Substitute for Firm Sculpting Stick

[LAParent]

What do you all use to substitute for the Firm's Sculpting Stick? A Body Bar? If so, what weight, or do you use several.

I'm an intermediate exerciser trying to get advanced, so I don't want to use a non-weighted stick. Or should I use a broomstick for the squat work and a weighted bar for the other times they use the stick?

[Helen S]

You can use either a body bar or a barbell (whatever weight is appropriate for you, I use several). If they are using it as a balance tool, you can just use any stick or broom handle. If they are using the twigs, you can use dumbbells.

Helen

[LAParent]

I wonder who thought up "Twigs"? It is such a dumb name. If I wanted to use a body bar should I just get the 9 lb one that is closest in weight to the stick? Or should I try to heavy up to increase the intensity of the workout (or is that asking for trouble?).

[Loretta S.]

I use a 9 lb body bar when I'm doing the BSS2 videos. There are some of the moves that you could go heavier, but they do sometimes move the bar around pretty quickly. Maybe you could start with a 9lb and then get a heavier one later. Actually I find the 9lb one useful for a lot of different things.

[Helen S]

Originally Posted by LAParent

I wonder who thought up "Twigs"? It is such a dumb name. If I wanted to use a body bar should I just get the 9 lb one that is closest in weight to the stick? Or should I try to heavy up to increase the intensity of the workout (or is that asking for trouble?).

I bet it was GoodTimes that came up with the term "twigs" since they're calling the bar a stick. I think the most versatile size for a bodybar is either 12 or 15 lbs. So you might want to buy the 12 lb bar. Then in the future, if you decide to buy bodybar workouts, you can use your bodybar.

I bought Karen's weighted bar. Here's a link:

http://www.karenvoight.com/store/tool.asp?id=BAR14

It starts out as 12 lbs but you can add extra weight to make it heavier.

FWOnline is having a December sale on their Challenge Pro bars. They are cheaper than the BodyBar brand. But the shipping is expensive too because of the weight of the bars. So I don't know if you'll be able to find it cheaper by visiting a sporting goods store. I bought an 8 lb bodybar that can also be converted into two 4 lb bodybars (it screws in the middle). It was $20 at Big 5.

http://www.fwonline.com/cpbars.htm

Helen

[janile]

I agree with Loretta S. and say that I'd start with a 9 lb body bar for BSS2 because they do move the stick around quite fast in many of the moves. I also agree that you can use just about anything long and thin for the balance moves on the flooor (broomstick, body bar, etc.), but I have to chime in here and say that I don't think anyone should use a stick for balance when doing step ups. In my humble opinion, if you need a stick for balance while you're doing step ups, then the Fanny Lifter is too high for you and you should be stepping up onto something else (something lower).

[Colleen]

I use Leisa Hart's Core Bar. It's designed like the Firm stick, but the quality is much, much better. The center bar weighs 4 lbs and it comes with two pairs of detachable ends (2 lbs each or 4 lbs each).

Even though I have the bar, I prefer to use dumbbells for the strength exercises in the Firm workouts. I use the bar for balance and 4-limb aerobics in the BSS2 workouts (instead of the stick).

I haven't used it for much else because I generally prefer to use dumbbells for strength exercises. I have a couple of Method workouts that use a light weighted bar, so I'll probably try it with those. I don't have a dowel, so it comes in handy for that too. I guess it was an extravagant purchase since I don't use it often, but worth it because I got it for a presale price at Amazon.

[GymRatt]

I've found that the stick is mostly used for balance in a lot of the videos. I find many of the exercises more challenging by holding nothing. For others, I actually prefer dumb bells...

[Kathryn]

A dowel for balancing moves (I bought one at a local hardware store, along with some rubber furniture feet covers that fit on it, for around $3.) For weighted work, dumbbells or a barbell with no weights on, or light weights, would work.

[cz639]

I use a bar made by Body Flux that weighs 11 pounds. It's almost identical to Karen Voight's weighted bar. It came with doughnut weights to increase the weight. The Body Flux bar can be unscrewed in two different places for compact storage.