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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
109 of 111 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Versatile & compact, but with some caveats,
By Error404 (Southern CA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Body By Jake Tower 200 Full-Body Exercise Gym [Sports] [Sports] [Sports] (Sports)
After unpacking the box, the setup was reasonably straightforward and required no tools. The setup instructions were adequate, but I would have liked to see more, and larger, pictures. Line drawings would have been clearer. Also, the instructions don't mention that you should install the Tower 200 on the side of the door opposite of the way it opens (e.g. if the door swings out, install it on the inside). If you don't, all the stress from pulling on the gym will transfer to the door's latch and hinges, which is probably a bad idea. Maybe that's obvious, but I didn't realize it until I was almost done installing the gym on the wrong side.
The metal brackets that contact the door have insufficient padding, and may scuff up your door. I added some stick-on rubber bumpers to avoid this. The brackets are wide enough to accommodate a thick door, up to approx. 2 in. (5 cm). The downside is that if your door is thinner, like my interior door, there will be some forward and back play in the brackets, which will scrape up the doorway as the door is repeatedly opened and closed. I remedied this by fashioning some spacers to take up the extra width. Now on to using the gym. The great part is that it offers an incredible number of exercises while taking up so little floor space. Not surprisingly, they were pretty generous in saying that it offers over 200 exercises. For example, the chest press is counted as four separate exercises due to the four leg stances (close, regular, wide, and staggered). And one-handed exercises are counted twice, once for each side. That said, the gym still offers quite a few options. If you're familiar with free weight exercises, many can be adapted to the Tower 200 with a little imagination. It's worth noting that the Tower 200 is better suited towards some exercises more than others. Exercises that pull or press straight up or down, such as the bicep curl, work well. On the other hand, it's not so good with standing exercises that pull or press away from the door, such as the chest press. These exercises put tremendous stress on the core. While that's good for your abs and back, it makes it nearly impossible to get good leverage. I feel like I could lift more on a regular weight bench. The resistance is adjusted by hooking the handles' carabiners to one or any combination of the three resistance bands on each side. This is fast and simple, and offers a fairly fine range of adjustment. As with any resistance band system, resistance increases as the bands are stretched. This means that minute resistance changes can be made by moving closer to, or further away from, the door. The three pairs of bands are rated at 25, 35, and 40 lbs. (approx. 11, 16, and 18 kg.) of resistance. This provides a useful range, although 25 lbs. (11 kg.) may not be low enough for some difficult exercises, such as the lateral raise. You can overcome this in some instances by cramming two hands onto a single handle. The included DVD is well-done and easy to follow. It includes an 11 min. total body workout, a 3 min. MMA total body workout by Randy Couture, and three quick (3 min.) routines to target the abs, triceps/biceps, or chest/shoulders. They include some moves not shown in the printed guide. The routines are fast, comprehensive, and ordered to minimize the time switching the handles between the top and bottom. It would have been nice if the Tower 200 came with a second pair of handles, as shown on the DVD. Additional handles can be purchased separately, but I borrowed a pair from some other resistance bands I have. You could also grip the included pair of ankle straps, but it's not overly comfortable. Despite the issues mentioned above, the Tower 200 is overall a highly versatile and compact system. Recommended!
90 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good product, good price.,
By Judo Jeff "J." (U.S.A) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Body By Jake Tower 200 Full-Body Exercise Gym [Sports] [Sports] [Sports] (Sports)
I bought this item with little knowledge of it. I had read mixed reviews of it on here but decided to go with my gut feeling and just get it. It's a pretty good product over all, installs easy to any door, and is fun to use. The workout instructions are somewhat vague, but the dvd certainly helps. For those of you that are always at the gym or are in incredible shape, this wont help you much. For those of you that are crunched for time or have little experience at the gym, this is a nice workout item that can get you into shape. I incorporate this in my martial arts, regualr gym, and cardio workouts and it fits nice.
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big bang for your buck!,
By Iron Monkey (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Body By Jake Tower 200 Full-Body Exercise Gym [Sports] [Sports] [Sports] (Sports)
I purchased the Tower 200 at my local Target store for $200, which came with a $30 Target gift card. This means that the Tower 200 actually cost me $170. I completely agree with the other reviewer on all points. It's well made, easy to install, and you can start your workouts almost immediately. I suggest watching the DVD first, which is included with the package. The workouts are effective and fairly safe to do. The excercises on the manual look good but lack detailed instructions. If you're familiar with bodybuilding, I'm sure you can figure it out. The kind of people that would get the biggest bang for their buck, are probably weekend warriors that want to get in shape, but don't have the time or money to go to a gym. I believe it's safe to use if you're in your 40's or 50's. I'm a martial artist, and use it for conditioning and strength training. I especially like doing the 11 minute and MMA workout shown on the DVD. In my opinion, the people that wouldn't be challenged by the Tower 200 are hardcore body-builders or well-conditioned athletes because they may find the workouts too easy. For the average everyday Joe or Jane that wants to get in shape without getting hurt or spending a lot of money on expensive gym equipment or membership...the Tower 200 is for you!!!
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