adjustable dumbbell I would rather not have than plate loaded set up.
@@hybridresistanceyep like the classic gym dumbbells from the 90s giant bolt through the plates
Just seems so expensive just for a plate loaded 1 inch dumbbell
Not to sure why yall stress 120lb/54kg handles when 99% of the planet doesnt go past 70lb/30kg
For sure depends on your needs and abilities. I was using the Snodes for a long time and said the same thing, but back when I used to go to the gym there was a variety of exercises that I could over 100lbs. So I mentioned in my first IM video, that was my main motivation for making the switch.