When I was in my small NY apartment I simply didn't have enough room to store the equipment that I wanted to use like dumbbells, an Olympic bench, a lat machine, a pull up tower and a leg press. I was working late everyday so going to a gym was limited. So I decided to do a little research on equipment.
When I did some simple math I figured that I would need a room that was 14' x 20' and I would need to spend about $2700. That seemed like a lot of money and the room I was going to use was almost 8' x 11'. The benefit of having your own equipment is that you buy it once and its yours. The downside is that you need a place to store it. Since I am a larger fella, I can't do much with smaller weights (20- 50 Lb) I am used to working with heavier loads.The larger the weights are the more space they take up, natrually. I did a little more math and figured that a set of dumbbells that would work for my situation would take up a wall that is 14' long, utilizing 2 rows, and the cost would be over $1700. Yeesh. I was thinking that I was going to have to join a gym that I wouldn't have the time to go to ( at that time the gyms in my area closed at 8PM on weekdays and 2PM on weekends ).
Then I found what I was looking for. There was a bright light emanating from the section of the store where these were hiding. I found my PowerBlocks. This was exactly what I was looking for. This set went up to 90 Lbs, it only took up about 3 square feet of space and was totally within my budget. There was another set that utilized a different locking mechanism, but no matter what I did the weights seemed loose and uncomfortable. After a little more math I figured that a set of dumbbells up to 90 Lbs would be about $1400, so this was a no brainer. I purchased the PowerBlocks and a stand for less than $800 and the salesman cut me a nice deal on a lat machine with weights and an incline bench. My total came out to $1100 for a complete, yet compact gym. This was about the cost of a year and a half of membership at a nice gym. I was satisfied.
The main feature that I liked about the PowerBlocks was the locking mechanism. When you lock in a certain size, it stays locked in. Then there is the balance of the dumbbells. You might not think that balance is a big deal until you start heaving 85 Lbs above your head. Throughout my various workouts I found no issues to speak of. The price was right, the size was right and I was able to work on everything I wanted to when I wanted to. Of course you dont have to buy the Elite 5-90 Lb PowerBlocks. Unless you have the necessity for it. You can get the Classic 5 to 45 Lb or the SportBlock 3-24 Lb. There is a set to fit your ability and budget. If you want get a weight set for the home or office that doesn't take up a lot of space and is affordable the You Gotta Have PowerBlocks.
