FJ's Verdict:

Product Name: Power Pushup 3
Company: Lifeline USA
MSRP: $39.95 Click To Check Lowest Prices
Availability: Medium-Low (Lifeline & Other Websites)
Warranty: 6 Months

Ahh the all mighty pushup… it was the very first exercise I ever bothered to do extensively. This was mainly due to karate classes where I was driven to punch faster and harder than the bigger boys (which was most of them). Needless to say that after being able to do like 50 in a row, it just got boring, so that’s when I turned to the iron… and fell in love.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I still incorporate body weight training into my program and push-ups are a big part of that, but now I rely heavily on variations that make shit challenging. I can’t remember the last time I bothered to do the traditional pushup…

Which is where the Power Pushup 3 comes in. I honestly think that Lifeline read my damn mind when they were creating this product. It was probably like “Ok… these normal pushups aren’t doing anything anymore, and not everyone wants to hit up the gym and do bench presses, we need to come up with a way to make the pushup challenging…”

And so they did. The theory behind this device is simple: using resistance bands that come around the side, your body gets continuously pushed towards the floor and when you perform a pushup, you are fighting against this force. It’s actually the mirror opposite to the bench press… where instead of your body being manipulated, a heavy ass loaded bar is being pushed towards your chest instead. Needless to say, the idea is fucking genius. Lifeline really know how to think OUTSIDE the box. Even if you have ZERO interest in fitness products, just email them and ask for a catalogue so you can flip through it. I guarantee you’ll find something you like… they’ve got some really unique pieces of equipment.

Ok enough jibber jabber, here’s the official word from Lifeline…

Product Claims:

“If you think push-ups and dips are effective, wait until you try them with the added intensity of the Power Pushup 3. With a total of six cable pockets, it offers the flexibility to adjust your resistance anywhere between 80 and 240 lbs., making it appropriate for all fitness levels. In addition to traditional push-ups and dips, the Power Pushup3 can be used to add intensity to lunges, arm rows, rear deltoid flys and much, much more.

This is precisely why professional athletes in virtually every sport have adopted functional training techniques and now you can too.

The grid of Lifeline’s patented cable pockets on the back pad let you build up to the serious resistances and develop real power.”

First Impressions:

So it came in this white box and inside you get a Training DvD, Instructional manual, a mini unit guide that shows you how to care for the bands and how to change shit around and of course, the unit itself with 6 R4 bands for a combined resistance level of 120lbs (Note: you can also order the more expensive R6 bands that gives 180lbs of resistance or the R8’s which max out at a whopping 240lbs!)

The build quality is typical Lifeline USA stuff… which is that it’s solid. If you read my review of the Powerwheel or the Portable Power Jumper, then you know what I’m talking about. This product is no different. I mean it comes with a 6 month warranty, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts you for decades to come.

Let’s talk a little bit about presentation. The brochure that you get is CLEARLY dated since it says Power Pushup 2 on it and the DvD shows the Power Pushup 2. Now at first I was confused since I had never encountered this product before, and so I had thought that someone made a mistake somewhere. I mean… I duno what the hell the power pushup 2 looked like, I just knew that I was supposed to receive the Power Pushup 3. After looking at the pictures on the website I realized that they just stuffed the old brocheure with the updated product. It’s a little disappointing… since it seems like a cost-cutting after thought.

But practically it gets the job done, since the exercises can be applied to either version. Still, if you’re gona updated the friggin’ product, why not update the whole package? It doesn’t make sense to me. You don’t see 2010 car models shipping with 2009 user manuals do you? Didn’t think so.

So moving on, it seems that the PP3 is capable of helping you do MORE than just pushups, you can also perform: Dips, Standing Chest Press, Rear Delt Flys, Lunges, Curls and Lawnmowers. I think they should’ve called it the Power Upper Body Contraption (P.U.B.C – pronounced “pubic”). I duno about you, but I think that’s a little catchier no? Its like…

“Hey FJ, watcha doing over there?”

”Oh  you know… just working out on my brand new power pubic! It’s got 6 strands and provides 120lbs of resistance bro, check it out!”

I know, I’m a marketing genius. If you’re a brand new fitness start up company… holla!

Back to the review (focus FJ… comon now!), what I find REALLY nifty is the wide range of resistance levels that you can accommodate. For example, if you use 3 bands on each side and slot them in all the three pockets, then you’ll have your max resistance level of 120lbs. To make it slightly easier, you can extend them out by having them in only 2 pockets. Or you can use 2 bands with 3 pockets. Or 2 bands with 2 pockets or 1 band with 3 pockets… do you get my point here? The variations are near endless. Awesome sauce!

For the sake of examples and to un-confuse you, here’s a pic of me using all 3 bands with 2 pockets…

And here’s how you’d use 1 band with 2 pockets (for the wimps)

Real World Results:

I don’t know how to lead into this shit, so I’ll just say it… I’m gona start with the bad. DO NOT use the pubic, er… Power Pushup without a shirt on. Here’s the problem: If you see the pics of the PP3, you’ll notice that it comes with thick padding so that the bands rest ON it while you perform the pushup preventing any type of annoying contact with your body.

The theory behind this is fine but the execution is wayy off. Every time I used the power pushup, the resistance from the bands ended up pushing the pad out of the way and if you’ve ever had a really grippy rubber-band like thing contract at full force near skin, you can probably guess what happened. SKIN PINCH!

I was left with red strips on my sides, and I’m a brown dude. If you can see red on me, that’s a no-no. The first time this happened, I thought it was probably just me… I mean this is a new piece of equipment and I probably just fucked up, right? Nope… even after carefully positioning the bands on top, the pad just wouldn’t stay put after about 3-4 reps. Since I’ve been using this thing for the past month or so… I found out that the only way around this problem is to either use 1-2 bands or wear a shirt or sweat shirt… because then the bands don’t end up sticking to them as easily as they do on skin. This is a little unfortunate as I don’t like taking U-turn around problems. Seems like a very “bandage solution”.

So that’s the bad, is it a deal breaker? Well it could have been, but fortunately the performance of the thing truly knocked my socks off. Forget push-up bars or any of those other pieces of equipment… the quality of pushups the PP3 delivers is second to NONE. The only other chest workout that I’d prefer over this would be the decline/incline bench press, and that’s saying something.

The sensation is a little awkward at first since I’ve never done something which progressively forces my body to accelerate towards the floor but after a few workouts, you can really get cracking. If you’re sick of the normal pushup, you WILL see results with this, and the fact that you can really slow down the eccentric portion of the exercise is a big plus in my books.

Conclusion:

So right now you’re probably wondering… when it boils down to it, what’s FJ’s verdict?

Well this is where I was fucking stumped. I mean REALLY stumped! I sat here, on my chair staring at the PP3, my wall, my scribbled notes and the shiny brochure that says “2” instead of “3” on it for literally half an hour because I couldn’t decide on what to score it.

See on one hand… it’s got this annoying design flaw which can be fixed by adding simple little loops at the end of the padding so the bands stay put. Kind of like the train tracks concept. It also comes with an outdated brochure along with a DvD where the audio is a little messed up so hearing the guy is hard at times.

BUT… and it’s a very deep, manly and gutted “but”

…On the OTHER hand, the performance it delivers is second to none. Don’t think I’m joking here folks, I’ve stopped doing the regular bench press (i only do incline/decline) because that’s how good it is. If I was to rate the Power Pushup 3 on this aspect alone, I wouldn’t think twice about giving it a 5/5. Over the past month it has provided some awesome workouts and you can throw it in a gym bag because it’s decently portable, therefore I kinda grew attached to it.

Anyways, since I had all these conflicting thoughts, I stopped writing, put the lappy to sleep and made some tea. I read a book, talked to some friends and after about 2 hours, I finally had some clarity. I woke up my laptop and realized that this is a god damn review, MY REVIEW, and there is no room for emotions here. I promised myself I’d never compromise the truth and even though I consider myself a huge Lifeline USA fan, it’s evident that they have some work to do and some kinks to fix. This is why I’m giving the Power Pushup Three, 3.5 starts outta five. Life can be such a bitch.

…I anxiously await my power “pubic” v4. I know it will ooze perfection. I like perfection.

Learn More About The Power Pushup!

- FitJerk

Discuss – What did you think? Are you looking for a new way to spice up the good ol’ pushup? Would you consider this?