Bodylastics ***TERRELL OWENS SUPER STRONG MAN Heavy Duty Exercise Resistance Bands System with User Book

I just got my Bodylastics strong man band system and I am just blown away. I literally will never need to buy any other resistance bands unless I suddenly turn into The Hulk or something because these things are HEAVY DUTY, I swear it seems like you could tow a truck with the orange ones and it comes with two of those! I have not attempted to curl all the bands because to be honest with you I cannot even curl both orange ones which REALLY surprised me because I am by no means weak, I can easily curl 65 lb dumbbells for 10 reps. I am so happy I ordered these bands because they are just the highest quality I have ever even seen. The speed of adding or decreasing resistance is really going to come in handy when I do my P90X workouts too which is really awesome. Even the door anchor that it comes with is massive and there is no way that thing could slip through the door, the regular anchors I have seen I have always been to scared to use because they seem like if you pull to hard they will pop right on through the door and savagely bull whip your skin. It comes with an extra pair of handles too so you can have another resistance ready or share your bands with someone. Also two pair of the leg attachment. I know this review is getting long but I just wanted to be as clear as possible when I tell any and everyone out there who may be considering buying these bands that you should do it because you will not regret it at all. If your looking for some seriously hardcore bands that are going to build really explosive power then you have found them. As Forrest Gump said, Thats all I have to say about that.

The already excellent Bodylastics brand has undergone a very dramatic improvement with these new bands. Everything about this kit now oozes professionalism, from the ends (O-rings) of the handles, to the newly-metallic ends of the bands themselves, to thicker more comfortable ankle straps, even the bag having a section to insert the workout book and additional sheets. I hesitated initially, already owning a heavy-duty Bodylastics kit still in good condition, but am very glad I made the choice to upgrade.

Having paid for annual memberships at numerous gyms, including a few high-profile reputable ones, I believe I have discernment about quality. I did not imagine that this would replace every exercise, however since I now have a greater focus upon bodyweight exercises and a more streamlined approach to strength training, I find resistance bands to be an excellent replacement for iron.

The previous Bodylastics systems were very good, however they still looked and felt like a home-based contraption. These are at a completely different level now. This system could be included in any gym, anywhere, and no one would think them out of place for a moment. The action of the bands is tremendously smoother due to gym-like metal-upon-metal. The handles are thicker and grip better. Even the tubing looks and feels more high-end. Clearly much energy went into maximizing the overall feel of using this equipment, along with its raw results.

As previously stated I do not use this alone for a strength-building regimen. The primary missing ingredients for me are body-weight back exercises (pull-ups), body-weight chest exercises (push-ups), anaerobic training (interval-sprints), and of course the most neglected exercises of all, grip-strength. For the first I have discovered Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar, that can also be used for abs-workouts, with or without the abs-straps. For the second I use Jack Zatorski's Push Up Pro which I got for an excellent price, some prefer Perfect Push-Ups. Only quality running shoes are needed for intervals, and for grip strength I find Captains of Crush Hand Gripper - No. 2 and Gripmaster Pro Golf, Tennis, Musician, Strength Trainer to be a good start, there are numerous other exercises and pieces of equipment for developing this further.

These additional exercises are besides the point. For the brief times of the week when focus is upon overall strength development or maintenance, and a number of smaller exercises for supporting muscles, an all-in-one home-kit that can fit in a bag smaller than a typical backpack is an ideal system worth investing in.

One final small note, I considered the slightly-more expensive system (ten dollars more approximately), however the only noticeable differences were a DVD of exercises and a second door strap. I intend to add the strap from the kit I already own, and I consider the DVD to be unnecessary in my case. The decision depends upon whether you might already have an earlier Bodylastics system, and how much you know already about strength exercises.

NOTE: I have been using this new kit for a day and a full weekend when this review was first written, I have used the earlier version for years without a single breakage or problem. In a few months I will update this review, adding a review of its reliability under constant careful heavy usage.

I was a complete skeptic when I came across Bodylastics. I cannot stress enough how much I HATE going to the gym. I loved lifting weights when I was younger, but was always disgusted by how many people go to the gym to talk. I go to the gym to take names, or at least I went... Starting a few months ago, I purchased a set of kettlebells and dropped my gym membership. Not only did this cut $45 a month in fees I didn't get much use out of, but it also freed up some cash to invest in equipment I use anywhere and everywhere. Kettlebells. Medicine balls. And now I have Bodylastics to add to my routines, and after using them a few times, I'm adding them proudly. These things are built like a Russian beet-farmer. Another point is that you should ask a doctor if you have a latex allergy before ordering these. The reaction is nasty: trust me.

First of all, Bodylastics is not a gym in a bag. Gyms are a waste of time if your real interest is athleticism, period. Bodyweight exercises (calisthenics) are the best way to build athleticism safely without much risk of injury. Bodylastics are a great way to either add or subtract resistance to bodyweight exercises. The isolated movements that you're capable of doing with these that are associated with traditional bodybuilding are just icing on the cake. There are a million different ways a creative person can use these, and with essentially limitless amounts of tension... go nuts. As for explosive strength training, I'm going to stick to kettlebells, medicine balls, and boxing. For athleticism and stability: Bodylastics, calisthenics, sprints, and stability balls. Get it clear: Bodylastics is not a total solution. They are an extremely good tool to have in your kit. The value is phenomenal: they are built better and cost less than half the price of other... latex tubes from companies like TheraBand that don't even offer the possibility of modular resistance! It would be an insult to call Bodylastics that: Bodylastics is a product that is as competent as the brain using it. Look around your gym. People are stupid. This package gives you most of the potential of a gym membership, only your results are your own responsibility. No talk. No blame. Resistance tubes are based on real science that will get you outside instead of locked in a sweaty meat locker with idiots that have an inability to bathe properly and stand WAY too close with the blank stare of their oblivious soul.

Now for the bad news: latex is a natural biodegradable product that is harvested from rubber tree sap. Like any other natural product, latex is biodegradable. As an EMT, we are trained to understand that latex starts breaking down as soon as it comes in contact with the skin's oils. A latex glove is an ineffective barrier after about 10 minutes, +/- how much you sweat. Add in sunlight and repetitive stress and you can see where I'm going with this. These tubes WILL eventually break, the smaller ones are most vulnerable. While it is tempting, try to avoid handling the tubes BY the tube itself and try to avoid getting sweat on them. Also try to avoid long periods of direct sunlight. UV, natural oils, and moisture are the things that accelerate the breakdown of natural materials: especially latex. If you're moving nearly 270lbs of resistance and a small band snaps, it isn't a big deal. If the two big bands snap, it's a big deal. Take care of your equipment and your equipment will take care of you. The good news is that Bodylastics offers free replacement within 90 days of any broken tube and a lifetime replacement for $5.95. If you ask me, that warranty is far beyond what I would be happy with.

Things everyone should have: good shoes for interval sprints, a bag of chalk, a 35lb kettlebell, a jump rope, a couple of medicine balls, and Bodylastics. $250 minus shoes. Gym membership: $200 sign-up fee, $30-$50 a month in membership fees, waiting for machines, oblivious wanger-hangers in the locker room, disgusting equipment, herpes and other STDs on the shower knobs, and fluorescent lighting on beautiful days. Minus shoes. Do the math and take the $300 you're going to save and hire a licensed personal trainer to design a program and show you how this stuff works. You'll end up $150 ahead on first-year cost alone.

I bought these bands to use with P90X, but I did not use them for long. Most of the exercises were too awkward or uncomfortable to use the bands. If you are bending down, you will have to wind the band up and step on it. If you are sitting down, you will have to wind the band around your chair. This will be true with any bands, but I wanted to mention it because I bought them specifically for P90X and wound up buying dumbbells.

The one exercise I did enjoy using the bands for were the pull-ups. The door anchor that comes with these bands worked really great. I quickly moved to an Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar, though, and I feel the price tag on this set of bands is too high for a week or two of pull-ups.

The resistance increments between bands are also much steeper than the increments you can achieve with dumbbells.

Been using these bands for some time now and I really enjoy them. The inclusion of the heavier weighted bands really adds to the uniqueness of this product. It does however come with cons. I'll describe both below.

Pros:
Durable
Able to combine bands with each other
Large variety of resistance

Cons:
The attachments with the carabiner can rub against your body/arms when doing certain exercises
I'm almost 5'11" and these bands are a bit long for me with the exercises I am doing with them. I can't imagine them being much help for people under 5'8", would have to create a large loop etc. Maybe some can comment on this issue if you are below this height
TO package does not fit neatly into provided bag ;)

Overall great product. Love the replacement policy and they are great for P90X.

For those that want to tone up and build some muscle, these will work! An inexpensive yet quality set and you can vary resistance from light to heavy workouts.Easily will fit in a medium suitcase to take on vacation or travel. These seem to be very durable and will last for some time but care and common sense needs to be applied for longer life to the resistance bands! For example I would not store them outside or let them set inside where the sun shines on them every day!

very good product, beside the fact that my black band was rip on the part that holds the band, everything else was in great condition, I just got this and after one workout they are a keeper. I do so many weight training programs and need something to carry around. Let me tell you if there the type of guy that can do 60lbs to 130lbs in the gym this are the bands for you. the shippment was fast, it took about a week to get them, i have not check with customer care yet but when i do I will post the results. great product and very useful even when you travel.

I have always used free weights and was skeptical about trying these. But for about the same price as a 4-month gym membership I decided to try it out. It was a good decision. You can pretty much do any exercise with these bands and there is plenty of resistance. If you add push-ups and pull-ups to these you can create an effective, inexpensive home gym.

This is a very well crafted product. I bought this to compliment my free weights and use it for certain exercises that cannot be done with free weights. It offers a nice variety of exercises that are possible with these. I would recommend these as a stand alone product for someone who isn't a "serious" lifter and even for someone who is serious and wants to add variety for a cheap price. I have used these for 3 months now, and not one sign of wear or tear on them, excellent product!

The number of bands is great. They allow my wife and I to use the same set. The ability to use several bands together allows targeting the right tension for each set, and exercise. Using multiple bands together when creating loops to shorten the bands length can be challenging. The bands and are well made. The training material and web site have a been a great help to my exercise knowledge.

A good value