I am a beginning yoga teacher and bought several of these blocks for my small, non-studio classes. I am a big proponent of using blocks and after 10 years of practice use them regularly - moreso than at the beginning when I somehow thought blocks were a sign of weakness!
These specific blocks are quite good. they feel very firm and sturdy in all flat hand applications. they "give" a little and are left with an imprint if you are on your fingertips or all the weight is on the heel of your hand. the imprint disappears pretty quickly. They aren't spongy at all. 2 Pack 4 inches x 9 inches x 6 inches Black Yoga Blocks - Saver Pack
There's not a whole lot you can say about a couple of blocks. These are well made with a very strong, yet soft material. If you've used blocks in class, then you know the advantage of these blocks. If you haven't, and you have trouble holding certain poses, these blocks are invaluable. These arrived promptly, well packaged. There was absolutely no odor that some have commented on. They have great stability and strength (enough to sit on 1 on it's end) yet they have a nice give when you are using them for you hands on the floor.
I had read a couple of negative reviews saying that these did not support well enough during yoga routines. I am a big guy, (6'5", 300 lbs.) and these blocks supported me completely. There was a little give when I pressed down on them for moves like half moon and twisting half moon, but it was absolutely necessary! If I would have gotten one of the other sets of blocks that are much harder, they would have really hurt my wrists. I now look forward to some of the intense yoga positions that I had not been able to accomplish before because I have begun to acheive them with the help of the blocks.
The sensation that you get when you press down hard on these is the feeling of a stress ball when you squeeze. It is very firm, yet extremely supportive. I also love the different dimensions of the block that allow for varied use in different positions. They are each about the size of a small toaster and I would not be ashamed to bring these along with me to any yoga studio I might visit. It was so convenient that these also came in a two pack that was about the same price as a single block from another company. I don't claim to be a yoga master, but for the average person who is trying to stay fit and healthy, these are fantastic. I use these for my personal stretching and exercise, but I also found that they fit perfectly into the Yoga X routine in P90X. I love these and would recommend them to anyone!
These are very good blocks for the price. That being said, u get what you pay for. I do yoga once or twice a week at home. These blocks are good, however i remember when i used to go to yoga class, they had, i believe, Cork blocks. These are foam. The cork ones seem to support a little better. These sort of have a little "give" to them. Granted, the cork ones i believe are almost double the price. If you are going to use these a lot, I would prob suggest going with the cork. If not, and money is an issue, then these are more than perfectly fine, just not perfectly perfect!
Yes when you open the package, the fumes will nearly knock you out! I put them outside for the night and the next day they were tolerable. That aside, these blocks are firm, but they're soft when you put pressure on them. They're not what I'm used to using at a studio because there is a bit of give to them. Yes they will do the job, but I'd prefer something firmer and closer to experience I have at a studio.
I remember the first time ever doing yoga with the p90x I was extremely frustrated and discouraged because I couldn't keep up with all the exercises, especially towards the end when having to lift one leg up and get into the Half Moon Pose. I couldn't balance myself and found myself tumbling over repeatedly. Thus, I decided to invest in a pair of yoga blocks and I came across these on Amazon. These yoga blocks proved to be really helpful, especially for an inflexible guy that has trouble touching his toes.
As the others have stated, the yoga blocks are a soft rubbery material, but still very firm. It's true that you'll leave your imprints in the blocks, but it's nowhere as soft as something like a memory foam. In moves where I need to reach down or use my hands to support the weight of my body, these blocks have provided very strong support allowing me to keep up with the yoga routine without overexerting myself or feeling frustrated at the end. In addition, you can rotate the blocks any direction to provide varying degrees of support. If you lay it flat on the broadest side, you'll get a minimal 4" support. Lay it sideways and you'll get a 6" support and finally lay it vertically and you'll get a 9" support. So the basic block shape gives great versatility.
Now for the flexible people out there, don't think that you couldn't use yoga blocks too. From the p90x videos, they also have a stretching regimen and a very flexible lady was shown using the yoga blocks as an extension of her leg to get the extra "pull". She was sitting on her bottom with legs outstretched and she placed the yoga blocks against the bottom of her feet so that instead of just touching her toes, she would reach for the edge of the yoga block to get an extra stretch.
These yoga blocks are an excellent addition for any beginner trying to take the next step or for an expert who just needs that extra stretch.
Hi everyone,
I'm about 185lbs and I was literally worried about breaking a wrist (or a neck/face injury) from falling as these squished under my weight enough that I could see them flipping out of position. I think whoever manufactures them doesn't know the importance of the block being firm. It isn't something you'd give a lot of thought to... until you get a soft block and start doing any pose in which you're counting on the block staying firm. Not exactly like the droopy gun in the cartoons, but enough for me to return them and pay for the real deal. Who knew, right?'
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