Gorilla Bow - Travel Resistance Training Kit - Black

Sturdy. Solid. Strong. And that describes me after using this Bow for a few weeks. Lol. Seriously as a travel MD I can’t rely on gyms.

Gorilla Bow - Travel Resistance Training Kit --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *****Review***** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a fitness fanatic where you can’t skip a workout because you’re traveling? Maybe you don’t feel like opening up a gym membership because you don’t want to ultimately be paying the gym and not going. Or hey! Maybe you’re the type of person that wants to start off by working out at home and doesn’t want to invest in home weights or fitness equipment that is bulky. Let me introduce you to the Gorilla Bow by Gorilla Fitness. The Gorilla Bow was designed to provide you with a full body workout as well as strength training. If you’re thinking that your heart rate doesn’t go up; think again. Not only will you be able to do a full body workout, get some muscle and strength building; you’ll also be able to get a good cardiovascular workout as well. I typically enjoy this type of workout because I like to do a full range of exercises with very little rest in between my sets and reps when I am at the gym; it gets my heart rate up so that I don’t have to worry so much about doing cardio. The Gorilla Bow has you covered. To top things off, the Gorilla Bow looks awesome. I had it at work and everyone was interested because it ultimately looks like a bow instead of just simple resistance bands. If you’ve ever used resistance bands, you’ll know that resistance bands are good. Resistance bands are versatile and you can literally throw them in a bag and take them with you if you ever need a quick workout when you’re at your home away from home. Honestly, I even know people that use resistance bands when they are even at the gym. Gorilla Fitness (makers behind Gorilla Bow) has taken those resistance bands but changed the way resistance bands work. How you may ask? By giving you the ability to attach the resistance bands to a bow. The bow itself is crafted of aircraft grade aluminum so that it’s built to last and built to be sturdy. Depending on what you need, you attach the resistance bands to your desire and begin doing different exercises. When I say different exercises, I literally mean all kinds of exercises. During my first experience with the Gorilla Bow, I was able to rep out some bicep curls, back rows, overhead shoulder presses, tricep and even some squats. There’s a lot more you can do; the website has some excellent instructional videos too so I recommend checking that out. The resistance bands themselves are nice and stretchy yet sturdy; so you’re able to use them to their full ability and do many different exercises. If you need different resistance, Gorilla Fitness has equipped the Gorilla Bow with 4 bands which have different resistance of either 10, 20, 50, or 60lbs. If that isn’t enough, they also have 80 and 90 pound resistance bands. I love the fact that the Gorilla Bow is so easy to use and it’s easy to put together and take apart for when you actually need it. I will for sure take it everywhere I go (especially on trips); I’ve even taken it to work to get a couple reps/sets in when I start falling asleep at my desk job. Overall, I have to say I am very pleased with the Gorilla Bow by Gorilla Fitness. Gorilla Fitness has also included a 2 year warranty to stand behind their product which is definitely a plus. One thing that I can safely say, the Gorilla Bow by Gorilla Fitness really gives you the ability to do a full body exercise while still being compact and lightweight. It’s literally perfect for fitness folks that either don’t want something bulky at home or if they don’t have the ability to workout when they are away from home. I definitely would not hesitate to recommend one of these to people that want to start something from home without the bulk, travel a lot, or simply want a different type of equipment for working out. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *****Quick Features & Specs***** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resistance training kit: Includes a Gorilla Bow travel trainer, four double-wall Gorilla bands, an accessory case, and band wrap. Portable design: The three-piece bow breaks down quickly to fit in a backpack or carry-on. Included bands provide various lbs. of tension: Choose a suitable resistance level for your fitness experience. Constructed with aircraft-grade aluminum: Creates a durable and lightweight construction. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *****What's in the box***** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gorilla Bow Travel 4 double-wall Gorilla bands Accessory bag Band wrap

Pros Bow is made of thick metal Finish feels durable Bow can be broken down into 3 parts Doesn’t require connecting to a door Feels more like free weights Allows more traditional movements like free weights Allows a lot more weight than traditional bands Cons Can be heavy for some Still large when broken down Travel bag not included even though it’s a travel kit Instructional videos are separated and mostly repetitive intro Instructional videos often have poor audio quality Include bands only go up to 110 pounds Design The bow is made of heavy gauge aluminum and feels very sturdy. Two buttons used to lock the ends of the bow in place. When the ends are locked in the, the bow feels like it is a single piece. Unlike cheaper products, this feels like it was built to last. One thing to keep in mind is if you want to take a flight with the bow and put it in your check-in baggage. Expect to dedicate nearly 6 pounds of your luggage weight to the bow. Included are four bands with max out at 110 pounds total. If you typically exercise with more weight, your going to need to purchase additional bands. Although this model is called the travel bow, a carrying case is not included but is available for purchase. For exercises where you need wrap the bands around your body, a sleeve is included so you don’t have to worry about pinching yourself. The sleeve can also be used to protect the bands when you stand on them. Usage If you have exercised with free weights before, the bow design can be a bonus as it is far more straightforward on how free weight movements translate to bands. An example is you can duplicate a bench press by putting the bands behind your back and pushing away from your body with the bow. Much simpler than a band setup that mounts to a door. It also feels much more natural and closer to free weights, including requiring you to pay attention to form and left/right balance. Although the progressive nature of the bands has a different feel, it’s still nice to have a relatively compact package mimic free weights much closer. The resistance ramp-up seems much quicker than traditional bands, possibly because they are shorter, leading to a more natural feel. From a hardware standpoint, the Gorilla Bow is well built. The website also appears well designed. If there is any criticism to levy against the Gorilla Bow, it would be the video tutorials. There are a small number of workouts for beginners on their YouTube channel, but the majority is dedicated to single exercises. This would seem helpful for more experience people just looking for a quick tutorial on form, but the issue is each video spends about three quarters of the time explaining who the person is and what they are going to demonstrate. Instead of forcing experienced people to fast forward through, the videos should either quickly get to the technique or just put all of them in one video. Where the channel really comes up short is workout routines for beginners. Another issue with the videos is often the speech is recorded with the built-in microphone on the camera making them hard to understand. This issue is made worse by the fact that the background music further drowns out what they are trying to say. Thankfully, the instructional booklet on their website has a workout routine for beginners and quick explanation for experienced people. Final Thoughts Overall, the Gorilla Bow is well built. YouTube video issues aside, the Travel Gorilla bow is a solid product that blends the advantages of two different types of workout equipment into a small package. Whether you are new to exercise or have been using free weights for years, the Gorilla Travel Bow can serve you well.

It just so happens that my Gorilla Bow arrived the day before flying out Ohio. I had already packed a duffle bag with what I would need but decided to try out the 'Travel' part of the kit and moved everything to a hard side roller carry-on. I was able to nestle the end pieces of the bow into the little valleys created by the handle mechanism that I would normally stuff with underwear, socks, and such. The middle piece had to go diagonally across the suitcase to fit (and this was with the larger of my two carry-on roller bags). All of the pieces fit and I was able to pack a few of the bands and the rest of my clothes on top and around. The next day I headed off to the airport. I have TSA pre-check which normally lets me blast through security but not this time. I was flagged for a baggage search and since the Gorilla bow pieces were all at the bottom of my bag, the TSA agent had to pull everything out. They weren't sure what it was. It could have been an actual bow for arrows or could have been two crowbars and a bludgeon. Either way, I was stuck at TSA screening for longer than I would like. It also happened both ways on my trip, so I was not happy with that. Also, for it being a 'travel' kit, shouldn't it be a tad bit more compact? I mean it breaks up into three pieces but the pieces are still pretty big and won't just go into a backpack. I'm sure that some of the reason for the wide diameter of the bow is for tensile strength since I'm sure they were primarily concerned about weight for this version. And if it is for travel, shouldn't it have maybe come with a bag? They sell one on their website for $40, perhaps bump up the price a bit and include it? That would make it nicer to pack if I am driving to my destination, which from now on is the only way I'm going to travel with this thing. As for its primary purpose as an exercise device, it is awesome. I have been a fan of resistance training for a long time, since I have had to do it repeatedly as a part of physical therapy for multiple injuries I have inflicted upon myself. All the physical terrorists (ahem, sorry, physical therapists - dang autocorrect), I have known have also recommended resistance band training to me many times in the past. It is super easy to switch out bands, and one of the best exercise series I like to do is to put a few different 'weight' bands on the bar and then I can step on different/multiple ones to change out the resistance quickly either up or down. Worked beautifully and the bow is nice and sturdy with a great texture on it so it doesn't slip. Do not forget to go to the Gorilla Bow website to get ideas and training routines that will save you a bunch of time trying to figure out all the ways you can use this thing. It really is a great portable gym, I just don't know how much I would use the 'travel' moniker.

Pros: * Deceptively simple. * Amazingly versatile. * Built gorilla-tough. * Breaks down to a manageable size for portability. * A great workout without a ton of excess equipment. Cons: * When broken down, it’s very portable and easy to store, but not very “travel” friendly. * Doesn’t include the semi-necessary travel bag. My Review: The Gorilla Bow is deceptively simple- t’s basically just a bent metal bar with stretchy bands that you can attach to perform various resistance activities. The design is capable of supporting a wide variety of resistance exercises for legs, back, arms, etc.. It comes with an assortment of stretchy latex bands that simply loop into the “claws” at each end of the metal bar like bow strings. You can mix and match up to four of these bands at a time to add up to a wide variety of resistance depending on the exercise you want to do. After attaching the resistance bands, you just anchor the bands somewhere like under your feet or behind your back, grab the bar and you’ve got a great resistance workout! There are a bunch of videos available at their web site to get you started with proper form and how to handle the bar to get things done. I’ve been working out at a gym for years with free weights and machines, but the Gorilla Bow is a great alternative without having to go to the gym. Their regular and “light” models (non-Travel) are one solid piece about 5.5 feet long. That’s not the easiest to store or even take with you. This “Travel” version breaks down into three (3) separate pieces that securely snap together. When disassembled, the bow is much easier to store or take with you, but it’s still about 7 pounds of travel weight and is still a significant pile of parts. This is where my only complaint comes in; when disassembled, the unit is much more “portable” but I would hesitate to call it “travel” friendly. Sure, if your travel plans involve driving somewhere; it will fit a lot easier into a trunk or back seat. The bag of parts is cumbersome and heavy to strap on your back if you are biking somewhere. Forget about taking it on a plane - you’re probably better off taking a break or using the hotel’s fitness center. To add insult to injury, only the “Total” bundle of the “Travel” kit comes with a bag to put it all in - the other bundles make you buy the bag separately. Otherwise, the Bow is incredibly well built, immensely versatile and a worthwhile tool in your workout arsenal.

At home workouts have always been something that interests a lot of people. It's nice to be able to live a healthy lifestyle and get your exercise in from the comfort of your own home. The Gorilla Bow comes in to be the next must have item for at home or on the go workouts and it mostly succeeds. WHAT WORKS WELL: - The design of the bow is very appealing! It is a nice matte black with a texture on it so you can easily grip it anywhere, it also has some definite weight and strength to it which is promising to know it will withstand your workouts. - Resistance bands based cables really are something that can give you a great workout and its very beneficial for using at home and on the go. They don't require a lot of space but yet still give you the same burn that lifting weight at the gym would. - Taking apart and setting up the Gorilla Bow is truly simple. The Bow is divided into three parts which easily attach together and then hooking in cables is very easy. Once set up you are good to go! I also really like how you can attach up to two cables at a time in case you want different weights that you can't obtain with just one cable. - Let me say this - the Gorilla bow will give you a great workout but it is not intended for heavy power lifters - the max you can do is 180 lbs (90lbs x 2 cables). But that is standard for at home workouts like this. That being said, this is still a great workout! You can get a great burn and do a few reps or light reps and there is a lot of different muscles you can work out which are all available on their website. WHAT NEEDS WORK: - There are still some workouts that are a bit awkward to do in the sense that you have to position the cables on your body in the right way, make sure the cables don’t fall off of you, and the bow is long. I get that this was the only way to do this design, but there still feels like there are limitations. - This model of the Bow is advertised to be portable and you can take it on the go. Yet it does not come with some sort of bag to transport everything together. There is a bag for the cables but not for the three parts of the bows. This is a miss to me although I think you can buy that separately. BOTTOM LINE: - If you want a home workout item that will give you a great burn, workout many different muscle groups, and still be able to hide away in your closet - then this is it for you! Products like this are really what are in right now, which is to do high intensity workouts that make you use your core and balance to work your muscles as opposed to a stationary machine. This truly is a great compliment to your fitness routine.

I am an avid runner and complemented my workout with 2 pairs of dumbbells and an inclined bench. This is a new addition to my home gym kit and impressed by various workouts you can do with this little bow kit. Its well built and a little heavy, but definitely portable if you are traveling by car. Registered on their website and got access to their videos. There is a personal trainer option with paid subscription which I haven't explored yet. Couple key things that I liked about this workout kit • Watch the video's on their website and follow safe workout procedures as you can hurt yourself if you careless in how you handle the elastic bands. Takes a little time to get used to it, but does the magic on your workouts. • This definitely gets you heart pumping if you try the aerobic workout routines • I personally liked the squat workouts that is a little easy with the low tension elastic bands. So far I was able to do some quick reps with yellow and orange band. Takes some effort to get to user • Chest press is my next favorite and it wore me out. Still need to get used to the high tension bands Definitely a good option for someone who has limited space at home and doesn't want to invest money in gym membership. You get the full workout experience with one bow and 6 bands and all you need is 20 mins of everyday time!

To start off this is definitely no toy! It comes broken down into three main pieces that all connect with easy push button connection. It's about 2 inches in diameter. Fits great in the hand Especially if you're like me and have large hands. It's made of a light but durable aircraft aluminum. It's coated and textured for a good grip. Included is the 3 piece bow itself, a nice draw string bag to hold your resistance bands (1) 10lb, (1) 20lb, (1) 32lb (1) 50lb and (2) 80lb resistance bands included in the bundle. I'm not sure if they're was a mixup with my particular order because the color of the 32lb band is supposed to be a royal lighter blue and the one that I received is a darker navy blue like the 60lb resistance band. It also has band wrap so that you don't have to hold the bands themselves. Personally this is ideal for travel or portability of a full workout setup. Can you imagine trying to carry dumbells around that would be the equivalent of these bands ? NO thanks! This will easily fit in a backpack or workout bag. Extremely light and easy to work with. I loved working with this bow and would highly recommend it to others!