The Bodylastics exercise system is a strength training program intended to help you build muscle, tone your body, rehabilitate from injury and increase athletic performance. Since the Bodylastics exercise system relies on elastic tube resistance instead of gravity (which is used by free weight systems and most home gym machines), momentum is kept to a minimum, and injuries are far more rare. In addition, the Bodylastics system allows you to increase flexibility and lose body fat as you build muscle.
Bodylastics is intended for virtually anyone who is looking to get into better physical shape. The high levels of resistance that are available when combining several high resistance bands together makes the system perfect for serious body builders in addition to more casual fitness seekers.
Though some cardiovascular exercise is provided as a positive side effect of the strength training exercises possible with Bodylastics, the system is not billed as a cardio exercise program. As such, those looking to improve their overall physical fitness should incorporate sessions of cardio in between Bodylastics sessions.
The Bodylastics Mega Resistance system, which is the most fully-featured version of the Bodylastics exercise system, includes several elastics, accessories and instructional materials. The contents of this exercise package are listed below:
Resistance Bands
- 2 Yellow DGS Elastics (5 lb Resistance)
- 2 Green DGS Elastics (7 lb Resistance)
- 2 Red DGS Elastics (13 lb Resistance)
- 2 Blue DGS Elastics (19 lb Resistance)
- 2 Black DGS Elastics (23 lb Resistance)
- 2 Orange DGS Elastics (30 lb Resistance)
Additional Equipment
- 4 Foam-Covered Handles (extra-wide for comfort)
- 4 Ankle Straps (which you can also attach to your wrists)
- 2 Soft Foam Door Anchors (which attach to a doorway via a nylon strap to facilitate seated back rows, triceps extensions, hamstring curls and other similar exercises)
Instructions and Support
- 76-page Instructional User Book (including explanations of 127 exercises in addition to fitness programs for various goals, fitness levels and sports)
- Muscle Building 6 DVD Set (including 18 strength training workouts from "Chiseled," an online fitness series)
- Bonus DVD (with routines for abs training, pilates, toning and muscle building)
- 1 Year Access to StrengthBandUniversity.com (an online fitness resource center with coaching and instruction specific to Bodylastics)
- Unlimited Access to LiveExercise.com (a website with live, streaming workouts covering plyometrics, kickboxing, cardio, abs routines, pilates, toning, strength training and more)
- Bodylastics Gym Bag
The Bodylastics strength building system is intended to work all muscle groups, including the core, arms, back, chest, legs and shoulders. By performing the exercises in sequence, you can experience a full body workout that will increase muscle mass, burn fat and improve flexibility. The Bodylastics exercise program includes over 140 exercises, and many Bodylastics users have created their own exercise moves using the system. Examples of some of the exercises that can be performed with the Bodylastics exercise program are listed below:
Abdominals
- Stability Ball/Chair Ab Crunch
- High Low Wood Chop
- Resisted Side Bends
- Kneeling Ab Crunch
Arms
- Standing Biceps Curl
- Standing One Arm Forward Biceps Curl
- Cross Body Triceps Extension
- Chest Down Bench Triceps Extension
Back
- Alternating One Arm Back Row
- Good Mornings
- Side Lat Extension
- Standing Forward Lat Extension
Chest
- Resisted Pushup
- One Arm Chest Press
- Standing Two Arm Chest Press
- Seated Two Arm Chest Press
Legs
- Squats
- Lunges
- Laying Hamstrings Curl
- Standing Leg Adduction
Back
- Lateral Raise
- Standing Forward Shoulder Press
- Shrugs
- Standing Front Shoulder Raise
The overall length of the Bodylastics exercise program, as well as the frequency of the exercises, is entirely dependent on your fitness goals. Generally, Bodylastics exercise system users will work on one or two muscle groups at a time, followed by a day of rest, followed by working a another pair of muscle groups. For most exercises, it's best to perform three sets of ten reps each. Once you feel like you can do more than ten reps of an exercise consistently, you can tack on additional elastic tubes to create more resistance.
While the programs vary in length, Bodylastics has placed a 6-week Visible Results Guarantee on their products. Essentially, the company guarantees that someone you know will notice your fitness results within 6 weeks of starting the program. Of course, you'll have more than double of this timeframe before you'll need to decide whether to keep Bodylastics.
The nature of the elastic tubing used in the Bodylastics exercise program provides for an ideal resistance envelope with virtually all possible exercises. As you begin a rep, the resistance will be minimal. In the middle of the rep, the resistance becomes more intense, and the maximum resistance is achieved by the end of the rep. This is a similar resistance model to the one sought after by professional body builders, which is normally achieved by attaching links of chain to barbells. As such, the Bodylastics exercise system can be highly effective when using the proper form, so long as you choose an appropriate amount of resistance.
Most individuals who use Bodylastics notice results within three to four weeks. Of course, seeing results this quickly will require you to follow an exercise plan provided by the Bodylastics program, which is available in the included instructional booklet and DVDs.
Bodylastics stresses the importance of using resistance levels appropriate to your current physical fitness level, as well as your fitness goals. Individuals seeking to burn fat and tone their physique are advised to use less resistance and additional reps. Alternatively, those who want to quickly build muscle mass and obtain a cut, ripped appearance are advised to use fewer reps and higher levels of resistance.
The entire Bodylastics exercise system can be stored inside of a single moderately sized gym bag. In order to properly use Bodylastics, it is recommended that users utilize a room with at least a few feet of space on each side of where they plan to perform the exercises.
Bodylastics comes with the vast majority of what you'll need to get started. However, in order to make the most out of Bodylastics, you'll need to supply a few additional pieces of equipment. Some of the exercises are ideally performed with the assistance of an inflatable exercise ball. Others are performed on the floor, necessitating a yoga mat or gym mat. Some users choose to attach the elastic bands to free weights, and for this, you'll need to purchase the weights separately.
Other equipment requirements are the same as for any exercise program. You'll need comfortable, durable shoes in addition to loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, water bottles and towels.
Since the Bodylastics exercise program does not rely on a traditional multipurpose home gym machine with moving parts, it has no strict physical requirements or maximum weight limits. If you haven't worked out in years, or if you're afraid that you're too out of shape to even consider a strength building program, fear not: Bodylastics offers benefits to complete beginners and those without a basic level of physical fitness. The Bodylastics exercise system can even be used by young children under adult supervision.
At the same time, Bodylastics can provide an excellent workout even to an experienced bodybuilder. This is accomplished by combining several of the elastic bands together in order to significantly increase the resistance. If you find yourself eventually requiring even more resistance, you can purchase additional elastic bands of varying resistance separately.
The Bodylastics exercise system offers the potential for a very intense physical workout. As such, it is recommended that you exercise caution when starting the program, and consult your doctor before engaging in a rigorous workout.
Support for the Bodylastics exercise program is available through email and toll-free phone. Customer service is available Monday through Friday, 9:00am until 5:00pm EST.
If you're not satisfied with the Bodylastics exercise system, you can return it for a full refund within 90 days of the date of delivery. Individuals who wish to return the Bodylastics system must pay the return shipping fees, as well as a $5 restocking fee.
The Bodylastics workout program also comes with a lifetime warranty against defects. Any part that fails or breaks will be replaced free of charge in the first 90 days. After that period expires, replacement parts cost $5.95 each, and customers are not required to send back the broken parts.
The Bodylastics Mega Resistance package is the most advanced Bodylastics exercise system available. This system includes various aluminum clip elastics, accessories and instructional materials. The Mega Resistance package, which offers a total of 388 pounds of resistance, costs $129.95.
Other Bodylastics exercise systems include fewer elastics, fewer accessories and less overall resistance, and are priced from $45.95 up to $99.95. Individual elastics are available as well. These products range in price from $11.95 (5 pounds of resistance) up to $15.95 (23 pounds of resistance).
Shipping in the US is handled through UPS Ground and costs between $10.55 and $11.95 depending on the package you choose.
Summary
Bodylastics is a versatile and highly modular exercise system, allowing you to perform a huge range of exercises using the bands by themselves or by attaching them to a doorway. The equipment takes up far less space than a bulky home gym, and costs far less as well. It's also incredibly easy to upgrade whichever Bodylastics system you choose to purchase by ordering additional resistance bands and accessories.
The fact that Bodylastics includes full access to LiveExercise.com makes it even more valuable. Incorporating one or more of the broadcasted shows into your workout schedule is an ideal way of staying motivated and sticking to a routine while constantly learning new exercises, and offers obvious benefits over watching the same DVD over and over.
One of the biggest original concerns with Bodylastics was the fact that the bands were prone to breakage, and this issue has been fully addressed by the company's introduction of its Distance Governing Safety (DGS) system. Overall, Bodylastics is an excellent option for anyone seeking a versatile, affordable and well-supported strength building program.
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