Product Review: Cap Barbell 47-Inch Standard Threaded Solid Easy Curl Bar

 

This is a fairly standard E-Z Curl bar. It is not as bent or angled as some of them are, but it is not completely straight like a bar with which you would do barbell squats. The bar itself is about 11 pounds and you can use any barbell plates that have a 1" hole. The ends where the plates are loaded are threaded so you can either use a spring collar or a collar that can go on a threaded end. It is great for doing moves like skull crushers, upright rows, bent-over rows, and the like. It is definitely a good deal and perfect for a home gym setup.

Product Review: CAP Barbell Workout Bar, 5-Pound

 

I purchased this to use with the P90X2 workout, which incorporates the use of a weighted bar into some of the workouts. It is definitely useful beyond the exercises that are in that workout, for example, you can do squats with it across your shoulders as you would do a barbell squat, you can use it for skull crushers, or even a bench press if you get a version that is heavy enough). I definitely think using one of these is a bit safer than loading up a bar with plates, especially if you are working out at home by yourself. It is definitely a good addition to a home gym.

Product Review: Gaiam Pressure Point Muscle Roller Massage Stick

 

As someone who has very tight hamstrings and hip flexors I love foam rolling to work out knots, pressure points, etc., but it can be a bit of a pain because you always have to get down on the floor and devote probably a half an hour (or more) to doing it, in order to really have it be effective. This is something that you can use for a few minutes at a time, it is small enough to take pretty much anywhere, and you can get the same kind of benefit you can get from a full-sized foam roller. Like with foam rolling, it will probably be uncomfortable the first few times you use it, but the more you do, the better you will feel. It is mostly for use on the legs and hips (because those are really the only areas you are going to be able to use it on yourself very effectively) but if you have someone else around to help you, it can also be effective on your back and arms. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: The Step Original Aerobic Platform

 

This is a good option for doing step-up exercises if you do not have a weight bench or are not comfortable with, or cannot do, step-ups onto a higher object like a weight bench or a plyometric box. It is very stable and will not move as long as you position the risers correctly under the platform. The only thing that knocks this down a star for me is that it only comes with 2 risers instead of four. So, the most you can get in terms of step height without shelling out additional money is six inches (the 4-inch thick platform and the 2-inch thick risers). You can purchase an additional set of risers to get an 8-inch step up, but it would have been nice if those were included. Otherwise, it is very safe and stable and a good option if you do workouts that use the step platforms.

Product Review: Beachbody P90X Chin-up Max – Pull-up Assist Band

 

While this held together it was fine. That was until one of the bands (there are three bands that hold the upper part that attaches to a pull-up bar to the lower part where you put your foot) snapped and broke. And, unfortunately, you cannot buy just a replacement band, so you have to replace the entire thing. While it held together it worked as advertised, making pull-ups a lot easier, and providing a much easier (and safer) experience than chair-assisted pull-ups. But, if you use it long enough for it to break (which happens with resistance bands of all types eventually), instead of paying a few bucks for a new brand, you have to replace the entire thing. The bands could easily be sold separately, and you have to put the bands in place to assemble the thing, so they are definitely replaceable. That is what knocked this down to two stars for me.

Product Review: ProForm 20 lb. Neoprene Kettlebell

 

This is a pretty standard kettlebell. It is a bit smaller than the CAP kettlebells and it is metal so if you accidentally drop it on a hard surface it will more likely damage your floor than the floor damaging the kettlebell. It is coated (aside from the very top of the handle) with Neoprene, which makes it easier to hold onto. So, if you hands get sweaty. So, if you incorporate kettlebells into your workout, this is a good option.

Product Review: Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

 

These are, unlike some Bowflex products, mostly good. However, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First, and probably most importantly, they do have plastic parts, so you definitely do not want to drop them, especially on a hard floor. If you have relatively thick mats, like tumbling mats, it is possible they could be dropped safely, but most definitely not on concrete or some kind of hard flooring. I would be hesitant to even drop them on a carpeted surface. The inner mechanism could easily break in that situation, then you basically have a very heavy paperweight. Also, these are much bulkier than traditional free-weight dumbbells, which can be an issue if you have low ceilings and are doing shoulder-press type exercises standing up. I work out in my basement, which has seven-foot ceilings, and even though I am not extremely tall, I am tall enough that if I do standing shoulder presses with these I will easily hit the ceiling and put a nice gash in it. Finally, when you dial in a weight selection the locking mechanism does not always totally engage the plates so you may have to slightly turn the dial and/or jiggle the weights to get them out of the stack. The first two things are major, the other is relatively minor.

Overall, the ability to get 50lbs of dumbbell weight in a compact space is very nice. And for a lot of people, that is probably all the dumbbell weight they will ever need. The handle grip is much better than most dumbbells and they do not get slippery in your hands. I would highly suggest getting the stand that can hold them because constantly bending down to pick them up and put them back may be hard on some people's backs. They are also a lot cheaper than getting 50lbs of regular dumbbells, which is nice. I personally use these in conjunction with regular dumbbells, and for exercises where I am concerned about dropping them if I use max weight I use the regular dumbbells I use those, and for those, I am not concerned about it, I use these.

Overall, these are a pretty good option, but you do kind of have to treat them with kid gloves. Much more than you would ever have to with regular iron dumbbells. I have had these for years and never had an issue with them and do recommend them as long as you keep the things I mentioned in mind.

Product Review: Bowflex SelectTech 552 / 1090 Dumbbell Stand

 

This is the stand made to hold the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbell sets. I have the SelectTech 552 set (that goes up to 52.5 lbs, but this will also hold the 1090 set that goes up to 90 lbs. The stand is easy to put together and is very sturdy. It fits easily into a corner so it can be a bit out of the way in whatever room you have it in. Having the dumbbells up off the floor makes dialing in the resistance a lot easier, and saves you back not having to bend over to pick them up. I definitely recommend this if you have or are thinking of purchasing the SelectTech dumbbells.

Product Review: Polar Aurora 4'x10'x2 Thick Folding Mat

 

It is a good mat for higher impact activities like plyometrics, martial arts, and probably even some gymnastics moves. For yoga, it is good for some types of moves (like frog, camel, etc.) and not great for others (mostly balance moves because you can sink down into it a bit which can throw your balance off). Basically, any yoga move in which it is helpful to pad your knees or shoulders is wonderful. Any moves that require you to be on one leg for an extended period of time, it may cause you to lose your balance too much. For people who do the Team Beachbody workouts, it is great for most of the workouts in P90X, all of the Insanity workouts, and any of the other workouts that require you to jump around.

The only drawback I have noticed is that the seams will start to split open after a while. Nothing so bad that a strip of duct tape does not cure it, but given that it is not an inexpensive mat that could be a deal-breaker.

Product Review: Altus Athletic Pull-up Bar

 

This is a sturdy pull-up bar. One drawback is that the mounting brackets may be a bit too large for your particular door frame, at which point you will have to determine if you want to send it back or damage the door frame to install it. There are things that flip up from the bracket that kind of secure the bar into the bracket, which, depending on the size of your door jam, may not flip all the way open unless you take a chunk out of the wood. If they cannot flip all the way up, the bar will not go into the brackets. Damaging the wood is not a big deal if you own your home, but could definitely be a big deal if you are renting. Either way, you have to screw the mounting bracket into the door frame, which, if you are renting, may not be allowed anyway.

The other drawback is that once the bar is in the brackets it can be very hard to get it out of them. It is definitely secure in the brackets and really, the things that flip up from the brackets are totally useless because it is secure in the brackets whether those are flipped up or down. But, when you want to take the bar off the door, getting it out can be a pain. 

That said, once the thing is on, it is sturdy. I have never felt like the bar was ever going to come out of the brackets or that the brackets were going to come loose from the door frame. So, if you can live with the drawbacks, this is definitely a good option, and much safer than some of the "no-install" pull-up bars.