FJ's Verdict:

Product Name: Manta Ray
Company: Advanced Fitness Inc.
MSRP: $39.95 [Click Here To Check Lowest Prices!]
Availability: Medium (Many Online Stores & Distributors)

There is an old saying when it comes to weight training… and it goes like this: “If you don’t do squats, then you don’t know squat about working out!”

And it’s actually pretty true. In the fitness community, there is a constant argument as who which is the “king” of all exercises… the squat or the dead-lift? Personally, I believe it’s the dead-lift but the squat comes in at a mighty second place.

The odd thing is, even though the squat is such an important exercise, I’ve realized that a lot of people simply avoid the free weight barbell version for the following reasons:

• It puts a massive amount of load on your traps which makes it uncomfortable
• Some idiots do it wrong and rest the bar on the base of their necks… I don’t have to tell you why this would SUCK if you’re trying to lift heavy
• They are simply too pussy and afraid that “something” might happen to their spine

Well guess what you complainers, today we have a device that practically eliminates all of those major drawbacks, and it’s called the Manta Ray. Let’s take a closer look at the product claims so we can learn a bit more about it…

Product Claims:

“Our patented load distribution device for the back squat exercise. Made from a hi-tech polyurethane polymer, it is virtually indestructible. Instead of the force concentrating in one small area, the Manta Ray increases the surface area by more than 1600% finally making it possible to focus on the movement. The front projections help keep the bar from trying to roll off your back. This allows most people use a more erect posture because it stops the bodies tendency to bend the lifter forward in an attempt to take the stress off the shoulders.”

First Impressions:

I have to say, I was really excited to give this thing a try. I have been squatting for a long time and seasoned squatters know that using the padded cylinders around the bar is a lifesaver when you need to pull of 5 led-numbing sets. Still, those things don’t fully address the problem because the “pain” of squatting comes from having all the weight rest on such a small surface area. The only way to eliminate the pain is to lower the weight (fuck that!) or spread the force around as much of your back as possible, which seems to be the main principal behind the Manta Ray. Cool.

The very first thing I realized was how absurdly SOLID this thing is. I mean from the pictures I knew it was one piece but I thought it was gona be this hunk of cheap glossy plastic. Well it’s not. This polymer is tough as shit but it’s also slightly malleable. It’s got a little give but just slightly… think of it as VERY VERY hard, glossy rubber. I don’t think there is any fucking way you could possibly outlive or outbreak this thing (as long as you’re using it for squats, of course). You really have to hold it to feel how sturdy it is.

Then there is the shape… it’s perfectly contoured to sit on your traps but one thing that worried me was the one-size-fits-all deal. I mean what would happen to the bigger guys? Well keep reading to find out. Overall, the shape is perfect… it’s obvious that Advanced Fitness has done their homework in this department.

There isn’t much in terms of a “manual” or “brochure” but it does come with a Quick Start Card. It’s got all the information that you need to get started, but I would have liked something with a little more presentation to it. Feels like it was just thrown in.

Here’s what I found interesting while scanning through the Quick Start Card: The Manta Ray actually “snaps” on to the bar… so that you can set it perfectly in the center before starting. This sounds way more convenient than what I had imagined: You resting it on your shoulders and then aligning yourself underneath it.

Real World Results:

So finally, squat day arrived… and I was ready to test it out. Immediately I realized that carrying this thing isn’t exactly convenient. I mean it’s hefty and kinda big (it does have to span across your back) so if you’re used to hitting up the gym without using lockers it’s gona be a bitch carrying it around with you. This gets a little annoying but then again, I don’t see any other solution as to how you could make this shape convenient (foldable version maybe).

What’s funny is how people stare at you while you walk towards the squat station with it. All eyes were squarely on me, as I decided to test it out at 9pm (a busy ass time at my 24 hour gym). Whatever, I didn’t give a shit what others thought, so I walked up, loaded the bar with some heavy plates (after a leg warm up of course), snapped the Manta Ray right in the middle… got under it and stood up. Hmm… felt a little different, but WAYYY more comfortable then the feeling of a bare iron bar across your traps.

I decided to give er’… and as I began to squat… something went wrong. I grunted with pain as the front of the Manta Ray dug into my collar bone. What the fuck?! So I re-racked the bitch and wondered what the hell happened. Everything seemed to be fine at first. After analyzing the shape of the Manta Ray, I realized something crazy… but I didn’t believe it. So I snapped off the Manta Ray and did a normal squat while standing perpendicular to the mirror. Sure enough, my speculations were correct.

The problem was that my upper body was leaning forward too much while using heavier weights, and the Manta Ray’s shape was designed to force your body to be in the OPTIMAL squatting position… so as I started to lean forward, the front part of the device went from “cupping” my shoulders to “digging into” my shoulders. It was as if it was telling me “straighten up your posture, ya bitch!”. What a lovely feature!

So for my second set, I snapped it back on… stood under it, made sure my back was as straight as possible and pulled off a set. EASY PEASY! It had to have been the most comfortable squat set of my life. As you pile on the load, the Manta Ray slightly bends and contorts to the shape of your back, giving you a snug fit. I now call it my squat condom.

In fact, it was so comfortable, I decided to go balls out… and ended up increasing my max squatting weight by 35 POUNDS! Upping your weight by such a significant margin in one workout is fucking incredible, but it’s easy to see why. My leg muscles could handle the weight… but the pain of the weight on my traps would have been unbearable. So as soon as anyone eliminates this bottleneck… they will BLAST past their previous attempts.

I walked out of the gym that night so damn happy, I had a huge smile on my face. My new squat condom is the shit! Point Blank Period!

Conclusion:

Let’s see here… the construction is solid and tank-like. It’s also got no moving parts which means it will be highly reliable. In fact, Mark (the guy who hooked me up with the Manta Ray) said that people have owned this product for 10+ years and it’s still performing as good as new. It’s effectiveness is really something you HAVE to experience, I mean if this thing doesn’t help you UP the weight of your squats by a MINIMUM of 10lbs per set, I’d be very surprised.

The only minor problem I have is with it’s sheer size. If you’re going to be doing more than squats in one of your workouts, you’ll have to to put it away in your locker because you can’t carry it around.

Then we come down to the price, $39.95. Is it worth it? In my opinion, there is nothing to debate here… if you weight train, this thing is a MUST BUY! And the fact that you’ll probably own it for the rest of your life is also very confidence inspiring (unless you’re a tool and end up losing it).

So after careful consideration, I’m going to award the Manta Ray 4 stars and give it my:

There you have it…  avoiders of the all mighty squat, you’ve got no more excuses left!

Click To Visit Manta Ray’s Website

- FitJerk

Discuss – So, when do you plan on picking up your very own squat condom?