I just got the bands in and started my p90x routine today.... within 5 minutes I snapped a band... Uh oh... I decided to email bodylastics regarding this to see what they would do... I instantly got a reply stating that they figured I was using it with p90x when this happened... ding ding ding..They offered to send out a replacement part tomorrow with my shipping address and offered this information below regarding using the bodylastics bands with p90x..
overall great product when used properly, and can''t beat customer service that replaces a product and replies that fast --
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I am sorry to hear about your experience with the bands. That is very unusual for a Bodylastics band. I will have a new one sent to you, if you respond to this email with your ship to address. I can help but guess that you could be following the P90x routine. If I am wrong, please let me know but...
Here is the must have tip for that workout routine. There are a few exercises that will be less than perfect the way they suggests you do them with the bands. The exercises are the heavy pants, the lawnmower, and the back flies. The tip is simple. The Bodylastics handles can be removed from the bands. Lets do that. Take off the handles and literally grab on to the band underneath the clip system. This will ensure you have no slack at the start of the exercise (the P90X video suggests that you need to start those exercises with a certain amount of slack in the bands because you need a certain amount of elastic to complete the exercise motion). Using this tip will make sure you have enough band length to complete the exercise motion also.
Keep in mind that you may come across an exercise that works a muscle or muscle group and the way the exercise is being performed is not comfortable for you. When this happens, remember that you have a Bodylastics book with a list of exercises that should be used to substitute any exercise used in any given program.
We discovered the tips while reviewing the program with the Bodylastics system. I am sure these will make the difference for you. Although I would again recommend watching the . I hope this helps. Please feel free to respond if you have further question.
Here are the links to the videos of the tips for the P90x program:
all exercises
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Having owned these bands for the better part of a year I have been able to achieve the same results as those of my weight bench. Not only am I satisfied with the quality of the product I am impressed with how challenging these bands really are! After using these bands I found that I was excersizing muscles that I never could with the weight bench! Don''t get me wrong the weight bench has it''s place. But not for my goals. For my goals these bands, a stability ball and a Iron Gym Extreme workout bar is really all I need to get the results I want. I also mountain bike for cardio. Being a busy person and usually finding it tough to spend much time working out these bands have proven a great fast solution to saving me time. Their construction is superb and truly do make other resistance bands look weak and frail. I will say you should probably use flat shoes or shoes without a lot of tread. This will prolong the life of your bands. There are books out there that provide info on the excersizes and workout schedules on how to use these bands as well. I am going to be trying the P90X workout here soon. Or at least portions of it.
Buy Bodylastics 13 pcs *MAX TENSION (134 lbs.) Quick-Clip Resistance Bands System Now
I have been reading reviews on bodylastics but have not seen any good comparisons to Lifeline USA products. So here is my take on both products. I tried the Lifeline USA TNT bands and they are far cleaner design. My main problem with them is that the weight advertised is 40lbs a band and with all 3 bands it should be 120lb, but that is not true at all. With all three bands it felt more like 30lbs. The design is very easy to do all band exercises and comfortable to use. I like them but the cost of additional bands to make more resistance is too expensive.The bands are top notch, i can even say they are higher quality than the bodylastics.I am not saying bodylastics bands are bad either. They are just very clunky design, the vinyl strap that holds the clip and band gets in the way of almost every exercise and is very uncomfortable to use. You have you have to adjust your form to make them not scratch you. The handles compared to the hard handles of Lifeline don''t feel like great while doing exercises. The praise for bodylastics comes from the bands, they are labeled and do feel like the weight labeled. The Black band which is 23lbs feels like 23lbs on each side and all the bands together do feel like 60ish lbs since they are actually difficult to curl. For the resistance/cost, it does beat Lifeline.
I would like for bodylastics to develop a hard handle like Lifeline since it may improve use of the cables. The Accessories seem kinda dinky, with loose strings all over the place. I can forgive that since it comes with so many bands.
Overall its a decent product but the quality seems to be beat by Lifeline, I will most likely want to use both products since they both each have their own benefits.
Bodylastics
pros: Band resistance is very close to rating, lots of accessories, lots of bands to make different weights, decent price
Cons: Clunky design, materials could be better
Lifeline USA
Pros: clean design, easy to do exercises, material quality is very high such as the handles and the bands, its cheaper but less resistance
Cons: band resistance rating is not accurate, additional bands cost more, only 3 bands at a time.
Well those are my 2 cents on these two products.Note: This is the original review I did for the Bodylastics Max Tension Sets. I have also used this review as the main text for reviews of the Super Strong Man and Family Edition sets as well as I''ve since purchased the Super Strong man and the combined Max tension/Super Strong man is the same as the Family edition (formely called the Muscle and Fitness Strength Band set) plus a few additional attachments.
I''ve been using elastic tubing for over 20 years.
I bought the first Body Shaper band back when multiple Ms. Olympia winner Cory Everson introduced them. I wanted to use it for traveling when a gym wouldn''t be available since missing a workout wasn''t an option for me!
Things have come a long long way since then and Bodylastics is a great example of the highest level of evolution of this modality!
As a certified personal trainer I do In-Home training exclusively and the primary form of resistance training I use with my clients is elastic resistance. I use it not only due to the portability of the equipment but because I also feel it is a superior training modality on many levels.
I use a wide variety of elastics in my training, from Slastix covered tubing, uncovered (aka "Naked") tubing for other applications, and mini-bands which are generally placed above the knees for a variety of hip work.
My clients get a great workout with this equipment, and since we do a lot of work from a standing, "ground based" position they build tremendous integrated strength from their feet upwards!
I also use uncovered elastic resistance for my Boot Camp classes along with the mini-bands and I''ve seen my boot campers get considerably stronger using this training modality plus they love it!
Bottom line, elastic resistance training works!
For my own personal workouts I also do the majority of my training at home also using elastic resistance. Prior to ordering the Bodylastics set I already had several types of equipment from a Powerbase unit, as well as a collection of Lifeline products (both the TNT system as well as some single handles) with a wide variety of their 5 foot tubing, I also had various single bands from various companies.
Lifeline makes extremely high quality products and the TNT handles allow you to vary the resistance by combining up to 3 resistance cables at one time. The only thing is that with the heavier cables it can be extremely difficult to exchange resistance cables so I tend to just leave the very heavy cables on the handles so I don''t have to mess around with that. Still, the Lifeline products are extremely high quality and I can''t say enough good things about them!
After purchasing and enjoying working with those two very high quality resistance cable systems I didn''t think I would have considered adding more elastic tubing based products.
However after seeing more and more about Bodylastics on the web, my curiosity finally got the best of me and after much research, including reading countless positive reviews, I recently purchased the Bodylastics Max Tension System
I have to definitely say that the Bodylastics system has really lived up to my expectations. The elastic tubing is made of extremely high quality materials and are very smooth through the range of motion. The metal Carabiner Clips make it easy to add and subtract tubing from the various handles for quick changes of resistance.
The attachments are very well made and are quite substantial. In fact the ankle straps are light years better compared to those that came with my powerbase unit.
In fact they are "gym quality"!
The door anchor is the best I''ve seen (in fact that is one area of weakness for lifeline, the door anchors are very small and I won''t use them) and I love that the max tension set comes with two anchors so you can have one high and one low at the same time for faster transitions.
This set also provides plenty of resistance and is more than enough for my purposes. I primarily prefer to work in a standing, "ground based" position because I like engaging my entire kinetic chain when I train.
One particularly interesting and common concern I''ve seen folks make regarding elastic tubing based resistance systems is that they can''t load as much for horizontal pushing movements (such as chest presses). This is based on the fact that they can''t go beyond a certain level of tension or else they get pulled back towards the door. However to me, this is a positive rather than a negative.
You get a higher degree of functional benefit from having to stabilize from your feet upwards rather than lying on a bench. This means that your entire core is engaged (and by core I mean from the hips up to the shoulders, front, back and sides).
In fact this is called "Stabilization Limited Training" (SLT) because one can only use as much loading as one can stabilize compared to having an external support. This is a clear embodiment of the idea of "being only as strong as your weakest link".
In day to day life or even high level athletics, there are rarely situations where you will need to move a substantial load while lying on your back. Life is lived on our feet from a standing position, so it makes the most sense to train in a way that enhances the way we actually function.
Now certainly if one is a bodybuilder or a football lineman who needs to focus on maximum hypertrophy in their upper body then of course they will be limited trying to push maximal loads from a standing position and will most definitely need to spend a lot of time doing more traditional bench pressing.
Likewise if one wants maximal loading for their legs they will most likely need to use heavy squats, leg presses and the like using free weights and various machines.
Ideally I would recommend that even those folks use both types of modalities. The Bodylastics system would be a great option for performing SLT type of training in order to work their body in a more integrated fashion. This will also help them, as J.C. Santana says "Put some hustle behind the muscle".
This would be especially important for a Football player who can do explosive combination movements such as explosive forward lunging (or stepping) while pressing with high intensity. Also since the elastic resistance is "reactive", it provides an intense deceleration/eccentric component which must be able to control from a standing, integrated position. This mimics the actual sport specific activity much more than lying on a bench and will help one learn to take the strength they got from the heavy bench pressing and apply it in a manner more functional to their sport.
However, for people whose primary goal is to get super fit, build a high level of functional, useable strength, as well as the development of lean body tissue, SLT training using the Bodylastics system can be used almost exclusively.
While I personally also enjoy going to the gym several times a month and doing more externally supported training, I use that type of training to supplement by band work rather than the other way around. If I had to choose one over the other from a pure integrated fitness perspective the bands would win hands down!
Comparing the various elastic equipment I have available, I would definitely have to say that if I was forced to choose between my Powerbase, Lifeline or Bodylastics equipment I would definitely choose the Bodylastics because of its versatility in terms of ease of use and equal quality.
In fact, I love this Bodylastics Max-Tension set so much I just ordered the same set for one of my brothers who is now involved in a regular fitness regime so he can have a set to use at his home and/or office.
I just wanted to mention one important point regarding using elastic resistance safely and effectively.
If you are using any form of elastic resistance you want to start the movement just about where you have some tension in the band or perhaps a bit further. But you don''t want to overstretch the band at the start of the movement.
If you need more tension it is very important to either use a heavier band or add more bands into the equation (as you can w/ a system like Bodylastics).
Not only does starting in an overstretched position put the band''s integrity at risk but you also change the way the resistance of the band will create torque during the movement which will be less than optimal and may create a loading situation that can put unfavorable stresses on your body.
Want Bodylastics 13 pcs *MAX TENSION (134 lbs.) Quick-Clip Resistance Bands System Discount?
This is really a great product for people who doesn''t have time to go to the gym or want an alternative to it.The product comes with a bag, so you can carry it when on travel. Also comes with 2 handles, 2 ankle straps, a door clip and a book with set of exercises.
Pros: portable, cand do exercises for all your body, you can use the book as a guide for specific exercises. It also comes with complete routines to loose weight and gain muscle. So far, looks very durable. Very high quality product.
Cons: the clip system decreases the range of motion for some exercises, specially if you are short and are doing exercises that requires you to stand on the tube and bend over. Still, that''s a minor issue since you can find equivalent exercises in the book.
Conclusion: Overall, it''s well designed and a great quality product. I use it when I don''t have time to go to the gym or when I''m travelling. I really recommend it.
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