I also feel like people exaggerate how long Ironmasters take to change out. I've made multiple videos on them and how to change them out faster. Although I don't really do drop sets in my training, the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. Ironmasters for the WIN!
I definitely agree. The only times they take a long time to change is if you're making a big jump in weight (which you probably aren't doing unless you're switching exercise) or if you're making a jump that involves swapping weights out for the 22.5 plates.
The position of the stand matters too. If you position them like the guy in the video where you’re taking them off vertically from yourself, they take longer to change. If they’re positioned horizontally, it’s a lot easier to change them. If they gave the stand internal rods to store the weights on like a plate tree, it’d be even easier because you’d easier grab however many and plop them on. Overall still great though. I train people and nobody ever liked the other ones like Powerblock after they tried the Ironmasters. They don’t feel balanced or nice by comparison.
If you train people I’d recommend the Ironmasters. I’ve had plenty of different kinds and nobody ever liked the others as much as the Ironmasters. I was excited to get the more expensive EXP Pro and Commercial Powerblocks because I thought it’d take less effort to change, but nobody wanted to use them when my Ironmasters were next to them, and the effort and time isn’t much different than making micro adjustments on the blocks. I use the Ironmaster kettlebell handles for lighter things and have the main dumbbells always set a little heavier and it makes changing breezy. The blocks aren’t bad but need a design tweak, or somebody needs to make a fully stainless steel Nuobell that goes heavy.
I've tried both and went for the powerblocks for the fact I can do drop sets easier. I will eventually buy the Ironmasters too for the feel and weight expansion. I got the 70lb expansion set but the ironmasters can go up to 120 and that'll be enough for me. Long story short. It's nice to have options.
I definitely agree they're better for that purpose. I personally rarely use drop sets. My ideal setup for when my wife and I build our new house is to have fixed dumbbells up to 50 and IM's for 55-165.
I agree with you on the iron master's they are without a doubt that they are the best option for more serious trainers.my buddie has a set and I love them.I am too cheap to buy a set though so I just welded a 1"nut and washer on each end of a 5"piece of heavy wall pipe with a 1"id.I use a grade 5 1"bolt of appropriate length to hold standard plates on them and just use a cordless driver to put them in which works pretty quick.
I own the IM's with the 120lb expansion set. I love them for lifting heavy days, not so much for circuit training days, LOL. I just purchased the Powerblock Pro 90 Commercial set and I'm feeling pretty good about the price I paid. I paid $1044 with the stand. I've only owned them for a month so far and they are quickly becoming a favorite. Will always have my IM though! Loved the video, quite informative, so thank you for that!
I was lucky enough to come across someone selling their entire home gym. Part of that was a set of fixed DBs from 20s - 100s. I was pumped. Lol Like you, I'll always have my IMs for my heaviest sets though.
I echo your experience with the Iron Master dumbbells. I actually bought a second set of handles to help with super sets. I recently bought the heavy handle kit and I highly recommend it. It improves the balance of the dumbbells when doing dumbbell chest press. It actually makes them feel even more like regular fixed dumbbells due to the shortened handle. I only put the kit on one of my two pair of handles, so I maintain the 5 pound minimum for my wife or when I want less than 20 pounds.
This is a brilliant idea! That'd be great, especially now that I have the 165's, I have plenty of weight for the two sets of handles for most exercises.
Appreciate the excellent review! I will be buying a Ironmaster set plus a 120 expansion and that is my big complaint with the PowerBlock - they seem to have abandoned producing their expansion kits above the 90 lb range whereas Ironmaster is leaning into giving their customers the options of 120 and beyond. I own a pair of 90 lb Powerblocks and have hit a roadblock trying to find an expansion set, and I also own 2 other older sets of Powerblocks in the 50 lb range. Years back I got the chance to work with a 125 set of Urethane Powerblocks and they were excellent but are pretty much nonexistent in the market. Also, there are reports of the Urethane and Pro Sets failing in hot environments that affect the urethane material - I am in a cold environment and have the opposite concern. Powerblock does not seem to back or support their products to the same extent as Ironmaster - also Powerblock regularly updates their designs and while this is good in terms of driving improvements, it also leaves customers of their older products in the lurch as they are not backwards compatible. Having said all this I do love the Powerblock’s and will be keeping my old sets.
I think the only way to go beyond 90 lbs with power blocks is to jump up to their “commercial use” line, which is extremely expensive. And yes, I agree. When buying into a system like this, it’s a big investment. If you buy into a system and then they update the line you’ve bought into, you’re pretty much screwed.
Best review on this topic I've come across. Well done. I've owned several sets of Power Blocks and one set of Ironmaster - which I believe is best overall.
I have olympic adjustable dumbbells - I love them for their price, versatility and that I only have one set of weights, but another drawback is that some of the plates are quite wide (diameter) so with some exercises I have to give the DBs some extra space to clear my body or head which can make the exercise harder to do, and not in a good way. Nice review!
Great review on the dumbbells! At @0.50 are you using the decline attachment on the zero gap to do Bulgarian split squats. I don't do much decline work but that's such a good use of kit vs a single split squat stand which takes up more space!
Oh wow. Those are definitely quite interesting. 50 lbs is a really low max weight though. If they make a version with a higher capacity, I’d definitely want to check them out.
I just sold my iron masters, deciding between powerblock or Nuobell next. Iron master certainly do feel like fixed dumbbells, but it’s just to annoying changing them all the time.
Hi Ryan, Just saw this review (one and a half years later). Thank you for the in-depth look! How are the 165s working for you? Also, how interested are you in a larger stand? (Teaser?)
Great! I don't use them super super often because I'm usually doing more accessory exercises with DBs but when I do use them, I love them. I'm VERY interested in a larger stand. Lol
Awesome review man. I’ve been using a set of PowerBlocks that go up to 60 lbs for about a year and a half now. These are an old model (at least 15 years old) that don’t use the adder weight system so there is almost no plastic on them other than the piece that covers the changing pins. Never had an issue with them and the block shape never bothered me. I’ve always like that about them weirdly. With that said, I found Ironmasters on OfferUp at really low price so I grabbed them and now I alternate between the two during workouts so I don’t have to change weights with either of them as much. My workouts have actually gotten much more efficient that way. I also have two pairs of PlateMates which help with quickly adding 2.5 lbs to each dumbbell at even weight distributions.
I definitely like having multiple sets and being able to switch between them. I also have considered the platemates multiple times. I may pull the trigger and grab those. They'd be very convenient to have.
@@RyanTreadaway yeah the PlateMates work great but they’re a bit pricey. If you don’t have the heavy handle kit for your Ironmasters, MicroGainz would work well too, but they may not if you add the heavy handle kit.
@@RyanTreadaway the magnets on mine are really strong and do stick to rubber dumbbells well but can slip a bit when dropped. However, I’ve seen in reviews they don’t work for other people’s rubber dumbbells, so it could be a gamble. If you get them on Amazon they’re worth trying since returns are free. With rubber hex dumbbells, I would recommend MicroGainz over PlateMates. Would do PlateMates over MicroGainz for Ironmasters and non-urethane PowerBlocks. Ironmaster also has 1.25 plates on their site too, but that of course adds to the changing time.
This might be overkill but my ideal set up is Powerblock personal trainer set for 5-50lbs in 2.5 increments, Powerblock USA elites from 50-90, and Ironmaster for anything above. Occasionally if there is lots of time to spare, I can see myself using the Ironmaster for curls or heavy chest presses. Even though powerblocks feels awkward and I end up using wrist wraps since it sometimes gets unbalanced doing press movements, it’s just so quick to change the weights that gravitate toward using them over the IMs. I’ve gotten faster at changing the plates but something about the effort disrupts the flow of the workout. I dunno if anyone feels the same. I guess for chest presses it’s ok since we may need the rest between sets but for curls, side lateral raises, triceps, it does get tedious enough where you don’t want to change the weight, just my opinion, your thoughts?
I thought nuobells was the perfect design but it broke 3 times on me. And I durability for me is #1. The steel Ironmasters (non urethane) and IMs should last a long time.
@@marucat2797 could you elaborate one what broke? I have rogue loadables and my idea was to go nuobells for light weight and use the loadable for anything above 80lbs
@@dannybosch7756 first the handle on one side couldn’t turn. I had to get a replacement from the manufacturer. Second, the last plate fell off when doing curls. I believe this was due to wear and tear on the plastic connector pieces. If you think about it, the pieces between the 80lb and 70lb weight will experience the most force and probably wear out the fastest I believe. Also, the anchor in the cradle broke too which I got a replacement. Don’t get wrong, I like the design and feel but they need more durable parts. No plastic and maybe an easy way to order replacement parts. I experienced zero issues with Ironmaster or powerblocks (steel version). Don’t get the pros as they are welded by urethane and subject to cracking if you live in a hot area
@@marucat2797 much appreciated 👍. The nuobels seemed like the perfect solution and my only question were with the durability. Maybe they’ll come out with a updated version to address those issues
That was a big concern for those for me as well. They need to go to metal connectors. They could add a coating to prevent grinding/noise. As for your setup Wayne, that's a lot of money. Lol by that point, you could add fixed DBs. I think for my future gym build, I'm going to do fixed DBs from 5-50 and use IMs for 55+. I might would even go fixed DBs up to 75 and IMs from 80+.
Well done! Great job and very fair review. Thank you. I recently sold my powerblock pros and want to replace them. Iron master is hard to find in Canada
IMs are definitely a little slower to change but the feeling of traditional DBs and the ability to expand beyond the amount of weight most people will ever need is amazing. I hope you enjoy them once you're able to get your hands on a pair!
@@RyanTreadaway thank you. At my fitness store, they are really promoting Nuobells and they do look great but I do agree with you. We don’t know how long they will last or how durable they are due to the plastics. I don’t do a lot of drop sets so the quickness of change won’t be that big of an issue with me. The other big plus is that these weights are very forgiving and can be dropped. I don’t ever intend to drop my weights but over course of several years db’s inevitably will go through many mini drops
@@cerebus77 I agree. I take care of the things I pay money for but it is still a piece of workout equipment and will take some wear and tear over time.
Is there another place to buy ironmaster dumbbells you know of? Seems like their website is all sold out with no plan on making them available other than their lottery system.
Not unless you're buying them second hand. Unfortunately, there's just more demand than Ironmaster can keep up with. The litter system is going to be in play for a while I think.
I had the nuobells and the 5 pound plate fell off (and landed on my foot) in the middle of my workout. I never drop weights. I wanted to know if there is any chance of these coming apart mid workout or will the lock prevent that? Also, for supersets and circuits is possible to make these work? Like much of an inconvenience so I think it would be?
It depends what "worth it" means to you. Having the extra space inside the handle doesn't bother me at all. But if you want to make your dumbbells 15 lbs heavier each, it'd be worth it.
Hello Ryan Do you use your Ironmasters just for really heavy compounds? As I see you've got a rack of hex dumbbells too I had 2 kits, but sold the lighter 45lb kit recently as I've built up my sub 45lb hex dumbbell army across 2021 as while hex dumbbells increased in price like everything else, they did become easier to get and the 45lb kit became redundant, so just thinking of recycling that cash into improvements for my setup I'll eventually get the heavy handle kit, so my Ironmasters can go up to 136lb, rather than 121lb or even 165lbs and void my warranty, so 136lb (around 60kg) should be more than enough weight for me. How is your hex weight range? I was thinking of going upto 65lbs for hex maybe, as the heavy handle and 22.5lb blocks equal to 70lb Ironmasters Or I could go up a bit more to 85-90lb hex dumbbells which is around my regular incline pressing weight range, as with the add on kit and enough plates for the longer slightly heavier screws would be 91lbs instead of 76lbs without the heavy handle kit. But yeah, interested to know how you train with your dumbbell setup, particularly on chest or back days.
No worries! My parents have continued to add to their DB collection since I'll be taking the ironmasters once my wife and I have a house with a basement. They have from 2 - 70s now. My ideal future setup will be 5 - 100s fixed and IMs for everything over 100. It'll be a long time before I wanna commit 5 grand to DBs though. Lol
@@RyanTreadaway I like the thinking though with the way how to use Ironmasters, no point having fixed dumbbells for a weight we'd use once a month or whatever, Ironmaster has us covered there. I'm also not a big kettlebell user, but occasionally will do rows or swings with my Ironmaster KBs, so another reason why an Ironmaster set is handy to have. So I assume you'd have got the 165lb add on since this video? How does it hold up? I've only seen Lee Priest use that size in his old home gym videos from like 10 years ago
I have been using my snode dumbells, love them so much! All metal, even base,, and rack is iron!!! Just wish they had add on to bring above 50 lbs, and I hope they make a barbell similar to bowflex 2080
@@RyanTreadaway everyone complains about that even though they don't own them, it's really not a big deal. If you know how to work out you just do more reps or go very slow on your negative reps until you get strong enough for the next weight level, its working for me. Try it, it works. The snode is much better than bowflex or other dumbells that are bulky and full of plastic. I hope snode will make a barbell set up similar to bowflex 2080, which I currently use also.
That's a possibility. lol I don't do drop sets just because I don't want to trash my body and ruin the next day's workout. I do superset my accessory exercises to save time toward the end of my workouts. When I had access to only the IMs I didn't do supersets unless I was using the same weight for both exercises.
Why didn't you include Pepin or Baadass adjustable dumbbells? I'm using the Pepin and really don't see much difference from Ironmaster. I like being able to use any standard plates and with 12.5 lbs plates they can go very heavy..
I just felt like those change out a little bit too slow and fiddly. To me, it seems like the only advantage they have over spin locks is being flat on the end. And it seems like they'd change out slower than spin locks. (Just my opinion.)
but damn iron master is expensve. The absolute cheapest you can get a set up 75 lbs is $730. Whearas I can get the nuobells up to 80lbs for $715. and the nuobells are faster. Plus the nuobells don't make you do mental math to figure out your weight.
I agree but I do now have the Nuobells as well and did a review on them too. There are a couple of things you have to consider. The $75 pound set of IMs comes with the stand. Nuobell's stand costs another $190 if I remember correctly. Ironmasters are also expandable all the way up to 180 lbs apiece if you buy the expansions. If you want to go above Nuobell's 80 lbs, you'll have to buy another set of dumbbells.
@@RyanTreadaway have you ever used the powerblocks? Is the different shape awkward at first and something you have to get used to? Do they feel unbalanced?
@@poorasslawstudent I don't have personal experience with them but have been told by many that they do feel very different and take some getting used to.
Which dumbbells do you feel are the best? Do you agree or disagree with my opinions?
Ironmaster hands down. They will outlast everything else.
@@BarbellSanctuary I agree!
@@BarbellSanctuary that thing is never in stock tho
This is the best review I’ve seen so far. So much fluff out there. Clear recommendations for everyone here, thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I also feel like people exaggerate how long Ironmasters take to change out. I've made multiple videos on them and how to change them out faster. Although I don't really do drop sets in my training, the pros outweigh the cons by a lot. Ironmasters for the WIN!
I definitely agree. The only times they take a long time to change is if you're making a big jump in weight (which you probably aren't doing unless you're switching exercise) or if you're making a jump that involves swapping weights out for the 22.5 plates.
@@RyanTreadaway Exactly!
The position of the stand matters too. If you position them like the guy in the video where you’re taking them off vertically from yourself, they take longer to change. If they’re positioned horizontally, it’s a lot easier to change them. If they gave the stand internal rods to store the weights on like a plate tree, it’d be even easier because you’d easier grab however many and plop them on. Overall still great though. I train people and nobody ever liked the other ones like Powerblock after they tried the Ironmasters. They don’t feel balanced or nice by comparison.
@@srhyse I definitely don't change the weights with the DBs standing vertically. I was just doing that so I could show the mechanism better on camera.
If you train people I’d recommend the Ironmasters. I’ve had plenty of different kinds and nobody ever liked the others as much as the Ironmasters. I was excited to get the more expensive EXP Pro and Commercial Powerblocks because I thought it’d take less effort to change, but nobody wanted to use them when my Ironmasters were next to them, and the effort and time isn’t much different than making micro adjustments on the blocks. I use the Ironmaster kettlebell handles for lighter things and have the main dumbbells always set a little heavier and it makes changing breezy. The blocks aren’t bad but need a design tweak, or somebody needs to make a fully stainless steel Nuobell that goes heavy.
I agree 100%. In my opinion, if a heavier set of Nuobells were released with all metal internals, all other dumbbells would be in trouble.
So this is what pepin kinda did. Just a shame that the price is just too high to justify.@@RyanTreadaway
@@yo25999 I'll have to check them out!
I've tried both and went for the powerblocks for the fact I can do drop sets easier. I will eventually buy the Ironmasters too for the feel and weight expansion. I got the 70lb expansion set but the ironmasters can go up to 120 and that'll be enough for me.
Long story short. It's nice to have options.
I definitely agree they're better for that purpose. I personally rarely use drop sets. My ideal setup for when my wife and I build our new house is to have fixed dumbbells up to 50 and IM's for 55-165.
I agree with you on the iron master's they are without a doubt that they are the best option for more serious trainers.my buddie has a set and I love them.I am too cheap to buy a set though so I just welded a 1"nut and washer on each end of a 5"piece of heavy wall pipe with a 1"id.I use a grade 5 1"bolt of appropriate length to hold standard plates on them and just use a cordless driver to put them in which works pretty quick.
Nice! Creativity at its finest. lol
I have the image of NASCAR pitstop right now...
I own the IM's with the 120lb expansion set. I love them for lifting heavy days, not so much for circuit training days, LOL. I just purchased the Powerblock Pro 90 Commercial set and I'm feeling pretty good about the price I paid. I paid $1044 with the stand. I've only owned them for a month so far and they are quickly becoming a favorite. Will always have my IM though! Loved the video, quite informative, so thank you for that!
I was lucky enough to come across someone selling their entire home gym. Part of that was a set of fixed DBs from 20s - 100s. I was pumped. Lol
Like you, I'll always have my IMs for my heaviest sets though.
That spin you did at 10:02 was weirdly impressive lol. Good review btw
Thanks and thanks! haha
I echo your experience with the Iron Master dumbbells. I actually bought a second set of handles to help with super sets.
I recently bought the heavy handle kit and I highly recommend it. It improves the balance of the dumbbells when doing dumbbell chest press. It actually makes them feel even more like regular fixed dumbbells due to the shortened handle. I only put the kit on one of my two pair of handles, so I maintain the 5 pound minimum for my wife or when I want less than 20 pounds.
This is a brilliant idea! That'd be great, especially now that I have the 165's, I have plenty of weight for the two sets of handles for most exercises.
Appreciate the excellent review! I will be buying a Ironmaster set plus a 120 expansion and that is my big complaint with the PowerBlock - they seem to have abandoned producing their expansion kits above the 90 lb range whereas Ironmaster is leaning into giving their customers the options of 120 and beyond. I own a pair of 90 lb Powerblocks and have hit a roadblock trying to find an expansion set, and I also own 2 other older sets of Powerblocks in the 50 lb range. Years back I got the chance to work with a 125 set of Urethane Powerblocks and they were excellent but are pretty much nonexistent in the market. Also, there are reports of the Urethane and Pro Sets failing in hot environments that affect the urethane material - I am in a cold environment and have the opposite concern. Powerblock does not seem to back or support their products to the same extent as Ironmaster - also Powerblock regularly updates their designs and while this is good in terms of driving improvements, it also leaves customers of their older products in the lurch as they are not backwards compatible.
Having said all this I do love the Powerblock’s and will be keeping my old sets.
I think the only way to go beyond 90 lbs with power blocks is to jump up to their “commercial use” line, which is extremely expensive. And yes, I agree. When buying into a system like this, it’s a big investment. If you buy into a system and then they update the line you’ve bought into, you’re pretty much screwed.
Best review on this topic I've come across. Well done. I've owned several sets of Power Blocks and one set of Ironmaster - which I believe is best overall.
Thanks man!
my man, thanks for the video. Is the partition on the stand removable? Thanks.
I wouldn't remove it. It makes the top shelf stronger so it doesn't bend when you set dumbbells on top.
I have olympic adjustable dumbbells - I love them for their price, versatility and that I only have one set of weights, but another drawback is that some of the plates are quite wide (diameter) so with some exercises I have to give the DBs some extra space to clear my body or head which can make the exercise harder to do, and not in a good way. Nice review!
Definitely true, especially if you're using plates as wide as 25's.
Great review on the dumbbells! At @0.50 are you using the decline attachment on the zero gap to do Bulgarian split squats. I don't do much decline work but that's such a good use of kit vs a single split squat stand which takes up more space!
Yup! I used that for a very long time. It worked really well. I eventually bought a leg roller attachment for the rack though.
I was looking to pick the Ironmasters up but it doesn’t seem like the 75 lb set comes with the stand and more.
You should check out the snode dumbells, they like the nuobells but all metal no plastic, even the cradle/base is made from cast iron.
Oh wow. Those are definitely quite interesting. 50 lbs is a really low max weight though. If they make a version with a higher capacity, I’d definitely want to check them out.
I just sold my iron masters, deciding between powerblock or Nuobell next. Iron master certainly do feel like fixed dumbbells, but it’s just to annoying changing them all the time.
Between those two options, I would prob choose the nuobell! Sorry it took me so long to respond!
@@RyanTreadaway ended up going all in an getting the Pepin Fast. Spendy, but literally a nearly perfect solution.
Hi Ryan, Just saw this review (one and a half years later). Thank you for the in-depth look!
How are the 165s working for you? Also, how interested are you in a larger stand? (Teaser?)
Great! I don't use them super super often because I'm usually doing more accessory exercises with DBs but when I do use them, I love them.
I'm VERY interested in a larger stand. Lol
Awesome review man. I’ve been using a set of PowerBlocks that go up to 60 lbs for about a year and a half now. These are an old model (at least 15 years old) that don’t use the adder weight system so there is almost no plastic on them other than the piece that covers the changing pins. Never had an issue with them and the block shape never bothered me. I’ve always like that about them weirdly.
With that said, I found Ironmasters on OfferUp at really low price so I grabbed them and now I alternate between the two during workouts so I don’t have to change weights with either of them as much. My workouts have actually gotten much more efficient that way. I also have two pairs of PlateMates which help with quickly adding 2.5 lbs to each dumbbell at even weight distributions.
I definitely like having multiple sets and being able to switch between them. I also have considered the platemates multiple times. I may pull the trigger and grab those. They'd be very convenient to have.
@@RyanTreadaway yeah the PlateMates work great but they’re a bit pricey. If you don’t have the heavy handle kit for your Ironmasters, MicroGainz would work well too, but they may not if you add the heavy handle kit.
@@jamestonbellajo Are they strong enough to stick to rubber hex DBs or is the rubber too thick?
@@RyanTreadaway the magnets on mine are really strong and do stick to rubber dumbbells well but can slip a bit when dropped. However, I’ve seen in reviews they don’t work for other people’s rubber dumbbells, so it could be a gamble. If you get them on Amazon they’re worth trying since returns are free.
With rubber hex dumbbells, I would recommend MicroGainz over PlateMates. Would do PlateMates over MicroGainz for Ironmasters and non-urethane PowerBlocks. Ironmaster also has 1.25 plates on their site too, but that of course adds to the changing time.
@@jamestonbellajo thanks for the tips!
This might be overkill but my ideal set up is Powerblock personal trainer set for 5-50lbs in 2.5 increments, Powerblock USA elites from 50-90, and Ironmaster for anything above. Occasionally if there is lots of time to spare, I can see myself using the Ironmaster for curls or heavy chest presses. Even though powerblocks feels awkward and I end up using wrist wraps since it sometimes gets unbalanced doing press movements, it’s just so quick to change the weights that gravitate toward using them over the IMs. I’ve gotten faster at changing the plates but something about the effort disrupts the flow of the workout. I dunno if anyone feels the same. I guess for chest presses it’s ok since we may need the rest between sets but for curls, side lateral raises, triceps, it does get tedious enough where you don’t want to change the weight, just my opinion, your thoughts?
I thought nuobells was the perfect design but it broke 3 times on me. And I durability for me is #1. The steel Ironmasters (non urethane) and IMs should last a long time.
@@marucat2797 could you elaborate one what broke? I have rogue loadables and my idea was to go nuobells for light weight and use the loadable for anything above 80lbs
@@dannybosch7756 first the handle on one side couldn’t turn. I had to get a replacement from the manufacturer. Second, the last plate fell off when doing curls. I believe this was due to wear and tear on the plastic connector pieces. If you think about it, the pieces between the 80lb and 70lb weight will experience the most force and probably wear out the fastest I believe. Also, the anchor in the cradle broke too which I got a replacement. Don’t get wrong, I like the design and feel but they need more durable parts. No plastic and maybe an easy way to order replacement parts. I experienced zero issues with Ironmaster or powerblocks (steel version). Don’t get the pros as they are welded by urethane and subject to cracking if you live in a hot area
@@marucat2797 much appreciated 👍. The nuobels seemed like the perfect solution and my only question were with the durability. Maybe they’ll come out with a updated version to address those issues
That was a big concern for those for me as well. They need to go to metal connectors. They could add a coating to prevent grinding/noise.
As for your setup Wayne, that's a lot of money. Lol by that point, you could add fixed DBs. I think for my future gym build, I'm going to do fixed DBs from 5-50 and use IMs for 55+. I might would even go fixed DBs up to 75 and IMs from 80+.
Well done! Great job and very fair review. Thank you. I recently sold my powerblock pros and want to replace them. Iron master is hard to find in Canada
IMs are definitely a little slower to change but the feeling of traditional DBs and the ability to expand beyond the amount of weight most people will ever need is amazing. I hope you enjoy them once you're able to get your hands on a pair!
@@RyanTreadaway thank you. At my fitness store, they are really promoting Nuobells and they do look great but I do agree with you. We don’t know how long they will last or how durable they are due to the plastics. I don’t do a lot of drop sets so the quickness of change won’t be that big of an issue with me. The other big plus is that these weights are very forgiving and can be dropped. I don’t ever intend to drop my weights but over course of several years db’s inevitably will go through many mini drops
@@cerebus77 I agree. I take care of the things I pay money for but it is still a piece of workout equipment and will take some wear and tear over time.
Is there another place to buy ironmaster dumbbells you know of? Seems like their website is all sold out with no plan on making them available other than their lottery system.
Not unless you're buying them second hand. Unfortunately, there's just more demand than Ironmaster can keep up with. The litter system is going to be in play for a while I think.
I had the nuobells and the 5 pound plate fell off (and landed on my foot) in the middle of my workout. I never drop weights. I wanted to know if there is any chance of these coming apart mid workout or will the lock prevent that? Also, for supersets and circuits is possible to make these work? Like much of an inconvenience so I think it would be?
I've put a pretty good amount of weight on mine and never had anything fall off.
Hi, Inner weight plates to reduce grip handle length worth it? IM handles 16,51cm and standard for dumbbells is 12,7cm.
It depends what "worth it" means to you. Having the extra space inside the handle doesn't bother me at all. But if you want to make your dumbbells 15 lbs heavier each, it'd be worth it.
Hello Ryan
Do you use your Ironmasters just for really heavy compounds? As I see you've got a rack of hex dumbbells too
I had 2 kits, but sold the lighter 45lb kit recently as I've built up my sub 45lb hex dumbbell army across 2021 as while hex dumbbells increased in price like everything else, they did become easier to get and the 45lb kit became redundant, so just thinking of recycling that cash into improvements for my setup
I'll eventually get the heavy handle kit, so my Ironmasters can go up to 136lb, rather than 121lb or even 165lbs and void my warranty, so 136lb (around 60kg) should be more than enough weight for me.
How is your hex weight range?
I was thinking of going upto 65lbs for hex maybe, as the heavy handle and 22.5lb blocks equal to 70lb Ironmasters
Or I could go up a bit more to 85-90lb hex dumbbells which is around my regular incline pressing weight range, as with the add on kit and enough plates for the longer slightly heavier screws would be 91lbs instead of 76lbs without the heavy handle kit.
But yeah, interested to know how you train with your dumbbell setup, particularly on chest or back days.
My bad, just watched whole video, so your parents got upto 50lbs
No worries! My parents have continued to add to their DB collection since I'll be taking the ironmasters once my wife and I have a house with a basement. They have from 2 - 70s now.
My ideal future setup will be 5 - 100s fixed and IMs for everything over 100. It'll be a long time before I wanna commit 5 grand to DBs though. Lol
@@RyanTreadaway yeah it gets a bit pricey 😆
@@redwhiteandblueblood mark my words though, I will own a 5 - 100 lb set one day. Lol
@@RyanTreadaway I like the thinking though with the way how to use Ironmasters, no point having fixed dumbbells for a weight we'd use once a month or whatever, Ironmaster has us covered there.
I'm also not a big kettlebell user, but occasionally will do rows or swings with my Ironmaster KBs, so another reason why an Ironmaster set is handy to have.
So I assume you'd have got the 165lb add on since this video? How does it hold up? I've only seen Lee Priest use that size in his old home gym videos from like 10 years ago
I have been using my snode dumbells, love them so much! All metal, even base,, and rack is iron!!! Just wish they had add on to bring above 50 lbs, and I hope they make a barbell similar to bowflex 2080
Nice! I’d like them better if they were in 5 lb increments though.
@@RyanTreadaway everyone complains about that even though they don't own them, it's really not a big deal. If you know how to work out you just do more reps or go very slow on your negative reps until you get strong enough for the next weight level, its working for me. Try it, it works. The snode is much better than bowflex or other dumbells that are bulky and full of plastic. I hope snode will make a barbell set up similar to bowflex 2080, which I currently use also.
I just asked to see if they'll send me out a pair. Fingers crossed. lol
165 expansion video please! Ironmaster website doesn't say how it works
The only difference with the 165 expansion is after you go past 120, the rods are fully threaded va partially threaded. (I assume for safety reasons).
@@RyanTreadaway Can you still make a video so people can see the size of it? Please 🙏 there's literally no videos on it
@@mhxxd4 I can in the future. Once I return to TH-cam, I've got about 5 videos already lined up so it'll have to come after that.
@@RyanTreadaway Awesome! Thanks. It doesn't have to be fancy, a quick vid will do
@@mhxxd4 I can't make a video and it not be fancy. Lol
I don't do drop sets or supersets, I'm just lazy. I suspect this is the truth for most people who complain about weight changing speed.
That's a possibility. lol I don't do drop sets just because I don't want to trash my body and ruin the next day's workout. I do superset my accessory exercises to save time toward the end of my workouts. When I had access to only the IMs I didn't do supersets unless I was using the same weight for both exercises.
Great vid thank you.
I appreciate that!
Why didn't you include Pepin or Baadass adjustable dumbbells? I'm using the Pepin and really don't see much difference from Ironmaster. I like being able to use any standard plates and with 12.5 lbs plates they can go very heavy..
I just felt like those change out a little bit too slow and fiddly. To me, it seems like the only advantage they have over spin locks is being flat on the end. And it seems like they'd change out slower than spin locks. (Just my opinion.)
but damn iron master is expensve. The absolute cheapest you can get a set up 75 lbs is $730. Whearas I can get the nuobells up to 80lbs for $715. and the nuobells are faster. Plus the nuobells don't make you do mental math to figure out your weight.
I agree but I do now have the Nuobells as well and did a review on them too. There are a couple of things you have to consider. The $75 pound set of IMs comes with the stand. Nuobell's stand costs another $190 if I remember correctly. Ironmasters are also expandable all the way up to 180 lbs apiece if you buy the expansions. If you want to go above Nuobell's 80 lbs, you'll have to buy another set of dumbbells.
@@RyanTreadaway have you ever used the powerblocks? Is the different shape awkward at first and something you have to get used to? Do they feel unbalanced?
@@poorasslawstudent I don't have personal experience with them but have been told by many that they do feel very different and take some getting used to.
And they’re made of plastic on in the inside.
there is zero chance of breaking the ironmasters. no small internals or selector pieces to fail. they can be fully dropped just like gym dumbells.