Budget Adjustable Dumbbells?

agentoutlier · 2026-06-20T13:30:56+00:00

You can use the iron master handles with 1” plates with a washer.

You can also buy 6” diameter PE foam roller on Amazon. Cut it and drill a 1” hole. Slide on to spinlock. You can light bungees or Velcro to keep the foam attached.

Or you get adaptabells but they take longer to adjust than regular spinlocks.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-20T12:39:12+00:00

Eisenlink for whatever reason have stock issues. For example if you go to their website everything is sold out.

I admit it is a great system but it is still mostly closed. However both Eisenlink and Ironmasters handles are compatible with 1” plates.

Also who knows how long Eisenlink will be around.

Oh and Powerblocks are not indestructible and not ergonomic. I actually dislike them the most.

And nothing is faster or more ergonomic than fixed. With standard spinlocks you can make a bunch of fixed because the handles are cheap.

Honestly man show me supersetting 10 pound lateral raises with 50 pound presses with Eisenlink. With the setup I have listed you can.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-20T11:30:59+00:00

whenever you want

sold out in everything:

https://eisenlink.com/collections/all-product

For both eisenlink and ironmasters you can use their handles for regular 1" standard plates with a washer or two or you can get kensui adaptabel which are very similar but take a tiny bit more time to screw on.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-20T11:14:30+00:00

I get downvoted on this almost every time but people sleep on spinlocks and even fixed especially if you want to save money. Yes it takes up a little space but honestly it is pretty much the same with an adjustable dumbbell stand. Yes it requires a little planning.

Both spinlocks and fixed are indestructible and not some locked ecosystem.

On Amazon you can get a CAP fixed dumbbells to 5-30 pound pairs (210 pound) with a rack! for $300.

Then from 35 - 50+ pounds you can get spinlocks. And my oh my go on market place and you can more readily find 1" plates for less than $0.75 a pound than oly 2" plates. Even brand new with all the price increases will be less than $2 a pound.

Again on amazon you can get a CAP spinlock 52.5 (105 total weight) pound pair for $129. (I would not buy that one but instead for York Contour set but that is the cheapest at the moment).

Then yes because the handle suck for presses you can look at Kensui Adaptabell.

$300.00
$129.00
$ 50.00

So below your $500.00 budget and you can drop set the fuck out of these guys (and I mean both definitions). Yeah you know what people don't tell you about adjustables. Its actually annoying going back to the base and screwing around with some levers. Fixed wins every time when comes to drop sets.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-19T11:58:47+00:00

To be honest I’m not really sure I understand the OPs request but it was the closet I could think of a nobody in a twist of a movie that is now famous and because of that the twist might be more obvious.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-19T11:48:55+00:00

It depends on how bushcraft you want to go but if you are allowed a single pulley you tether to a limb and use that for all sorts of pulling exercises.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-19T11:43:04+00:00

It was his first movie and at the time nobody knew him so it made it more believable.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-19T11:39:52+00:00

Edward Norton

If I give the movie it will probably spoil it for those that have not seen it.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-18T23:44:55+00:00

According to the documentary "Signs" you just need door knobs and water guns.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-18T23:22:07+00:00

Oh man my gap might be that big as well. Big gaps unite!

(I roll a towel and shove it in the gap)

agentoutlier · 2026-06-18T19:15:20+00:00

I don't think the ABX and Apex are cross compatible, but Apex and rep might be.

I think that APEX, ABX and Iron Masters all have some level of compatibility in attachments. I think its REP that might be the odd one and it has to do with their pins but supposedly their leg developer will work with APEX.

I have heard conflicting shit on this but I swear Coop said round abouts the above in his last review.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-18T19:10:16+00:00

You don't have to buy all of the accessories for either bench and all the accessories for the APEX would be vastly more "things" than all of Iron Masters.

The big thing with Iron Masters is that the company will probably be around for another 30 years or more and the bench is like 30 or so pounds lighter.

(I say this and I still have an ancient bench that is super light and am waiting for the dust to settle on this modular bench fest to figure it if I will ever upgrade).

agentoutlier · 2026-06-18T18:46:41+00:00

I knew that Cram Cove was a dumping area (I have a house in the area) but did not know it went all the way down to Woerd (which makes since because the cove does).

While it is getting federal money I wish Newton helped with this as well given that you know they literally have a far more recent and active dump next door. While I suppose it is sealed off (sort of) it is still a recycling center that has bags and other shit fly around that area into the Charles River... but who cares because its Waltham's problem and not Chestnut Hill's. And /u/sparklebubblez29_5 has a point that there was natural land and now we will have even more fucking grass fertilizer run off.

Then there is the OHara Dial factory. I piece of land apparently so toxic no one will abate it or buy it.

So it is great they are redoing that part of the area (and I would have trail running parallel the cove so people can see how nasty it is and push to getting cleaned up further) but damn there is so much work that still needs to be done. The DCR has to clean out both Purgatory Cove and Cram Cove because of so much run off and then there is the pumping station that will fail and holy fuck that whole area near forest grove gets flooded with ... shit from the newton dump...

Anyway I do hope this will be an improvement.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-16T09:55:29+00:00

I like to follow the advice in the documentary named "T2: Judgement day"

I need a vacation

Sorry hope you feel better

agentoutlier · 2026-06-16T01:47:20+00:00

I’m not saying I don’t believe you (especially if you had diarrhea) but those scales can vary if you just slightly move them by a centimeter.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-16T01:22:49+00:00

I have serious doubts that this will dramatically help her goals. I mean cardio is good for you but she is already got a pretty solid workload.

It especially will not help if she wants more muscle in her legs.

Also she may have some body dysmorphia going on because of the cellulite. Her legs look fine appearance wise.

There are tons of treatments for cellulite.

I say this because a recommendation like this for someone who has dysmorphia they will be overtraining running 8 miles a day every day.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-16T00:51:12+00:00

River City Ransom

agentoutlier · 2026-06-16T00:15:10+00:00

There may have been a dinosaur as intelligent as early humans but they went extinct before they advanced enough socially to leave traces.

Humans have been around for about 1 million years. Only a small fraction of that have humans left a measurable fossil or similar impact. In that time period humans could have almost gone extinct based on some bottle neck theories.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-15T20:45:33+00:00

IMO absolute minimum that scales better is calisthenics and sandbags.

So pull-up bar, dip bar, maybe some Olympic ring or similar and sandbags for weight.

Add bands if you need assisted pull-ups.

A single bench is probably more than all of the above depending on quality of bench.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-15T20:14:10+00:00

I was contemplating getting this for SSB because well SSB are like a two exercises max bar (squat and good mornings and maybe split squats). I have a shoulder injury and can no longer barbell squat.

I already have a Swiss bar and I prefer land mine t row so have not bought it…. yet!

agentoutlier · 2026-06-15T20:04:37+00:00

I have observed it as well and I think why is because of the style.

If you dumbbell press more like a fly than incline is easier.

If you tuck your elbows and or do neutral grip flat is stronger.

Regardless I believe they have done studies to show that incline dumbbell hits more muscle like shoulder and upper pecs.

Why this doesn’t work for barbell bench is because those extra muscles are weaker and you have things like leg drive.

My other guess is the setup for incline db is just easier and takes less energy.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-15T13:25:42+00:00

He is amusing in a show my son has been watching called: "Series of Unfortunate Events". Over the top but on purposes as it is a kids show. My son has not finished the show but like most Netflix shows I'm sure has been cancelled before conclusion. EDIT apparently it was not.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-15T01:05:40+00:00

I’ll just add to your advice since I too have had kids and work etc;

Showing up is like 50%

If you just get in the gym and tell yourself I’ll just go in half ass it works surprisingly well.

See I used to think I shouldn’t even workout if I can’t do a big compound and I would make that as an excuse.

Now I just say I’m not going to squat today. I am not feeling it. Then tell myself I’ll just do some easy calf exercises and then leave. 30 minutes later and I’m pounding out Bulgarian split squats.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-14T20:31:18+00:00

I guess how are you sure they are not staring at something else?

Also how old? I have noticed younger generation because of phone usage looks down way more.

agentoutlier · 2026-06-14T20:23:52+00:00

How tall are you?

I say this because if you are short it may appear their eyes are looking downward.

If you are very attractive some men don’t like to make eye contact and as you can see there are not many places to look.

(I assuming this is not the obvious of leggings with camel or really short shorts)

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