I buy these dumbbell as a secondary set to the 5-50 lb . powerblock I buy only a few week before . I like the first product so much that I buy the lighter set so my husband and I can lift together . these be extremely easy to use and surprisingly compact . I go to the fitness store and look at these and the Selecttechs side by side and be astonish by the length of the Selecttechs . in my opinion , that product would not work for woman due to how long the bar be to accommodate all the weight . though this system be a little oddly shaped -lrb- blocky -rrb- it be much more compact and thus easier to manipulate . true , it take a little time to find a comfortable grip for a few exercise -lrb- such as thing behind the head -rrb- but once you know what work for you the system make lift easy .