Product Name: Bodylastics Max Tension Set
Company: Bodylastics
MSRP: $59.95 [Click To See Other Bodylastics Options]
Warranty: Lifetime on equipment, 90days satisfaction

In the past decade or so, there have been many fitness equipment trends that have come and gone, and others that just won’t go away. A few that come to mind are Bosu balls, vibrator machines, ab machines etc. Fact of the matter is, no matter how hard these marketers try, a basic power rack with a barbell set is still superior. There is just something about lifting a shit load of weight against gravity that will always be the best workout you can ever get.

However, if there is one piece of fitness equipment that I’ve been incorporating into my routine in the past while, it’s resistance bands (or tubes). Those who have never used them might think they are either gimmicky, unsafe or just won’t provide the kind of heavy resistance that weights can. Well, I have to say, these people haven’t owned a quality set of bands. Enter Bodylastics, a resistance band set that can probably replace an entire gym and provide an effective workout for the average Joe.

Official Product Description

The Best Home Gym You Will Ever Own! Bodylastics is a complete home gym system. We designed this system in 1996 to outperform the most popular and expensive large bulky home gyms.

Smoothest Resistance – When we were first developing the Bodylastics Home Gym System, we searched for the smoothest source of resistance on the planet. Well, we found it – Elastic tubing. Not only is elastic tubing super smooth when you stretch it, but it is incredibly light and flexible. That means it is easy to store – no extra room needed!

Once we decided that elastic tubing would be our resistance “engine”, we set out to design a system that could create several levels of tension. This would enable users of all strength levels to get the best results possible. So, we created the Bodylastics Quick Clip System. Our elastics have solid aluminum clips secured to the ends so that they can be easily attached to handles and ankle straps. This simple yet effective design gives users the ability to generate from 15 to 94 levels of tension (depending on which set you order)

First Impressions

I already owned a pervious and similar set of resistance bands so I kind of knew what I was getting. Upon receiving the package though, it was surprising (and refreshing) to see the quality of this entire unit – it stands in its own class. The tubes feel sturdy and seem like they can withstand a shit load of abuse. One of the fears people have of working with bands is the horror stories of them snapping or breaking. Unfortunately, these stories came from bargain hunters who bought their equipment from WalMart or worse, the fucking dollar store. It always surprises me when people compromise on equipment and products that are meant to enhance their own health but then splurge on stupid materialistic shit like jewellery and clothes.

I received the Max Tension Kit + Dvd. So in the box you get 5 different resistance bands, each with their own unique amount of resistance (134lbs total), a DVD, a book with exercises, 2 handles, 2 ankle straps, one door anchor, a carrying bag and a certificate to Strength Band University (SBU); a community forum for Bodylastics customers.

I’ll cover the actual experience of the bands in a second, but let’s start off by taking a look at all those extras that are in the box. Starting with the 12 month trial of SBU. For those who know anything about online products – It’s basically a membership site where customers have a forum and access to online streaming videos of exercises and workouts. I say 12 month trial because after a year you have to pay $9.95/month. So is it worth it? Not in my opinion.

The first problem is the forum itself… apparently, each and every post has to be approved by a mod before it will show up, then you’ll have to wait even longer since people that responded will have to have their answers approved also. Uh, that’s ridiculous. First of all, you can’t just join the site… you have to be a customer since you get your own private user/pass, so what is the point of having an extra layer of annoyingness on top? Necessity of mods is understandable but this is just a slow and painful process and one I wouldn’t bother with. I’m not gona pay $10/month for a forum when I can go to other free forums that are much, much faster and better. I’m also an avid supporter of free speech and I know they’d block any posts with even the slightest wiff of swearing. Fuck that.

Then there is the fact that the president of Bodylastics (Blake) hosts a free live workout everyday at liveexercise.com. There are a ton of workouts there and you don’t even need to be a member – I think this is fantastic. So why would you want to pay $10/month for SBU? Their own website contradicts and undercuts the other. My only critique is Blake’s form during the exercises. Every movement is explosive… not once have I seen him incorporate a controlled tempo throughout the range of motion. It’s all spaztastic. Still, you don’t have to be and his exercise explanation is adequate.

Other than that, most of the goodies in the bag are as useful as dollar bills at a strip joint; which means very. I didn’t see any un-needed fluff. The carrying bag will swallow your entire band set so you can carry it around. When I travel, I don’t go without my set of bands… EVER.

Though I do have to say that at 3.5lbs it isn’t the most portable package, but you really can complain considering the benefits you’ll get out of it. The ankle and door attachment are also very useful and feel as though they will last you for a long ass time.

Then we have the DVD – It’s professionally produced and contains a lot of useful info most of you already know but should have with you anyways. All thumbs up from my end.

Real World Results

So, what about the bands themselves? How do they feel and how are the workouts? Well in short – they’re phenomenal. On the site, Blake talks about how his Bodylastics system is better and smoother than the Blowflex machines etc. Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is “that’s all marketing bullshit”. But oddly enough it isn’t. I’ve used the Bowflex before, and while it was smooth, there is something about the quality of these bands… they are very, very good. And how often do I say that? Plus, at $59.95, it’s a no brainer over the Bowflex.

However, there is one thing I want to say before you guys think that a set of resistance bands is the end-all-be-all. It isn’t. The problem with bands is the fact that the eccentric portion of an exercise is compromised. They have an opposite effect to traditional weights. Let’s take the bicep curl as an example: With a barbell, the lift starts of as a challenge, and gets easier as you get to the top, then again becomes harder and harder as you start to lower the weight (eccentric motion). Gravity at it’s finest. The good news is that the eccentric portion of a lift is when you build the most muscle.

With bands, the lift starts of relatively easy then gets harder and harder and is the most challenging at the top. Then when you start to lower your hands, it becomes easier and easier on the working muscle (biceps when referring to my explanation). So all you are really working during the use of bands is the concentric aspect of an exercise. It doesn’t mean you won’t get results; it just means that doing traditional barbell work shouldn’t be excluded from your routine. Obviously, a smart person will realize that doing both will provide optimal results. And I’ve been using both for a while.

A few other features that are worth mentioning:

• The clip system attached at the end of the bands all have the resistance amount engraved. This is awesome since you can now track your workouts with greater accuracy. Instead of just writing down “8 reps of bicep curls with the blue band” you can actually write down the exact amount of resistance you used. Is it 100% accurate? Obviously not since it depends on where you are leveraging the bands but I like it none the less.
• The clip system is reinforced with a metal ring… which means there is no way in hell this thing is coming undone. Peace of mind is a very good thing when you are stretching these tubes to their limit.
• You get a 90day satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty against defects and malfunction. Can’t beat that.

Conclusion

There is not much left to say. There is a very good reason that I now recommend a set of Bodylastics to my E-Training clients when they want a complete at-home solution. The number of exercises you can do for the amount of money you can spend is mind blowing. Screw expensive home gyms and all that other machine shit… all you need is a basic barbell set and your set of Bodylastics – it’s exactly the type of home setup I have, and I own a gym membership! So you know i ain’t talking out of my ass. And let’s not forget that if you travel, you’ll find their portability extremely useful. You have no reason to skip workouts, ever!

I’m going to give Bodylastics 4.9/5 stars. It also gets my…

Click to see which set of Bodylastics is right for you!

- FitJerk

Discuss: Do you own a pair of these? What is your experience when it comes to resistance bands?

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