Friday, 27 May 2011
Fitness Power Tower - chin up bar, dip station
At under $100 this chin up/tricep dip is a great value. The item arrived without any damage and was easy to assemble with one person without any additional tools.
I am 240 lbs (250 is the weight limit for this equipment) and the feeling is solid during use. Stamina 1690 Power Tower
Just received this awesome purchase yesterday and I have to say I'm impressed. First off, the delivered packaging box was slightly damaged but thankfully nothing inside was harmed. Every nut, bolt, washer, etc. was intact and no missing parts! The tools needed to put the tower together were included. It will take about an hour or so to complete solo.
I'm 5'9 / 180lbs and it does not wobble during use for me. I did the push-ups, dips and pull-ups and it was stable throughout. As for the foam grips around parts of the handles, etc. they are comfortable for me. I don't have large hands so that's probably a factor. I also get a good reach / extension from the pull-bars so my reps with them feel alot better vs. my previous door frame bar.
I did alot of research for power towers before making this purchase. So for the price + free shipping, this tower gets the job done for me!
This pull up bar sounds like a much more sturdy stand than it truly is. I got it to do P90X program. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 200 lbs. The weight limit is 250, but the whole structure bends slightly when I do pull ups. The height is actually lower than the door jam pull up bar (or the same -- very close and frustrating). I have previously owned a Weider pull up bar in multi-station home gym, and it was much superior. The Weider construction never "bent" or ever felt unstable. I constantly feel like this is going to collapse thanks to the weaker hollow tube construction (tubes more thin unlike the heavy metal of a Weider). All in all, you can spend just a few dollars more and get a Weider. The only advantage this unit has is simple construction and portability. I've had difficulty moving the Weider equipment, and actually sold the last one at a substantial loss when I moved. I just wanted a simple pull up unit, and expected this to be more sturdy. It was a total waste of about $100, when I could have gotten THIS level of pull up bar in a much cheaper door jam unit. I do not recommend this for adults doing pull-ups. For children -- yes. The push up feature is also stupid. $20 push up hand grips do the job. Again, useless features and just a cheap alternative to Weider. I suppose one gets what one pays for and I was stupid in making this purchase. That's the bottom line -- it's made me feel stupid for purchasing it cause the unit is so lame.
I was reluctant to buy based on a few reviews from others about stableness. I'm 6'1, 185 and needed something that could handle a lot of pull-ups. After purchasing and setting it up I couldn't be happier. The tools they give you to tighten everything down aren't the best, I suggest getting a wrench and a ratchet...would work MUCH better. If you are sure to tighten everything down really good, then you won't have any problems. I suspect that those who were complaining about wobbliness didn't tighten everything down good enough. The nylon lined nuts make you think it's tight but continue until you can't turn the nuts anymore. Again, much easier with a ratchet. I'm pleased..couldn't have gotten better for the money.
Dips and pullups are what I wanted to be able to do and this is a great piece of equipment to do just that. It's sturdy, easy to assemble, and doesn't take up too much room. I am 6'3" and 220 lbs and it works for me no problem.
I specifically wanted a PT to do only dips and pull ups that was not overly priced, yet structurally solid. I feel like I won on all counts with this one.
As a point of reference, I am 6'1" and weigh 180#.
1) Price is very good. Its hard to get more competetive than $99 with free shipping.
2) Assembly seemed intimidating at first given the somewhat poorly drawn pictures/instructions, but after I separated all of the parts, it took me two Southpark episodes to complete it without any assistance using only a socket wrench and an adjustable wrench. It comes with 2 wrench like devices if you don't have any.
3) I put it together on a carpet so there is some unevenness to the foundation similar to an uneven table at a restaurant.
4) Despite #3, there is absolutely no sway with pullups and minimal sway with dips. The sway with dips has absolutely no negative impact on my performance. I use it on a carpet without a mat.
5) Counterintuitive to the lower price, the over unit feels very solid and is made of what appears to be strong steel.
6) The only negative I can think of is that the grips on the pullups feel as if they have a smaller diameter than the dip grips (as another reviewer pointed out). Dips feel comfortable, but pullups feel odd - almost as if they hurt my hands - but not quite.
7) The "cheating bar" to stand on ensures that I will continue to progress beyond my meager ability to currently perform 5 pullups without assistance.
I am pleased with this purchase and would recommend it. - Chin Up - Power Tower - Dip Station - Chin Up Bar'
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