Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Fitness - strength training, adjustable ankle weights
With regular use, the fine black sand inside the pouches will start to leak out and cover your floor, mat, and equipment with a very fine grit. The weights were difficult to put on. That didn't bother me too much (velcro alone might not work with heavier weights). But when the sand started leaking and I couldn't stop it, I threw them out. 10LB ADJUSTABLE ANKLE
I've seen other reviews for this product on Amazon, from other sellers. I purchased these because I hurt my knee and can't use my regular machines and free weights to do lunges, etc. To give some resistance to my floor leg routine, I needed ankle weights. So far (and today is the 1st time using them), they are great.
1. I have thin ankles and am slim/petite (112 lbs at 5'2"), and read that these slip around too much on smaller people. Not so for me. I wrapped thick socks around my ankles and snugged up the weights, and they are a great fit. I've done many sets of adductions, abductions,front leg raises, back leg raises, standing leg curls, and more and they haven't moved. I've also been walking around in them and they are quite comfortable.
2. I have been able to remove and reinsert the weights easily. I read other reviews that said this was difficult to impossible, which is why that was the 1st thing I tested, several times.
3. The weights do not leak (at least not yet). They are not metal weights, they are weighted packets but appear to be well-made. Now if you yank them out of the case and throw them around, they're probably not going to last. You do have to be careful in taking them out, I guess, to make sure you don't accidentally puncture them. I have small hands and was able to get them out just fine. In this respect full metal weights might work better.
So far no negatives. If I discover any down the line I'll revise my review.
May 25 update: Still great, no leaks, work just as they did on the 1st day.
The biggest problem with these weights is that they tend to lose their tightness over exercise routine. Namely, the velcro straps tend to loosen really easily and it's impossible to tighten them adequately to prevent movemement when they're on the leg. And if your exercise involves walking a distance with them, forget about it - they slide down the leg and rest on the ankle and bridge of your foot, as opposed to staying securely on the leg. You almost have to tie it above your calf muscle for any hope of them staying on. If you tie them on your shins, they'll just slide down, especially if you put in the full 20 pound weights in them. The picture on the box shows a person using them merely to do leg lifts which seems to be the only thing these are meant for. A system that provides clasping mechanism would have been much better.
At first I wasn't sure if I had them on right because there are no instructions in the box. I had to rely on the pictures on the box. I wish I had read the reviews prior to purchase, these ankle weights are clearly not for average ankles.
At first, I thought these weights looked like what I was looking for: adjustable weights and strong Velcro straps that nicely cinch on your legs and arms. However, I soon found that (a) it is very hard to changes the weights: it is very hard to push the weights into the very small pouches; and (b) the weights themselves are very poorly constructed, made of thin plastic which splits easily, such that after just a few uses I found that they were leaking sand all over the place and totally useless. I would strongly recommend against buying this product if you are looking for something that lasts.
I received these, took out some weights so I could work up gradually, and of course, my curious and slightly vicious cats found their way into one of these overnight. I called customer service and they agreed to send me a new one free of charge. I was pleased with that.
If you have smaller ankles or want to use these for your wrists, you may be out of luck. I started off with 2 lbs. each and they still feel a bit bigger than I would like -- and I am no skinny mini. Unless you intend on always using all of the weights inside, there may be better options.
I also thought these were nicely constructed - there is a velcro closure, 2 D rings, and a nice lining. I've been wearing these around work and NYC for three days (under bootleg and trousers pants) and cannot complain.
I used to have ankle weights with iron bars in them. They were a bit uncomfortable, and after about 8-10 years the nylon wore out and the bars started slipping out. So I got these Valeo weights March of last year - a bit more than a year ago. They were more comfortable (though still not very comfortable) and I had to put my foot up on a stool to support them as I put them on.
I use them for about 1-2 hours twice a week on the average. Today, black sand started coming out - they were worn through at the inside bottom. Compared to my previous iron-bar weights, or my expectations, this isn't very durable.
I will be trying a different and more expensive brand this time - the Altus Athletic 20-Pound Standard Ankle / Wrist Weights offered by Amazon. Almost twice the cost. I'll see if I get twice the wear out of them.
These weights are okay as ankle weights but horrible as wrist weights. I had these on my wrists while exercising and found that all they do is slip and distract you while exercising. do not buy these there are better products. - Fitness - Strength Training - Exercise - Adjustable Ankle Weights'
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