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If you’re struggling to find an adjustable dumbbell set that fits within your budget, the XMark 50 lb Dumbbells could be exactly what you need.
At a lower price than similar sets and still offering an impressive 50 lb maximum weight per dumbbell, they’re certainly worth adding to your shortlist.
This is why we wanted to take a look at the set in more detail, including their design features, customer reviews, and how you can use them to improve your existing workout plan.
Weight plate adjustment and increments
Before you buy any new item of fitness equipment, there’s usually one key feature to look for to make sure you get everything you expect from your workouts.
When buying a set of adjustable dumbbells, this key feature is the system used to adjust the number of weight plates loaded on the bars.
The truth is that there are a number of different designs available, from ‘clam shell’ type locking mechanisms to sliding pins.
Similar to the Gold’s Gym Switch Plate 100 set, the XMark 50 lb Adjustable Dumbbells use a sliding plastic locking catch to let you select how much weight you want to lift.
The subtle difference is that the sliding pins for the XMark set do tend to stick up over the outer casing, which isn’t an issue with the set made by Gold’s.
While this does leave them more exposed, it certainly doesn’t seem to cause an issue with any exercises or be the subject of any damage, judging from the customer reviews.
Although you are a bit more limited in the increments available (increasing by 10 lb each time if you want the weight balanced), you do still have an impressive amount of weight to build up to, with 50 lb being the maximum.
Another subtle design feature worth mentioning is actually related to the storage trays. When you lift the dumbbell in and out of the tray, you need to be able to do it smoothly.
It can be frustrating to have to spend time lining up the slots every time you start a new set.
The XMark 50 lb dumbbell overcomes the problem of shallow storage trays by simply making them deeper, creating a much more stable base to keep the remaining plates upright in.
XMark 50 lb. Adjustable Dumbbell – Features Summary
- 5 in 1 adjustable dumbbell
- Lift from 10 to 50 lbs.
- Comes complete with storage tray
- Durable heavy duty chrome plated steel construction
- Includes one 50 lb. dumbbell (Pair of dumbbells is also available)
- Exercises Available: 30+
- Weight Settings in pounds: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 pounds
Handle design
While the design of the weight adjustment can have a big impact on how easy it is to use an adjustable dumbbell, the handle is one design feature that’s more to do with personal preference.
The XMark 50lb dumbbell has been created with an uncoated handle, meaning you don’t have the same soft grip as you get from rubber coated designs.
But that’s not to say the grip is uncomfortable. In fact, XMark have added a series of narrow bands which have been knurled to create a surface that’s easier to grip.
This also makes it quicker to wrap a lifting strap around, which can come in useful if your grip tends to fail before your back does in the ‘pull’ type exercises.
Exercise options
If you’ve already used dumbbells in your workouts before then you’ll probably already be familiar with the wide range of exercise options you have on offer.
Versatility is one of the main reasons why dumbbells continue to prove so popular, and having a set of XMark 50 lb. Adjustable Dumbbells can really help speed up your workouts.
There’s no need to waste time searching for a matching pair and you have much more space to workout in.
It’s also much easier to incorporate more advanced training techniques into your fitness plan. (supersets, drop sets, etc.)
We would need an entire guide to talk about the dozens of exercise variations available, but to get you started on planning your workouts we’ve included a few popular options for working your chest and arms.
Arm Exercises
- Standing curls
- Concentration curls
- Incline bench curls
- Scott curls
- Overhead triceps extension
- Triceps kickback
- Lying triceps extension
- Hammer curls
Customer reviews and comparison
With product reviews being such a great way to build up a balanced picture of any dumbbell set, it can also be useful to take a look on popular shopping sites to see what other people think.
From the sites we’ve come across, Amazon continues to offer the widest range of reviews and answered questions that can help with any buying decision.
If you do decide to buy, just make sure that you choose the option that best fits your training needs, as they offer 3 buying options:
- Buying a pair of the 25 lb dumbbells
- Buying a pair of the 50 lb dumbbells
- Buying a single 50 lb dumbbell
Pros:
- Easy to adjust the weight settings
- High quality handles that are easy to grip
- Convenient storage tray holds the remaining weight plates in a stable position
- Saves space by avoiding having to stock your home gym with 5 separate sets of traditional dumbbells
- Weight plates are locked securely in position when lifting
- Ideal if you want to squeeze more exercises into a limited amount of workout time, or for fitness programs such as the P90x
- Often available as a pair for under $300, a lower price than many sets that offer the same 50 lb weight limit
Cons:
- Some people found the weight plates were sticking when they first started suing the set. This can be overcome by applying a thin coat of WD40 using a cloth before you first start using them.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4 / 5
The heavy-duty chrome plated steel construction makes these dumbbells long lasting and easy to use. Effectively combining 9 traditional dumbbell sets into one, the XMark adjustable dumbbells eliminate the need for multiple dumbbells.
The sliding weight adjustment makes it quick and easy to change how much weight you use on each set, with the custom molded storage trays doing an excellent job of keeping any remaining weight plates stable.
As well as being a fraction of the cost of traditional dumbbells, their compact design saves space and time, making them ideal for advanced training programs such as P90X.
USA Home Gym gives in-depth insights into gym equipment, supplements, and fitness training methods. The motivation behind USA Home Gym is to provide you with information that goes beyond what you can find in any user manual, customer review, or other online review sites.
We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
