My Review of IM DB and Bench

[Taycat]

I recently purchased the IM dumbbells and superbench. I am very pleased with both items. My review is to assist others out there who are on the fence and are interested in information on these products. I have been there and appreciate all of the feedback I received from people on this forum. You guys are terrific and this is the best place to go before purchasing anything.

First, the IM dumbbells. I owned a set of spinlock dumbbells by Hampton for many years before getting these. The problem with the spinlocks for me was that they would always come loose during an exercise, which caused rattling which I lived with for many years but can't stand. I tested other adjustable dumbbells, including the bowflex and powerblock elites. Didn't like the bowflex because it felt "cheap" and like a toy. Didn't like the powerblocks because they rattled at certain weights and didn't feel natural to me. The IM dumbbells are TERRIFIC. I cannot begin to express how pleased I am with these suckers. They are solid like pro style dumbbells. They are compact. They feel better than any other dumbbells I've tried, equal to pro style dumbbells at the gym. Now, there has been a lot written about the speed of changing weights. It is true, if you want the fastest adjustable dumbbells in the world, stick with powerblocks or get a set of fixed dummbells. For me, I wanted dumbbells that would save space, so a rack of fixed dumbbells were out of the question. I also wanted something that was fairly quick, but it didn't have to be the fastest crap around. Honestly, how often are you actually doing pyramids and drop sets? For me, it was not as important as finding a set of dumbbells that felt like pro style dumbbells and would not rattle and come loose during my routine. These babies are it.

There has been a lot of discussion about changing weights from 120 lbs to 20 lbs and the time it takes. Honestly, all I do is remove the 4 screws, take off all of the interlocking plates (which fit like lego pieces together) until I have only 2 five's and put the screws back in. That doesn't take as long as some will try to have you believe, although it is not as fast as powerblocks.

Finally, the dumbbells will allow me to do swinging movements without any noise, rattling, etc. As for olympic dumbbell handles, forget it. I don't care what anyone says, those suck. The long posts on the end and the size of the plates make them too bulky.

As for the superbench, it is terrific bench. Goes into more angles than any other bench I know of, which lets me do things like chest supported dumbbell rows with the dumbbells an inch off the ground. The padding is VERY dense and feels terrific. Again, there's been a lot of discussion on whether this bench is built well, whether it is practical to do declines, etc. Let me clear this up by saying it is a solid bench. It does not wobble, move or creak with heavy weight. The seat is very comfortable in the military and incline positions. The decline position removes any hyperextension of the lower back with the crunch attachment. To me, that is a more natural position for declines than feet close to the ground. It just feels better on my lower back. As to the ability to pick up dumbbells with one's feet elevated, its a non-issue with power hooks. If your lifting heavy dumbbells like I do, it isn't natural to pick up any heavy dumbbells on ANY decline bench without power hooks or a spotter helping you. Nuff said.

My one criticism of the bench, as others have pointed out, is that it is a little bit on the high side. Other than that, I am pleased with this bench.

Finally, I wanted to point out that the customer service at IM is spectacular. I spent over an hour on the phone just chatting with Matt at IM and he took care of problems I had with my seat upoulstery and other minor items at no cost to me without me asking for anything. They are fine people to do business with and I am a happy customer. I highly recommend the dumbbells and bench. Now, my review is not intended to start another war as has been raised in other threads. I just wanted to share my opinion in the hopes of helping others who may be on the fence. So, keep it civil.

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by Taycat

I recently purchased the IM dumbbells and superbench. I am very pleased with both items. My review is to assist others out there who are on the fence and are interested in information on these products. I have been there and appreciate all of the feedback I received from people on this forum. You guys are terrific and this is the best place to go before purchasing anything.

First, the IM dumbbells. I owned a set of spinlock dumbbells by Hampton for many years before getting these. The problem with the spinlocks for me was that they would always come loose during an exercise, which caused rattling which I lived with for many years but can't stand. I tested other adjustable dumbbells, including the bowflex and powerblock elites. Didn't like the bowflex because it felt "cheap" and like a toy. Didn't like the powerblocks because they rattled at certain weights and didn't feel natural to me. The IM dumbbells are TERRIFIC. I cannot begin to express how pleased I am with these suckers. They are solid like pro style dumbbells. They are compact. They feel better than any other dumbbells I've tried, equal to pro style dumbbells at the gym. Now, there has been a lot written about the speed of changing weights. It is true, if you want the fastest adjustable dumbbells in the world, stick with powerblocks or get a set of fixed dummbells. For me, I wanted dumbbells that would save space, so a rack of fixed dumbbells were out of the question. I also wanted something that was fairly quick, but it didn't have to be the fastest crap around. Honestly, how often are you actually doing pyramids and drop sets? For me, it was not as important as finding a set of dumbbells that felt like pro style dumbbells and would not rattle and come loose during my routine. These babies are it.

There has been a lot of discussion about changing weights from 120 lbs to 20 lbs and the time it takes. Honestly, all I do is remove the 4 screws, take off all of the interlocking plates (which fit like lego pieces together) until I have only 2 five's and put the screws back in. That doesn't take as long as some will try to have you believe, although it is not as fast as powerblocks.

Finally, the dumbbells will allow me to do swinging movements without any noise, rattling, etc. As for olympic dumbbell handles, forget it. I don't care what anyone says, those suck. The long posts on the end and the size of the plates make them too bulky.

As for the superbench, it is terrific bench. Goes into more angles than any other bench I know of, which lets me do things like chest supported dumbbell rows with the dumbbells an inch off the ground. The padding is VERY dense and feels terrific. Again, there's been a lot of discussion on whether this bench is built well, whether it is practical to do declines, etc. Let me clear this up by saying it is a solid bench. It does not wobble, move or creak with heavy weight. The seat is very comfortable in the military and incline positions. The decline position removes any hyperextension of the lower back with the crunch attachment. To me, that is a more natural position for declines than feet close to the ground. It just feels better on my lower back. As to the ability to pick up dumbbells with one's feet elevated, its a non-issue with power hooks. If your lifting heavy dumbbells like I do, it isn't natural to pick up any heavy dumbbells on ANY decline bench without power hooks or a spotter helping you. Nuff said.

My one criticism of the bench, as others have pointed out, is that it is a little bit on the high side. Other than that, I am pleased with this bench.

Finally, I wanted to point out that the customer service at IM is spectacular. I spent over an hour on the phone just chatting with Matt at IM and he took care of problems I had with my seat upoulstery and other minor items at no cost to me without me asking for anything. They are fine people to do business with and I am a happy customer. I highly recommend the dumbbells and bench. Now, my review is not intended to start another war as has been raised in other threads. I just wanted to share my opinion in the hopes of helping others who may be on the fence. So, keep it civil.

Your post sounds more like a personal "justification" than it is a "review".

If the IM products work for you then thats great. Just don't make em out to be something their not.

You should do alot of people a favor, come back with another review after actually owning these products for more than a few hours. These kinds of reviews are actually worthless. Come back after you have many months or a few years of use on em.

Im going to point out one thing though.

Alot of serious lifters here incorperate super/compound/drop sets regularly into their workout. IM dumbells make em impossible. For alot of folks thats too much to give up. Not everybody does beginner straight sets with a full minute or more of rest between sets.

One thing I get quite a few PM's on are the hassle of changing the weights out. I know this first hand. And dont kid yourself about it being quick. Its not one bit and it becomes a hassle over time. Not only do you have to take off the weights, but what do you do with em afterwards? You need to stack all those little plates someplace. That in itself takes time. What happens if your working out with a partner or the wife and you need to go from heavy to light constantly? Again a big point people need to understand with these. You dont just turn the lock nuts and voila, your done. You have to remove and store some place each individual plate from 4 sides. And doing this set after set, day in and day out over the weeks, months and years, it becomes a huge PIA over time. Alot of people will attest to this.

Ive owned my PB's for years. I never get disgruntled about "changing" weights constantly. No chore ever. This in itself is worth the premium I paid. And every PB owner will agree with this.

A little rattling when doing movements bugs you? Hey whatever floats your boat. But a lil rattling doesnt affect your muscles development or hinder you from alot of advanced types of routine sets either in my book.

As for the bench. Dont kid yourself on it being solid. Again you havent owned it very long, and I doubt you put any serious weight on it over such a short period of time. That bench flexes significantly with HEAVY poundages and it gets worse over time and as the bench ages with use. And it has a couple wear points that WILL rear its ugly head over time if you actually do put the bench through some paces. So again stating a product is solid with less than hours on it is kind of pointless. And let us know how much fun declines(getting in and out) are on that bench over time as well. Just like changing weights on the dumbells it WILL become a PIA over time once you have owned it for some time.

Come back after owning the products for a year or so. Then comment or debate all the points I made.

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

If the IM products work for you then thats great. Just don't make em out to be something their not.



Come back after owning the products for a year or so. Then comment or debate all the points I made.

Wouldn't a sane person stand to reason that if you MUST own and use a product for a specific amount of time (a year, 10 years?) to give a positive review of it then don't you also have to own that same product for a specific amount of time (a year, 10 years) to give a negative review of it?

Bzzy has never owned an IM product for ANY amount of time and yet he is happy to bash them mercilessly, but Bzzy believes those who actually OWN the products and LIKE them, don't know what they are talking about because of their inexperience with the product....LOL....that is the definition of HYPOCRITICAL.

Oh, and he ignores the people who have had them for longer than a year and still love them.

I'm convinced, Bzzy caught an IM Rep throwing the iron to his girl....;-)

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by speedtre

Wouldn't a sane person stand to reason that if you MUST own and use a product for a specific amount of time (a year, 10 years?) to give a positive review of it then don't you also have to own that same product for a specific amount of time (a year, 10 years) to give a negative review of it?

Bzzy has never owned an IM product for ANY amount of time and yet he is happy to bash them mercilessly, but Bzzy believes those who actually OWN the products and LIKE them, don't know what they are talking about because of their inexperience with the product....LOL....that is the definition of HYPOCRITICAL.

Oh, and he ignores the people who have had them for longer than a year and still love them.

I'm convinced, Bzzy caught an IM Rep throwing the iron to his girl....;-)

Nope I havent "owned" and IM product. There is a BIG REASON(s) for that too. Im one of the few people here who actually "tries before he buys" on this forum. That being said. I have used the IM dumbells for a few weeks. That was all I needed to know that weight change is a PIA and slow with em and all I needed to know that they wouldnt work out well at all for ALOT of advanced types of set training. Or when working with a partner who uses different amounts of weights on his/her training regiman.

You cant call someone like that hypocritical at all. Im not the only one who feels that way either.

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

Nope I havent "owned" and IM product. There is a BIG REASON(s) for that too. Im one of the few people here who actually "tries before he buys" on this forum. That being said. I have used the IM dumbells for a few weeks. That was all I needed to know that weight change is a PIA and slow with em and all I needed to know that they wouldnt work out well at all for ALOT of advanced types of set training. Or when working with a partner who uses different amounts of weights on his/her training regiman.

You cant call someone like that hypocritical at all. Im not the only one who feels that way either.

"Come back after you have many months or a few years of use on em."

Hypocrite...;-)

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by speedtre

"Come back after you have many months or a few years of use on em."

Hypocrite...;-)

Sorry man, some people dont need months or years to know when something just dont work for the majority of sets used in ones workout regiman.

Feel free to post a video of someone changing out weights on a pair of IM dumbells in the same time it would take to put down one set of pro dumbells and pick up another set. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. Only one adjustable dumbell is capable of doing that. And it ain't the IM set.

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

Sorry man, some people dont need months or years to know when something just dont work for the majority of sets used in ones workout regiman.

Feel free to post a video of someone changing out weights on a pair of IM dumbells in the same time it would take to put down one set of pro dumbells and pick up another set. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. Only one adjustable dumbell is capable of doing that. And it ain't the IM set.

LOL....you are funny dude. You ignore the fact they you made hypocritical statements and try to change the topic to the speed of changing weights on Powerblocks.

NOBODY is questioning that Powerblocks change out faster than IMs (or any other heavyweight dumbell that I can think of). That's a fact. For some people that is not the most important aspect of an adjustable dumbell, that is also a fact.

You are a broken record...follow your own advice and "move along" Mr. "Bad@ss Internet THUG!" ;-)

[bowester]

Taycat,
Thank you for your review. It was informative and thought out. I'm sorry you had to come into it on the defensive, and that you were right to do so.

Do know that your efforts are appreciated and you've pushed this long-time lurker into posting so you will know that not all posters here are contentious and that your effort to bring non-biased information into the discussion is appreciated.

I do very much appreciate the 'internet thugs' viewpoints but feel, at this point, that I'm more than well versed on his disdain for IM and that I've heard all his arguments and viewpoints on the topic to point of nauseum.

Please, all, continue to post your thoughts and reviews on topics that are of interest to this board. Thugs are just that. Sometimes knowledgable, sometimes funny, but thugs none-the-less. Perhaps in time the tone of this board will lend itself to more civility and pursuit of knowledge than preening and bullying.

Best Regards,
B

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by speedtre

LOL....you are funny dude. You ignore the fact they you made hypocritical statements and try to change the topic to the speed of changing weights on Powerblocks.

NOBODY is questioning that Powerblocks change out faster than IMs (or any other heavyweight dumbell that I can think of). That's a fact. For some people that is not the most important aspect of an adjustable dumbell, that is also a fact.

You are a broken record...follow your own advice and "move along" Mr. "Bad@ss Internet THUG!" ;-)

I made no hypocritical statments at all. Some FACTS dont need months or years to figure out, while others can. All your trying to do is take my comments out of their context meaning and spin it around to try and use against me, instead of looking into the FACTS that shows a products "characteristics".
But some facts do need time to procure. And durability/ "Well built" is one of them in many cases. That goes towards the IM bench(Not the IM dumbells). Its not well built compared to other home products in the same price range. I have seen the flaws of the design, and how the flaws get magnified with heavy use.
Ease of use is another fact that many times will show up with extended use on a product. Some people have commented that IM dumbells become a PIA over time. People get sick of constantly having to change out and store the weights on em. It becomes a chore for many. Especially after you just did a real hard set and the last thing you want to do is take your minutes(or in many cases much less time) rest messing around with lockstems and plates setting up for the next set or excercise.

BTW, calling the kettle black is something you have done yourself a few times. How many PB threads have YOU kicked into with a comment that didnt pertain to them?

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by bowester

Taycat,
Thank you for your review. It was informative and thought out. I'm sorry you had to come into it on the defensive, and that you were right to do so.

Do know that your efforts are appreciated and you've pushed this long-time lurker into posting so you will know that not all posters here are contentious and that your effort to bring non-biased information into the discussion is appreciated.







Best Regards,
B

Everybodies viewpoint here is biased to some point. Especially ones on people's OWN equipment to justify their purchasing decision. Just posting a "justification review" as is evidenced by the tone of his thread proves that in itself. The only reason I posted what I did to begin with was due to this user trying to state that IM weight changeout is "quicker" than some would lead you to believe. Its not. And it doesnt show the big picture. Most people don't mention the "big picture" to its entirety.

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

That goes towards the IM bench(Not the IM dumbells). Its not well built compared to other home products in the same price range. I have seen the flaws of the design, and how the flaws get magnified with heavy use.

BTW, calling the kettle black is something you have done yourself a few times. How many PB threads have YOU kicked into with a comment that didnt pertain to them?

OMG...the broken record is outta control. Here you inventing ways to bash the IM bench when it was not even part of the conversation...dude, you are seriously obessing now.

I call kettles black all the time, but I'm no pot....I think that is what you were inferring when you butchered that particular idiom. I've never jumped into a PB thread with a comment that wasn't related to the PBs. Somebody claimed the PBs were "far superior" to IMs and I pointed out that IMs are superior to PBs in some respects and PBs are superior in others. I think PBs are a nice product, just not the best product for me, for reason's I've stated.

You are SOOO freaking predictable.

What is the BEST equipment for EVERYONE?

Bzzy's answer...."Why the current equipment I own of course!"

What is the BEST budget equipment for EVERYONE?

Bzzy's answer..."Why the equipment I used to have before I upgraded of course!"

What is the worst equipment available?

Bzzy's answer "Anything by IM of course!"

LOL

[Taycat]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

Your post sounds more like a personal "justification" than it is a "review".

If the IM products work for you then thats great. Just don't make em out to be something their not.

You should do alot of people a favor, come back with another review after actually owning these products for more than a few hours. These kinds of reviews are actually worthless. Come back after you have many months or a few years of use on em.

Im going to point out one thing though.

Alot of serious lifters here incorperate super/compound/drop sets regularly into their workout. IM dumbells make em impossible. For alot of folks thats too much to give up. Not everybody does beginner straight sets with a full minute or more of rest between sets.

One thing I get quite a few PM's on are the hassle of changing the weights out. I know this first hand. And dont kid yourself about it being quick. Its not one bit and it becomes a hassle over time. Not only do you have to take off the weights, but what do you do with em afterwards? You need to stack all those little plates someplace. That in itself takes time. What happens if your working out with a partner or the wife and you need to go from heavy to light constantly? Again a big point people need to understand with these. You dont just turn the lock nuts and voila, your done. You have to remove and store some place each individual plate from 4 sides. And doing this set after set, day in and day out over the weeks, months and years, it becomes a huge PIA over time. Alot of people will attest to this.

Ive owned my PB's for years. I never get disgruntled about "changing" weights constantly. No chore ever. This in itself is worth the premium I paid. And every PB owner will agree with this.

A little rattling when doing movements bugs you? Hey whatever floats your boat. But a lil rattling doesnt affect your muscles development or hinder you from alot of advanced types of routine sets either in my book.

As for the bench. Dont kid yourself on it being solid. Again you havent owned it very long, and I doubt you put any serious weight on it over such a short period of time. That bench flexes significantly with HEAVY poundages and it gets worse over time and as the bench ages with use. And it has a couple wear points that WILL rear its ugly head over time if you actually do put the bench through some paces. So again stating a product is solid with less than hours on it is kind of pointless. And let us know how much fun declines(getting in and out) are on that bench over time as well. Just like changing weights on the dumbells it WILL become a PIA over time once you have owned it for some time.

Come back after owning the products for a year or so. Then comment or debate all the points I made.

First of all, I did not post to justify anything. I had a 30 day return policy which I could have exercised if I believed the product didn't live up to expectations. It exceeded mine. I just wanted to address the many FALSE statements on the products so heavily inundated on these forums by folks like YOU.

Secondly, you haven't owned the product at all. Trying it for a week does not qualify you to comment credibly. I am sure there are MANY folks on here that have owned the dumbbells and bench for an extended period of time yet I don't hear about problems on wear and tear as you allege, which certainly would have been reported by others if true. I don't see anyone else mentioning the shortcomings you've raised. Look if everything you say is true, you'd hear about it from enough people and IM wouldn't sell as many products. Hasn't happened.

Thirdly, you said you were going to post pictures showing the bench in dilapidated form a couple of weeks ago. Remember..."a picture is worth a 1000 words?" Where is it? Just like I figured, you don't have em.

Fourthly, NOT everyone does drop sets. I guess if your situation is that you were really working out with the wife, needed something to change out quickly, then powerblocks are the better option. I'm not saying powerblocks are a bad product at all. I just think IM are a better product. For ME, I don't want a dumbbell that rattles, clangs, feel unnatural and with pins that DO wear out over time. Look, they only warrant the product for 10 years. Why do you think that is? So don't tell me the pins aren't prone to wear. Same can be said for the rubber handles and other plastic components. For some people, this might not matter. For me, it matters. And I also felt the 2.5 pound adder weights jug around and feel unbalanced. As to speed of weight change, I've had no issues with the IM. Again, if I did, I would have returned them. No justification necessary. And rattling dumbbells do put a wear on joints over time (Read Dave Tate's sick of your gym article, he mentions this).

Finally, the bench does NOT flex and I incline with heavy weights. Again, if this were an issue, it would be more widely reported by others. I've tested it and was pleased with its stability. And, as I've indicated, declines are MORE comfortable for me because my back isn't hyperextended. If you disagree, that's fine. You've posted your thoughts, let me post mine. Others may benefit from this information. A lot of the information you've posted on the bench turned out to be false. You said the backing was made of particle board. IM indicated this has never been the case. You stated the screws come loose. Noone else has reported this and the product has been on the market a few years. You've said it wobbles. I don't find this to be the case. What can I say?

[Taycat]

Originally Posted by speedtre

OMG...the broken record is outta control. Here you inventing ways to bash the IM bench when it was not even part of the conversation...dude, you are seriously obessing now.

I call kettles black all the time, but I'm no pot....I think that is what you were inferring when you butchered that particular idiom. I've never jumped into a PB thread with a comment that wasn't related to the PBs. Somebody claimed the PBs were "far superior" to IMs and I pointed out that IMs are superior to PBs in some respects and PBs are superior in others. I think PBs are a nice product, just not the best product for me, for reason's I've stated.

You are SOOO freaking predictable.

What is the BEST equipment for EVERYONE?

Bzzy's answer...."Why the current equipment I own of course!"

What is the BEST budget equipment for EVERYONE?

Bzzy's answer..."Why the equipment I used to have before I upgraded of course!"

What is the worst equipment available?

Bzzy's answer "Anything by IM of course!"

LOL

LOL!!!

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

And let us know how much fun declines(getting in and out) are on that bench over time as well. Just like changing weights on the dumbells it WILL become a PIA over time once you have owned it for some time.

In the REAL world, most humans of even slightly below average intelligence, after repeating the same process over and over again, get BETTER at something and do it faster. Apparently in Bzzy's world doing the same thing over and over again, it actually gets harder to do. Damn, I'm glad I don't live in Bzzy's world...lol

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by Taycat

First of all, I did not post to justify anything. I had a 30 day return policy which I could have exercised if I believed the product didn't live up to expectations. It exceeded mine. I just wanted to address the many FALSE statements on the products so heavily inundated on these forums by folks like YOU.

Secondly, you haven't owned the product at all. Trying it for a week does not qualify you to comment credibly. I am sure there are MANY folks on here that have owned the dumbbells and bench for an extended period of time yet I don't hear about problems on wear and tear as you allege, which certainly would have been reported by others if true. I don't see anyone else mentioning the shortcomings you've raised. Look if everything you say is true, you'd hear about it from enough people and IM wouldn't sell as many products. Hasn't happened.

Thirdly, you said you were going to post pictures showing the bench in dilapidated form a couple of weeks ago. Remember..."a picture is worth a 1000 words?" Where is it? Just like I figured, you don't have em.

Fourthly, NOT everyone does drop sets. I guess if your situation is that you were really working out with the wife, needed something to change out quickly, then powerblocks are the better option. I'm not saying powerblocks are a bad product at all. I just think IM are a better product. For ME, I don't want a dumbbell that rattles, clangs, feel unnatural and with pins that DO wear out over time. Look, they only warrant the product for 10 years. Why do you think that is? So don't tell me the pins aren't prone to wear. Same can be said for the rubber handles and other plastic components. For some people, this might not matter. Ror me, it matters. And I also felt the 2.5 pound adder weights jug around and feel unbalanced. As to speed of weight change, I've had no issues with the IM. Again, if I did, I would have returned them. No justification necessary.

Finally, the bench does NOT flex and I incline with heavy weights. Again, if this were an issue, it would be more widely reported by others. I've tested it and was pleased with its stability. And, as I've indicated, declines are MORE comfortable for me because my back isn't hyperextended. If you disagree, that's fine. You've posted your thoughts, let me post mine. Others may benefit from this information. A lot of the information you've posted on the bench turned out to be false. You said the backing was made of particle board. IM indicated this has never been the case. You stated the screws come loose. Noone else has reported this and the product has been on the market a few years. You've said it wobbles. I don't find this to be the case. What can I say?

In response to your paragraphs:

A. Prove any of my statements are false. Good luck there. If they lived up to your expectations, thats great. Mine expectations though are obviously much different from yours.

B. How does your having the product for less than a month differ than me trying the products for a few weeks, whether or not I "owned" em? LOL. Please. Especially the dumbells lack of a fast and efficent changeout. I was able to deduce in less than a weeks time that changing weights on em is no fun and is a royal PIA. Do a search on the IM threads you will find more than a few people who admit the same shortcomings that I mention. And Im sure there are alot of people who feel the same way without mentioning it. Ill bet you over a longer period of time will feel the same way as well, whether or not you will readily admit it here(ie: pride).

C. Your right I did say I would eventually post pics on the IM benches wear issues. I havent gotten around to it yet. In all honesty it really isnt a huge priority with me. I stated next time I go down to the local gym store I would. When I do I will. Trust me, Ill post the link to that thread here once I do it.

D. Your right, not everyone does do drop sets. Or Compound sets, or Supersets, or pyramids either. But not everybody does basic straight sets either. Especially the advanced bodybuilders or strength trainers.

If you think your going to be just doing straight sets forever, by yourself, then Im sure they will work out for you. BUt thats not a very flexible solution in my book.
Like I said on the clicking(mine click at most no rattling)bugs you, then o well.
BTW, the Pins dont just "wear out". They really dont even "wear". No more than the quarter lock pins do on IM's, thats just reaching now, LOL.
LOL! And basing that on a "10 year" warrenty is retarded. Lets be real here now. 10 years isnt exactly a short warrenty. Its a DECADE. Most people dont even lift that long.
And speaking of "lifetime" warrenties. They in reality can be no better than shorter term warrenties. The warrenty is only good as long as the company is in business. And it still doesnt garentee a better product.

Thats like saying a Hyundai with a 100,000 mile warrenty over 10 years is on par with a higher quality Honda or Toyota with a shorter term 3 year 36,000 mile warrenty. Ill still take the Honda or Toyota anyday over the cheaply built Korean Hyundai product regardless of "warrenty".

E. And fin ally on that bench. Yeah, it does flex, and its significant in the incline/ "decline" position. I can feel the bench sway and flex with 260lbs in my hand and with me shifting my body weight on the bench. Its noticeable. There was even a video of someone here on the bench in a cage doing presses and you could see the bench flex on the video. And it wasnt even with super heavy weight either. Your not going to win that argument. COnsidering the bench only has one support plate, the issue is obvious.

[kethnaab]

I've owned mine for a year, and I love them to death. I despise the olympic DBs. I have echo'ed, and will continue to echo the sentiment that these are so far superior to the Olympic DB handles and other spinlocks that I've tried.

I can change the weight out and be ready for the next set in under a minute. I can also load them up and do farmer's walks, and then drop them without even a worry that I will break the DBs at all.

Powerblocks change weight faster. That's it. In every other way, including price, the IMs are better

If speed of weight change is the single defining factor for your use of DBs, then no doubt, get the PBs. Otherwise, the IMs are superior.

As for the bench, I've had my 235-lb ass with over 300+ lbs on it and it is solid, and this is after a year of use, so yeah, to each his/her own, I suppose.

Unless of course, this is a religious choice, in which case, choose your God, I guess.

[1devil]

Oh boy more of this debate. I flat benched 350 for five reps on my IM bench on monday. I followed that with sets of the IM dumbells at 120 lbs. My bench did not bend, or in any way feel unstable. I have actually inclined barbell pressed 315 on the IM bench as well. Guess what? Yup it felt rock solid.

You most certainly can do drop sets with the IM dumbells. People do drop sets with barbells all the time. The IM dumbells don't take much longer to adjust than a barbell does.

[RIKTER]

Taycat, when you want to do overhead DB extensions etc, but cant because the bench is too tall in the upright position, a little trick I do is put the bench in the flat position, put the seat on and use the seat as back support.

[1devil]

Originally Posted by RIKTER

Taycat, when you want to do overhead DB extensions etc, but cant because the bench is too tall in the upright position, a little trick I do is put the bench in the flat position, put the seat on and use the seat as back support.

I love my IM bench, but I tried doing this and it did not work well. It may be effective if you are not going heavy. However, I usually use between 90-120 lbs dumbell for this exercise. It just does not support your back with that kind of weight.

[kethnaab]

just set the seat back at the first or second notch. It's about a 5-10 degree angle and you can lean your head back against it and it works quite well

[RIKTER]

I use about the same weight and I phrased it wrong, I shouldnt have said back support as its not really designed for that, I use it more to help stablize my back, keep my posture, etc. I stick my ass tight against the seat and lean back slightly to touch my back to the seat and try and keep myself like that through the whole movemnet, although on the last few reps its tempting to break contact with my ass to the seat and lean back where the seat would truely be supporting my back. Its not perfect but I find it works better for me then just doing without it....you effing doushebag, how dare you question me!!! haha j/k

[1devil]

Originally Posted by RIKTER

I use about the same weight and I phrased it wrong, I shouldnt have said back support as its not really designed for that, I use it more to help stablize my back, keep my posture, etc. I stick my ass tight against the seat and lean back slightly to touch my back to the seat and try and keep myself like that through the whole movemnet, although on the last few reps its tempting to break contact with my ass to the seat and lean back where the seat would truely be supporting my back. Its not perfect but I find it works better for me then just doing without it....you effing doushebag, how dare you question me!!! haha j/k

Yeah I hear what you are saying, it just does not support me well.

[Taycat]

Just received the IM calf block, which was on backorder, and I highly recommend it for those who feel the bench is a tad bit high. It raises your legs by 3.5 inches and is VERY stoutly built.

[Blue Blazer]

Taycat looks like we've got started this war again, it's inevitable, I did it in my thread about a t bar row platform lol...completely off subject, as soon as you mention that bench or those dumbbells, a war starts lol...it's great lol

But this is what we need though to prove BDI that he's wrong about the strength of the bench...there are guys here on the forum who have owned this for years like 1devil, RIKTER, kethnaab and they have proven that this wasn't the case

There are more of them who own it as well, EMOHAWKUS and Trail Warrior, I invite you guys to state your opinions here, I know Emo has owned the bench fro quite some time, but I am not sure about trail warrior, go ahead post your comments on the bench so we can finally prove BDI wrong about the bench not being solid, for chr!st sake it's 1000lbs rated in flat and 600lbs rated in incline and decline, a company can"t just say it holds that much and then have people bench 500 lbs and kill themselves, IM would be out of business if that were the case...

BDI your just pulling more tricks out of the hat here, your desperate for excuses

[Skidmarx]

Okay, where's the pics to this IM bench? I'm shoppin' for a bench right now.

[speedtre]

Originally Posted by Joey Mo

There are more of them who own it as well, EMOHAWKUS and Trail Warrior, I invite you guys to state your opinions here, I know Emo has owned the bench fro quite some time, but I am not sure about trail warrior, go ahead post your comments on the bench so we can finally prove BDI wrong about the bench not being solid, for chr!st sake it's 1000lbs rated in flat and 600lbs rated in incline and decline, a company can"t just say it holds that much and then have people bench 500 lbs and kill themselves, IM would be out of business if that were the case...

BDI your just pulling more tricks out of the hat here, your desperate for excuses

According to Bzzy, that is EXACTLY what IM does. He came right out and called them liars and said there is no way the bench can hold those weights even after the owner of IM explained how they arrive at the ratings fort he bench. And how does Bzzy know this? He's never seen one fail nor heard of one failing, but by inspecting an IM bench at some store 2 hours from his house, that was his conclusion...even though he has no engineering credentials. He has just got a MAJOR grudge against IM...it just doesn't make any sense. It extends to their dumbells and IM2000 as well. I"m not saying IM makes THE BEST products in the world, but if you have used them there is no way you can argue that they are not quality pieces of equipment and he just dismisses them like they are plastic covered cement weights you buy at Walmart. It's just ridiculous.

[Blue Blazer]

Originally Posted by speedtre

According to Bzzy, that is EXACTLY what IM does. He came right out and called them liars and said there is no way the bench can hold those weights even after the owner of IM explained how they arrive at the ratings fort he bench. And how does Bzzy know this? He's never seen one fail nor heard of one failing, but by inspecting an IM bench at some store 2 hours from his house, that was his conclusion...even though he has no engineering credentials. He has just got a MAJOR grudge against IM...it just doesn't make any sense. It extends to their dumbells and IM2000 as well. I"m not saying IM makes THE BEST products in the world, but if you have used them there is no way you can argue that they are not quality pieces of equipment and he just dismisses them like they are plastic covered cement weights you buy at Walmart. It's just ridiculous.

Yeah bzzy is probobly one of those guys who says the stuff he owns are best and anything else is crap...and he thought this until one day he saw the ironmaster super bench, he was so amazed he tried it out at a dealer and then asked the man if he would trade his f320 on it, the guy said no and from that day hates IM products and everything/everyone in contact with the company lmao

But I will agree with BDI on one thing, Powerblocks change faster and are more convenient then quick locks, and are tough and good quality dumbbells but I wouldn't want to drop them too hard.

But the main reason I am buying the powerblocks is simply because the closest dealer to where I live has them and I would have to pay a **** load on shipping for im's because there is no dealer that has them...

I have to buy their bench straight from washington, and I live on the complete east side of Canada!

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by speedtre

According to Bzzy, that is EXACTLY what IM does. He came right out and called them liars and said there is no way the bench can hold those weights even after the owner of IM explained how they arrive at the ratings fort he bench. And how does Bzzy know this? He's never seen one fail nor heard of one failing, but by inspecting an IM bench at some store 2 hours from his house, that was his conclusion...even though he has no engineering credentials. He has just got a MAJOR grudge against IM...it just doesn't make any sense. It extends to their dumbells and IM2000 as well. I"m not saying IM makes THE BEST products in the world, but if you have used them there is no way you can argue that they are not quality pieces of equipment and he just dismisses them like they are plastic covered cement weights you buy at Walmart. It's just ridiculous.

You don't need "engineering" credentials to feel a bench flex and sway under your own bodyweight and a pair of 150lb. dumbells. Sorry. I dont subscribe to the IM fanboy fanclub just because they have a small internet following. And I dont care what an IM representative says. Some people here who actually lift rather heavy don't want cheap cr@p underneath em. Im one of them.

And IM isnt the only company I think makes junk equipment. Ill add Northern Lights to the list(which I also used to own), Powerline(Body Solids entry level line)as well, along with alot of the cages and benches from NYBB, Powerblocks own FI bench(Junk also), Yukon and a few others to the list of what I feel is a cr@p product.

[BusyDizzyIzzy]

Originally Posted by Joey Mo

Taycat looks like we've got started this war again, it's inevitable, I did it in my thread about a t bar row platform lol...completely off subject, as soon as you mention that bench or those dumbbells, a war starts lol...it's great lol

But this is what we need though to prove BDI that he's wrong about the strength of the bench...there are guys here on the forum who have owned this for years like 1devil, RIKTER, kethnaab and they have proven that this wasn't the case

There are more of them who own it as well, EMOHAWKUS and Trail Warrior, I invite you guys to state your opinions here, I know Emo has owned the bench fro quite some time, but I am not sure about trail warrior, go ahead post your comments on the bench so we can finally prove BDI wrong about the bench not being solid, for chr!st sake it's 1000lbs rated in flat and 600lbs rated in incline and decline, a company can"t just say it holds that much and then have people bench 500 lbs and kill themselves, IM would be out of business if that were the case...

BDI your just pulling more tricks out of the hat here, your desperate for excuses

Joey: Your just proving to be a kid who just doesn't know good advise when given. Thats just fine with me. Your loss, not mine. If you feel the need to try and take pot shots at me, feel free to. Again its no skin off my back.

[1devil]

Originally Posted by BusyDizzyIzzy

Joey: Your just proving to be a kid who just doesn't know good advise when given. Thats just fine with me. Your loss, not mine. If you feel the need to try and take pot shots at me, feel free to. Again its no skin off my back.

All you do is take personal pot shots at others on this forum. No one wants to here your imput because it always laced with personal attacks. By the way i'm still waiting to see those photos of your world class build.