Equalizer Bars
 

has anyone purchased Equalizer bars as part of their home gym equipment? If so do you find you use them much?

I'm trying to decide if I need them. I've read a little bit of mixed reviews saying they weren't very stable and therefore useless.

I suppose the main reason I'm interested is to see if I can use these as a pull up alternative instead of resistant bands or a pull up bar. I'm thinking especially for P90X3.

Please tell me your thoughts and experience with these!

The Equalizer bars were not very stable on carpet for me. I preferred the ultimate dip station.

Now that I have a suspension trainer, the equalizer is redundant and i need to donate it to a charity shop. If you plan to get a suspension trainer eventually, maybe do it sooner rather than later. Even though I couldn't mount my suspension trainer from the ceiling (had to mount high on a wall), I still got a buttload of use out of it.

I am a little confused how you will do a vertical pulling movement with the equalizer? I couldn't even figure out a good way with my suspension trainer (although if it had been ceiling mounted there might have been a better chance).

If you're wanting to do pull-ups, I sympathize and know how frustrating it can be.

My fancy wall mounted pull-up bar that I love doesn't fit in my new home because the studs in the new place do not have standard spacing. So I am in the process of trying to figure out an alternative. The regular door mounted didn't work either, with our door frames. I am looking into a ceiling mounted pull up bar. But I might have to get a squat rack power tower thing.

I got one of these recently and I am using it mostly for inverted rows (which would be the pulling move) and lower ab raises. I'm glad I have it but I do tend to be an equipment glutton and want it all...even if that means I only regularly use it for a couple moves. :o

I don't have the equalizer bars, althought I considered getting them at some point, but I ended getting TheRack, and I've been very glad with it, not only I do like the workouts that came with it (I did the whole rotation), but I also use it quite often, it is my bar for barre workouts (it's high enough for me), for modified pull-ups (in seated position min. 5:21 , or you can even cross your legs and get yourself totally off the floor), I'm using it with my Body Beast workouts as well, when he uses the bench for support for calf raises and as a bench (with the seat pad on) for seated calf raises and abdominals (in-outs exercise), etc. so it has been a good addition to my arsenal.

LOL Colleen, I also tend to be an equipment glutton :o

How funny, I just bought a set of these off of Craig's List (and they are pink!). That is my plan for them, at least at first - use them for supine pullups and hopefully work my way up to regular ones on a bar. I found that using just one bar was better for modified pullups and chinups (the promotional clip shows both one and two bars being used for that). You might want to visit the equalizer website for more ways to use them.

The lady I bought them from started talking about Body Rock workouts and how she lost 45 pounds through that and clean eating. I almost asked her what her VF username was. ;)

For those of you that have it, can you share the workouts you use please? I am only aware of Body Rock using them regularly.

Ok, inverted rows/supine pull-ups are awesome. A favorite exercise of mine, but they are a horizontal pulling motion. Pull-ups are a vertical pulling motion. Now, there is transference. Gaining strength at inverted rows will strengthen your back and will help you get closer to pull ups. It won't get you all the way, though.

So, I wholeheartedly approve getting some equipment to add inverted rows to your routine, and think they would be a good addition to a p90x program. But, I hope you still do some lat pull downs with a band, too. It is good to work your back both vertically and horizontally. Workout DVDs biggest blind spot tends to be vertical pulling, with p90x being one of the only major programs that consistently includes them.

Bearcat fan, I also mostly used just one equalizer bar for inverted rows, because it was less wobbly that way.

I mostly used paper workouts.

However, anytime you are doing rows in a DVD, you could instead do inverted rows on the equalizer or suspension trainer, or other equipment that has been mentioned. Also, because so many DVD instructors program too many pushing movements and not enough pulling ones, I would frequently do inverted rows instead of the 50th round of push-ups or bench press on a Cathe DVD, etc.

there are other exercises you can do too, like the knee raises Colleen mentioned, which are a great core exercise. You could do them instead of the 200 crunches in a DVD.

The Equalizer bar company has YouTube videos showing different exercises.

I am not aware of a great workout program that is Equalizer centered. There are suspension trainer programs though.

Wow Sugar, that video makes me want to get the Rack! Are the exercises she shows on the dvd? I wouldn't be creative enough figure out moves to do on my own. She is amazing.

I own the Equalizer bars and used it the same way Colleen mentioned once in a while.

I also have a ceiling mounted Crosscore Suspension Trainer. I like to switch double arms rows on dvd’s for suspension rows. I am not using my ST at this moment because I am working out early morning and my neighbor has a newborn. I put pumped music loud when I work out. My terrace is an open space and the sound will bother the baby.

I find that a heavy resistance band row works the back well too. It is a different feel using bands. I love to squeeze my back for a few seconds on the top. Pauline Nordin once gave that tip for nice back development and I always do it that way.