I bought the 6-pack of Ripcords with Black Sniper band in October 2008 and have used them heavily between then and May 2009. My intention was to use them for auxiliary exercises after my primary workout, and for that purpose they worked perfectly.The bands themselves: If you lift heavier weights these are fantastic for finishing exercises they really knock out a burn. If you''re just starting out or not into the heavier weights these are also a great choice because they provide a wide range of resistance, require you to use your stabilizer muscles on the exercises, and allow you to perform reps to failure with limited risk of injury (i.e., you''re don''t have a loaded barbell that you could drop). For what it''s worth coming from a regular Joe, I would recommend these for just about anyone.
My experience with the bands: Over time I experienced a problem like the 1-star reviewer below: with heavy use the nylon straps in the handle began to tear through the rubber/plastic part of the handle. This made it uncomfortable, but I solved the problem temporarily by simply rotating the handle so the tear was on the opposite side of the strap. Quick fix, and it worked.
More recently, though, I saw 2 more handles experience the same problem. I''m a reasonably patient person and understand products won''t last forever, but this was getting to be too much. So, I decided to contact Ripcords it was when I was looking on their website to locate their contact info that I was reminded of the LIFETIME WARRANTY on these bands. I contacted them by email and with 2 emails back and forth (all within a day and a half) we had verified my purchase on Amazon and they had given me instructions on how to get replacement bands.
They informed me that they had gone through 2 design changes on their handles since I made my purchase, so the tearing problem had been resolved. I asked if I could get replacements for ALL of the bands I bought since they all had handles that could potentially be a problem. To my surprise, they said yes without hesitation all I would have to do is pay shipping. Very solid customer service with minimal delays in finding resolution...
In the end, I ordered a whole new set of bands to replace my entire original set both the busted ones and the rest with the potentially defective handles. They arrived quickly and all I had to pay was shipping. The handles were, indeed, redesigned and built with a sturdier material. The heavier bands even had more reinforcing material visible on the handles, so hopefully all should be well moving forward.
Bottom line: Overall, a pretty good product combined with a pleasant customer service experience a rarity these days. If you''re in the market for exercise bands I would definitely recommend these without hesitation.
**Note: in my opinion, the shipping charges for the replacements was inflated, but it was still a small price to pay for a full replacement set.
**Another note: when ordering the replacements I accidentally ordered two(2) black sniper bands instead of just one (1). I emailed to inform them and ask them to remove the extra one from my order. The reply I got surprised me: they told me to keep it, no charge except shipping! They said I could use it myself or share it with a friend to spread the Ripcords love. :-)
I find the lighter bands are great for warming up and the heavier bands, especially the Black band, are up to forcing the issue with muscles. Working every other day (to let muscles rest and build [essential!]), I''m feeling stronger and could see some definition after the first 2 weeks. I''m on a 1100-1400 calorie diet for weight loss, too, so this helps with seeing the results faster. As a guy used to eating "whatever," it''s hard at times. Man or woman, you just need some trial and discipline. That goes for sticking with the Ripcords workouts, too!
If you''re Biff and want to be buff, Ripcords may only be a warm-up routine. For the 99.8% of us, I think you''ll be pleasantly surprised with this product. Buy them, stick with it, and you''ll love what you see in the mirror. Get through the rough days and stay at it. Good luck!The set I ordered was received just days after ordering. The price on Amazon is the same as on their website, however when I ordered, I received free shipping from their site, which was not offered on Amazon. These bands provide a great range of resistance, with the black cord providing up to 62 pounds of resistance, and the yellow as little as 6 pounds. I have not used them long enough to judge their longevity, but appear to be good quality. The handles are nylon strap with a plastic tube, which looks to be the greatest opportunity for point of failure due to the tube rubbing through the strap after extensive use. However, if the company honors their lifetime warranty, it shouldn''t be too much of an issue. The workout booklet mentioned in the product listing is a one page black and white xerox copy with approximately 12 exercises, so don''t expect too much there.
I purchased these for use while traveling since most hotels only have Cardio equipment in their fitness centers, so for this purpose, I believe these will do great and am looking forward to having them on my next business trip.Just used my ripcords for the first time in my shoulder and tricep video for p90x. I am pretty strong but to be honest i only used first four bands and they really kicked my butt. I had cheap walmart bands before and man what difference. The black and blue are very heavy duty and with six total you have a good variety of tension levels. If money wasn''t a factor i would get a rack of dumbells, but for 70 dollars and six different bands with handles, i was able to change from band to band quickly and get good results. Very happy with my purchace.These ROCK! I had ordered a set of resistance bands back in February when I started P90X and by the end of the first 90 days, I had snapped the heavy band and saw tears in the second heaviest. I picked up a set of Gold''s Gym resistance bands beginning my second round...and the same thing happened (not to mention that the "heavy" band was hardly worth the name).
I read the reviews of these Ripcords, and decided to give them a shot (since auto problems forced me to ditch my plans on buying a set of adjustable free weights). And all I can say is...WOW! These are definitely worth the money and the black Sniper band up to 62 pounds of resistance REALLY lives up to the title "heavy resistance" band. Plus...a lifetime warranty!
I''m almost done with round 2 of P90X and have told all my friends who are starting it that these are the bands to go with if they can''t afford the weights.
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