Customer Reviews

Body By Jake Tower 200 Full-Body Exercise Gym [Sports] [Sports] [Sports]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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!

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.

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!!!

Going in with realistic expectations, the tower 200 is what I figured it would be. First, one question I wasnt sure about when I bought this is, you need put it on a door with space at the top and bottom. A door that leads to outside will not work. As far as functionality, I have never used band resistance machines before, and from using this a few times I think I like weights and free weight machines at the gym better, but for an at home unit that takes up virtually no space this offers a wide range of exercises and there is more than enough weight(resistance). The 11 minute program they give you is pretty good. Its basically a non stop 11 complex exercise (multiple muscles exercised per set)routine. They also give you a book that contains a lot of other moves you can do with the tower for all muscle groups. The whole MMA thing is a marketing ploy really, but they do give some exercises from MMA training that you can use on the tower.

Overall, you are able to get a complete workout with this that will allow you to stay in or get in good shape with legitimate muscle tone.

Great product idea but not sturdy enough. The cables were not equal at 25lbs and at 45lbs. I felt less resistance on the left side of the tower. The hook for the straps snapped during a work out. I was unable to do a complete workout due to the failure of the hooks and resistance. Customer service was excellent with Cali-Wholesale who sent me another unit for free but unfortunately I had the same issues with resistance and the cables were tangled on the 2nd unit. Thank you Cali-Wholesale for the best customer service experience I have ever experienced when shopping online. I give you guys 5 stars for your quick response and fast shipping.

Being a personal trainer for clients in their homes I'm always on the lookout for equipment that has the functionality of that in the health clubs, but is easy to transport and set up. I've recently discovered the Tower 200 from Body By Jake.

I've used it in my home now for about two weeks and I'm very immpressed! It has allowed me to do all kinds of exercises that I either can't do or don't like doing with dumbbells. The way it's set up is very remminisent to the Freemotion Dual Cable Crossover that all of us trainers fight for at the gym.

I like this gym so much that I wrote a full review for it on my website [...]

The tower 200 is a great product, I've read so many reviews here that sound like the people who wrote them don't know what the finkle they're talking about. This product is indeed capable of building muscle, improving endurance, and greatly increasing your tone/definition.(No I do not work for, or am I an Affiliate in any kind of way) But as a fitness enthusiast, I have to be honest when a product is good or bad, and the Tower 200 is definitely a good product.

Note: If you are buying the tower 200 because you think you will see randy couture on the Dvd, or randy will be the one instructing your workouts, LOL you have been got!
Randy Is just endorsing the product, the only places you will see randy is on the box, on the cover of the workout guides, and on the dvd menu. So if you're only buying because of randy, I'll say keep your money.

Facts:
1.anyone who has experience working out should already know what to do with the tower 200 without watching a dvd or reading any workout guides.

2.The tower 200 comes with 200lbs of resistance which should be enough to get you a pretty good home workout for mass, definition, and endurance.

3.If you want to get the best out of the tower, don't just stick to the DVD, look up some free weight and cable exercises and use the ones you want.

4. unless you can lift 100lbs on all your workouts, STFU! you don't need 100lbs for every lift you do(I say 100lbs because 100lbs on both sides = 200lbs.

5. If you think I'm some noob writing this review you can see me at [...]

I am a 100 percent disabled vet. That means that I don't have the money for a gym -- though I'd love to go to one so that I could not only use the weights, but also swim. Buying the Tower 200 required saving some money to make the purchase. I have used resistance bands before and sort of knew what to expect, but my expectations were exceeded in that I can really work my body to the limits of my disability -- and it is easy to overdo it.

Installing the unit was easy -- with the help of my wife. I pulled the bands up to take the pressure off while my wife moved the top-ends up to the top of the frame. Granted, I don't think that the actual weight value is 25, etc., pounds, but it is close enough to give me a workout. I combine this with walking around my neighborhood (1 mile total). This, believe it or not, is what I needed to lose fat and tone my muscles. I have a real problem with my back (low to upper back -- damage due to jumping from aircraft). If I'm not careful, I can overdo it on this device, and have. Took a few days for my back to cool down and stop hurting.

Some years ago, my wife also purchased a Total Gym. I use it primarily for leg exercises. Every other muscle group I can do on the Tower 200. I still have a set of dumbells and use them to add variety to my workouts. I think that overall it is the variety that really helps.

To find out if this is for you, buy a small resistance tube set at Wal-Mart or here online at Amazon, and try it for a while. If you like it, then move on to the Tower 200. No, you won't get big like those Mr. Olympia guys, but you will certainly improve your physical appearance and health.

PROs: easy to install, convenient, the brackets that fit over/under the door are thin so it doesn't prevent the door from closing, good variety of workouts

CONs: some parts are plastic/cheaply built, one of my brackets broke in the first hour of using it, but it was only the bottom bracket of the weakest rope, so no big deal. The 45 lb rope on one side feels stronger than the other.

1) Equipment set up was easy.
2) Provided 10 good quality workouts.
3) Pulley broke after about 10 workouts.
4) Body by Jake does not provide warranty unless purchased from select authorized resellers.(not Amazon)
5) If purchased from body by jake, only metal frame is warranted after 30 days.