This review is for the Elite FTS Blast Straps.
What are they? Basically, a pair of rolling-grip handles on straps. Not rings - the handle is straight, not curved - but they cover a lot of the same ground.
What are they used for? A lot, actually.
Over on the Elite FTS page there is a PDF of exercises called the Blast Strap Report.
What I use them for, for me and for my clients:
Pushups (regular and band-resisted)
Inverted Rows (no rack for a barbell? No problem, hang the straps from anything overhead and adjust the height)
Scarecrows (a rear delt exercise)
High rows (another rear delt exercise)
Pullups
Drags (click it onto a weight, drag it - it'll work with a sled too I'll bet)
Dips (one of my clients has knocked a few off on these, pretty impressive).
Strap-assisted single-leg squats and flying lunges
For those things alone, it's worth the price. There are a lot of other exercises you can do.
How are they built? The straps are solid, the buckles stand up to a lot of punishment, and the handles seem nearly indestructible. They rotate smoothly but not loosely, the straps bite into place well, and the rings and clips are heavy duty. When I strap them on, I'm worried the supporting beam, hook, or rack won't take the weight, not that the straps won't.
Anything else? Yes, they are portable. I can throw them, some grips, and some bands in a duffel bag and bring a whole-body workout with me anywhere. They come with a clip that is sufficient for heavy bag hooks and other heavy eyelets, and a pair of clip-on straps to loop around beams (2 x 4s, for example), tree branches, goal posts, monkey bars, rack crossbeams, etc. That makes it a very versatile piece of gear.
Rating:
Utility: 5 out of 5. They have a very wide range of use, and are ideally suited for their intended use.
Quality/Construction: 5 out of 5. The blast straps are very, very solidly constructed. Nothing cheap here.
Overall: For the variety and portability and construction quality, it's hard to match. Well worth it. If you're debating a set of rings or these, debate carefully - rings can duplicate most of this. But if you like the rotating handle, go with the blast straps. Highly recommended
Getting stronger, fitter, and healthier by sticking to the basics. It's not rocket science, it's doing the simple stuff the right way. Strength-Basics updates every Monday, plus extra posts during the week.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment