I am doing another product review. One of my readers (that is, one of my grand total of 5 readers) pointed out "for a guy who claims not to be commercial, you sure have a lot of product placements. And while I'm at it, exactly how many mentors do you have?"
Addressing the second question- I have a lot of mentors. I've been very fortunate that many people have cared enough to invest their time in my success. The only payback I can give them is that I try to take their advice to heart and pay it forward to the next group of trainees.
As for the product reviews, let me clarify- I do not take any money or compensation from any sponsor. That may change in the future- I can only hope that I am successful enough that people will pay me for my time. What I can promise is that I will fully disclose any financial relationships I have with any products.
Now, then ...
I am reviewing the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar. Right now, they are selling them for $29.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond.
I will first make a quick plug for Bed Bath & Beyond. You have to love their ubiquitous coupons that never expire, so you never pay list price for anything. Even better, though, is their return policy. I go through blenders fairly quickly- I use mine every day for protein shakes, and occasionally burn out the motor. I used to buy them from other vendors, but because the return policy is so good at BBB, I don't think I will ever buy a home appliance anywhere else. Great customer service goes a long way in building loyalty.
Back to the Iron Gym- it's basically a pull-up bar that can be attached without hardware. It claims to be used for other purposes, but I suspect that 90% of the people who are buying it just for pull-ups.
It does exactly what it says it does- I really like it. I am a big man (well over 200 pounds), so I am skeptical that any bar can really support my weight. But the Iron Gym feels pretty sturdy, and is easily attached to a door in under a minute. I don't see any issues at all with structural integrity of the door, and it has not marred the doorway at all.
Additionally, it allow for multiple grips- I use 2 chin positions, 1 neutral grip (which most bars don't allow for), and 2 pull up positions. I am 6'3", so a concern with some bar designs is that there is not enough clearance, but the bar only extends 5" below my door, so I can easily do pull ups with my knees bent.
So, I am probably the perfect demographic for someone who will benefit from this bar in that:
1. I am able to do a pull up
2. I don't want to permanently install a pull up bar
3. My gym doesn't have a pull up bar, which is a shame, since it's one of the most important resistance exercises one can do
It is perfect for me. On the days when I do upper body weights at the gym, I'll do pull ups on the Iron Gym at home. I usually work for several hours at my computer every day, so I periodically get up anyway for some other reason. When I get up, I make a point of doing as many pull ups as a I can on the bar. Since I, like most people, can't do to many at one time, this is a way to make sure I get in a fair number of repetitions over the course of the day.
There are some people who should avoid this product:
1. If you cannot do a pull up- you should be able to do at least 1 in at least 1 grip position to really benefit from the bar.
2. If you are over 30o pounds- at some point you may damage the door frame. I don't feel like I am approaching that limit, but the product label recommends 300 pounds as a weight limit.
Overall, I think it's a terrific product that fills a real need, and is reasonably priced.
