Adjustable Dumbbell Handles

[R. Alan Hester]

oops--Wrong location. Sorry mod.

Can anyone suggest a solid dumbbell handle that can handle 5-7 standard plates on each side? I have been using some homemade versions I found in Ross’s Infinite Intensity, which are made with iron pipes. The more I start to snatch and clean & press over my head the more nervous I become, because I am not sure how strong these pipes are. Of course, their capacity may be greater than I will ever need.

I have found these:
1) http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1224

2) http://www.fractionalplates.com/cgi-bin/edatcat/PDAstore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=8.1

Any thoughts on the quality of the abovementioned options? I have an adjustable Kettlebell from PDA that is solid, so I assume their dumbbells would be as well.

Thanks

Alan

[James Evans]

Alan,

I'm not sure if I've understood you properly so if this is no help sorry in advance.

York sell 18'' dumb bell handles in the UK. Standard would be 14''. You can buy them individually and they cost about £7.99. They come as spinlock or with smooth ends that require some kind of clip. I've just bought a couple because I could not load my 14''s up beyond 30kg unless I used 10kg plates and that made everything too cumbersome. They haven't been delivered yet.

I had a quick look at York's US site but it's not very well structured so I couldn't be bothered to spend too much time on the job.

[R. Alan Hester]

Thanks for the reply, James. I was actually looking for a 20"-22" dumbbell. On a side note, be careful using spinlock dumbbells when snatching. I have a pair of 18" Hampton DBs that are spinlock, and when doing snatches, the snap overhead causes them to loosen and spin off, which allows the weights to come off one side, thereby causing a problem. I was able to get out from underneath it when it happened to me, but I almost killed my wife's cat.

Thanks again.

Alan

[Frank Needham]

If you're nervous about the pipe you currently use and want to see if it will hold up to the punishment just put it to the test. Set up two stacks of plates about 18" apart, lay a section of the pipe across it, and then wack the hell out of it with a 10lb sledge! You could also fix it in place and drive over it by placing a ramp on it. If it doesn't deform or crack after these tests then you have nothing to worry about. Chances are you don't anyways coz that pipe is more than likely steel and you'll never ever be able to load that heavy enough with your weights to deform it.

[Chris Goodrich]

I haven't used the specific products you listed, but I do have stuff from both IM and PDA and I'm sure either product will be entirely bombproof and get the job done for you. The PDA will be a little more aesthetically pleasing since its semi-custom instead of mass produced, but you'll pay accordingly. Both companies have excellent customer service.