Is This The Best Cheap Barbell Available in The UK in 2025?

     

Background

Ok, most of us aren’t Kirk Karwoski, Ed Coan or the Kazman himself. We like to lift more than the general population, but we certainly aren’t in the top 5%! Here’s when this relatively cheap, robust, near immortal barbell really comes into its own. Sit down, pin your ears (or eyes) back and take heed of this review 🙂

It was June 2015. My funds were near depleted. I’d just graduated from Physio school, secured rent on a room with a 12×12 foot piece of concrete outside and was feeling ready to conquer the life! The world was my oyster. What was my priority you ask?

To buy a squat rack, barbell and some bad ass weight plates, as I could now invest all my spare time into getting jacked n’ tanned. I told myself, ‘surely the more weight I can lift, the more the job opportunities and girls will come flocking to my feet’. I figured this was a bullet proof way of securing my place at the top of the social hierarchy.

I managed to scrape together just enough funds to grab a brand new squat rack on hire purchase. The weight plates? I grabbed them cheap from a local gym that was closing down. The barbell though…

I researched. Seconds, hours, days went by. ‘Should I go all in? An Eleiko, Ivanko, or perhaps a Leoko bar?! Or maybe even, a rare as hen’s teeth, Werksan barbell? All the pro’s use them, so maybe that was the secret to god like gains?!’ These bars showcased such engineering prowess over their cheaper – mass produced rolled steel counterparts. Holding tensile strengths up to 10million tonnes (well, in my head anyway!) – they were second to none!

Reality soon kicked in. There was no amount of getting a loan to cover the cost of one of these epic strength building bad boys.

Here’s where I took a punt. The Strength Shop 2028 bar! The specs were far less than any of the previously mentioned. It sold for nearly a whole fifteenth less than the world renowned bars.

But fast forward 10 years and this bar is still going strong. It’s a bit rusty here and there, but the sleeves still spin freely and there’s no bend to the bar whatsoever. All it’s had is the odd wire brush scrub and the occasional dab of light weapons oil over it and it’s stills serving its purpose with pride, strength and humility.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

I remember the day well! The DPD delivery driver quietly cursed me underneath their breath as they had to carry the secure cardboard tube that housed the barbell about 40 metres to my door.

The cardboard tube was strong and heavily taped up.

Some handy slicing with a blunt Stanley knife opened it up, and there inside lay perfection! It was solid, with no chips, bends or random easter eggs laying inside. It arrived as if it had just come off the production line.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weight: 20kg
Length: 2.2m
Shaft: Steel
Shaft diameter: 28mm
Distance between rings: 810mm
Loadable sleeve length: 405mm
Centre knurling: Yes
Knurling type: Coarse
Sleeve type: Steel Bushings and needle bearings
Recommended max load/rating: 250kg max suggested load, with a 700lbs steel tensile rating (PSI: 186K)
Warranty: 6 months

 

Build Quality

The sleeves run smooth, the knurling doesn’t rip your hands apart but it is sharp and coarse enough to help with your grip. Our bar has handled up to advertised 250kg (and more) without permanently bending. The black oxide finish looks very cool, and is still in place to this day.

There’s not much about the build quality on Strength Shop’s official website, so you’ll have to go off our anecdotal experience here.

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

The knurling on our bar is equal and suits well for supporting the bar on the back during those heavy squats. This obviously has the centre knurling found on most powerlifting spec’d bars. The weight of the bar itself is even, sitting straight on the back unloaded.

The 2028 refers to the width of the shaft itself, sitting at 28mm. This means that it’s good for deadlifts as well as squats and bench presses.

Most gym bars sit around the 30 or 32mm mark, making it slightly more challenging to grip for deadlifts. Although this can be viewed as positive as it will improve your grip strength, there’s many other exercises that you can do to gain a vice like grip. Consider something like the Mirafit Rolling Handle.

5/5

 

Adaptability

It’s a barbell. It doesn’t need to be adaptable. If you’d like adaptability, then perhaps consider something like a decent safety squat bar (of which we will be reviewing in the near future).

Whilst on the topic of adaptability, although this is considered a multi-purpose barbell, I’d personally steer clear from dropping this like a weightlifting bar though as this doesn’t have the flex and impact resistance of said weightlifting bars. I suspect they would be permanent malformation occurring when dropping the heavier weights from height.

0/5

 

WOW Factor

Hmm, meh. How could a barbell have the WOW factor?

I guess it could have some cool logo on the end sleeves, multi coloured main shaft, or perhaps diamond encrusted knurling? Or I guess it could carry with it bragging rights of brand name itself, like Elieko, Werksan, Leoko, Ivanko etc.

0/5

*This barbell however doesn’t need the WOW factor to be good at its job!

 

Longevity

Ten years and it’s still as good as it was the day it slid out of the tube!

5/5

 

Price

Ten years ago, it was pretty much unheard of to grab a barbell capable of handling up to 250kg for anything below £350. I remember this was around £99 on sale at time of purchase, with free delivery and it’s currently sitting at £129.99 with free delivery to mainland UK.

For a bar that’s lasted ten years of use and abuse, with the odd smattering of oil and wire brush scrubbing for maintenance, that’s a bargain!

5/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 3.57/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

The total rating is not truly reflective of the high quality of this cheap barbell. To clarify, FGUK will not get any commission for any sales of this barbell. Bearing this in mind, we still highly reccomend that if you’re low on funds and in the market for a decent barbell that can handle all the major power and gym lifts, this is the one for you.

Grab one below today 😊

Strength Shop – Original 2028 Olympic Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

The Best Safety Squat Bar For Your Money in 2025.

     

Background

This is my Safety Squat Bar. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Versatile, ergonomic and tough enough to survive the apocalypse. Say hello to my little (or not so little) friend!

Want to load more weight, hit squat PB’s that you can merely dream of AND win the lotto, buy a super yacht, get all the girls and live like a King?? Well, this Hatfield bar can help you achieve two of the three!

Let us rewind eight years. I was doing well progressing with the big three, but squats seemed to be plateauing. “There’s hundreds of ways to skin a cat”, I’d say to myself. I’d tried countless strength training methods: 5×5, Westside, 5-3-1. Hell, I even considered jumping on one of those mental old soviet programs like the Russian Squat Program and Smolov!

*side note, I did actually run the full 13 week Smolov Squat Program a few years after this, at a time when I considered myself to have truly peaked. It added 30kg to my PB, drug free! My body did feel like it had been run over by a tank at the end of it though*

Let us however temporarily forget about running insane strength training programs that were designed for athletes whose bodies were walking pharmacies, at a time when strength training was ran like a war of attrition in the Eastern Bloc!

27 year old me kept thinking “should I just be a sheep, follow the crowd and jump on the roid wagon?!” After all, humans (like water) will always seek the path of least resistance. I’d then argue with myself.. “but where’s the challenge in that?!”

At the time I felt like I had a more than average degree of emotional intelligence, along with a smidgeon of effective mood regulation. I didn’t want to jeopardize that and risk having to take Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for the rest of my life just because I had a few heavy blasts stacking Deca, Tren and Halo!

I therefore simply introduced a different way of squatting (variety being a key principle a strength training). I was on track to naturally building a back and legs akin to those of the Greek God, Adonis himself.

I’ve somewhat diverged.

The Safety Squat Bar (SSB)

• The SSB sits a bit higher than a standard bar due to the industrial level of padding, and the camber pushes you forward, forcing you to fight to stay upright. Therefore, you will be a bit more upright than a high-bar squat and a lot more upright than a low-bar squat. The more upright your torso is, the less pressure is placed on your lower back. With the SSB, the pressure will be displaced more towards your glutes and quads without putting your lower back in a tough spot. This helps to prevent your core from collapsing and will allow you to open up your hips and knees more freely, which is a mechanically advantageous position to squat with lower chances for injury.
 
• As increased demand is placed on the trunk, along with the mid and upper back (due to its position on the torso and shoulders), this challenges the user to maintain a rigid torso and neutral spine position to provide the stability required to allow the legs to produce sufficient force. It’s basically a hybrid of the front and back squat. As your elbows are forward facing too, with slightly more shoulder flexion than a standard front squat allows, it places significantly less stress through the shoulders which can be advantageous if one is plagued by shoulder injuries and wants to load up the squat.
 
• I feels it also helps to think about centre of gravity here. With a deadlift, the weight is set in front of our centre of gravity, meaning that the posterior chain is heavily involved in lifting the weight off the floor. With a back squat, the weight is placed almost directly on top of your centre of gravity which reduces the load on the lower back when compared to the deadlift. The SSB however, sits directly on top of your centre of gravity which helps maintain proper form without too much setup. Your knees, hips and spine will be automatically locked in space as soon as you get under the safety bar.
 
• In theory, using this bar should reduce the risk of lower back injuries for beginners. *I say in theory, because there’s very limited empirical research around any of the speciality bars. We simply use our knowledge of physics and biomechanics, alongside our anaectodal experiences to draw conclusions.
   
• To summarise, not only will the SSB squat improve overall leg strength, but it will also improve bracing, squat stability and reduce the risk of injury in the untrained (and even trained) athlete. It also provides that additional component of variety to one’s training that can help break through those mental and physical plateaus.

With all this being said, not all SSB’s are created equal. Some are just awful, cheap, jumping on the band wagon replicas of the real deal. Poorly manufactured SSB’s can bend under load, tear chunks out of your traps and be weighted and cambered in such a way that means it’s more awkward than squatting using a second hand, knock off Olympic barbell with odd plates!

Some SSB’s also have the camber set parallel to the handles, which means it looks nice and sits flush when hanging on a wall, but it doesn’t allow hands free/hand supported squatting as the bar will just roll off your back.

This Watson SSB is however, a cut above the rest. Some might even say the crème de la crème. And no superlatives or hyperbole will be found here! 😊

It’s not cheap, currently sitting at £385 plus shipping. But I think this really is a case of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’. This thing will survive a nuclear war. In fact, I have it on good authority that one of these bad boys can be traded in for ONE MILLION bottles caps in Fallout.

Ok, enough background. Let’s get into the review!

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

This was on point. It arrived securely packaged, undamaged, straight to my front door. I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for delivery as it was over 8 years ago. Watson has a shipping calculator on their site, so you can check it out for yourself.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weight: 30kg
Dimensions: 2250mm x 550mm (fits into an Olympic Power Rack)
Shaft: 30mm solid high-tensile steel
Shaft diameter: N/A
Distance between rings: 810mm
Loadable sleeve length: 405mm
Centre knurling: N/A
Knurling type: N/A
Recommended max load/rating: Can handle over 400kg
Warranty: Lifetime on all Frameworks.

 

Build Quality

Watson’s product testing is second to none. This is reflected in the quality of all their gym equipment that ships off the shelf. As mentioned in my intro – this thing is build to survive the apocalypse.

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

There’s nothing more to say here other than it feels like it’s giving you a warm, ergonomic bear hug! Well, ok. Maybe there’s a bit more to say.

This bar sits on your shoulders naturally, without you having to hold onto the handles (something that cheaper bars struggle to achieve). This is achieved by the weight distribution of the steel and the angles of the bars themselves. This places less stress on the elbows and shoulders when compared to a traditional Olympic barbell, with the naturally upright angle of the torso meaning more emphasis is placed through the quads. See our bullet list above for further details on the mechanics of the bar.

There’s no need to stretch off those tight pec minors, lats and cuffs to safely sqwaat with this bar (although stretching/releasing all those tight muscles is  recommended for optimum joint health and longevity)!

Beginners will find it easier to get into the hole with this bar too.

5/5

 

Adaptability

The design of this bar does allow for more variation in training than a standard olympic barbell. Some exercises include, but are not limited to the:

SSB Good Morning
Hatfield Squat
Bulgarian Split Squat
Step Up

So I’d say due to the ability of the bar to rest easy on the shoulders without hand support, this is more adaptable than a standard straight olly bar. If required, it allows the user to utilise hand support on a fixed object like a squat cage if further stability is required.

It’s not exactly a multi gym though (nor though does it need, or confess to be). It’s earned a solid:

3.5/5

 

WOW Factor

Due to this being what I would consider to be the most effective of all speciality bars, along with it being top spec AND made by one of the worlds leading gym equipment manufacturers, it has to get a solid:

5/5

 

Longevity

It’s over eight years old with a lot of use, some abuse, and a tad bit of light weapon oil applied to it every now and again! I’m as happy with it now as the day it came into my life 🙂

5/5

 

Price

Compare this to other, cheaper – less well manufactured SSB’s and it can come across as pricey. Compare this to the cost of buying a cheap SSB, finding out it’s less than useless AND THEN buying this bar because it’s the top dog and the other is a pile of donkey 💩! Dropping the £385 + shipping first then works out as the more economical choice 🙂

5/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4.79/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Okay, it’s got some battle scars. But this is exactly what they are… just scars! In keeping with the analogy… There’s no broken bones, torn ligaments or strained muscles. It serves its purpose as good as it did the day it was born into this world.

Grab one below today 😊

Watson Safety Squat Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

The Best & Most Cost Effective Safety Squat Bar of 2025.

     

Background

Way back in Summer 17′, I had to shift all my gear to a new house 4 miles away. I had a Honda Civic Mk7 (the 2000-2005 model), a beast of a car in many ways. It was hardly large enough to fit a cambered barbell in though.

The cheapest option was to carry my Strength Shop (SS) Olympic Cambered Bar the entire way on my back. At the time, carrying 25kg for 4 miles didn’t seem like a Herculean task, especially considering I’d tabbed with far more weight than that, for greater distance many times in the Army.

Well, suffice to say that by the end of the walk I was hanging out (that’s extremely fatigued for the more civilised reading this). I tell myself that it must have been a combination of the heat and distribution of weight. Certainly not weakness on my behalf 🙂

It lay on my floor for months whilst I steadily chipped away at building a gym. Eventually though, this bar came into its own.

Similar to the Watson Safety Squat Bar, I’d purchased this bar so that I could introduce variety into my squats in an attempt to break through a strength plateau. And boy, am I glad I did. Eight years on and it’s still going strong.

The Olympic Cambered Bar

 

Ok, enough background. Let’s get into the review!

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

As per all previously reviewed bars, the delivery here was on point. DPD was the courier used for me (this may be different nowadays). It was next day delivery. I received regular updates via text, with an hour delivery slot on the day. The time was respected which meant I didn’t have to stay in all day! The condition of the bar on delivery was perfect.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weight: 25kg
Diameter of Shaft: 50mm
Top Bar Racking Sleeve (rests on J-Hooks/Bar Holders): 190mm
Camber Width: 920mm
Camber Depth: 400mm
Loadable Sleeve Length: 390mm
Sleeves to Collar: 310mm
Rated Load: Up to 400kg

 

Build Quality

As with all the speciality bars tested so far, this is a metaphorical tank. What it lacks in explosive reactive armour, it makes up for with solid girth. A depleted uranium round may give it a few cuts and bruises, but it’s more than strong enough to take the constant loading/unloading and occasional abuse if used in an old school sweaty underground powerlifting gym!

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

This is an interesting one. Due to the bars unique design, you have to stabilise it through movement more than its conventional counterparts. This isn’t uncomfortable in and of itself, however some may dislike the feeling of this if they are a staunch user of conventional bars.

I actually find this incredibly comfortable to use. The thicker top bar provides more surface contact on your traps compared to conventional bars, and there’s less stress on the shoulders compared to conventional squats. My hips also seem to open up more naturally (especially when box squatting) with this bar. It should however be noted that my hips are more battered than a scrap car getting crushed at the local recycling centre.

You may also note by the images that I’ve wrapped some sniper tape around where the bar makes contact with your back, and roughly where your hands grip the bar. I’d reccomend doing something similar as the bar can get a bit slippy if you’re sweating buckets.

5/5

 

Adaptability

This is obviously designed for squats, but it’s actually pretty good for bench pressing too (as long as your bench is set high enough off the floor to allow sufficient ground clearance for the plates on the sleeves of the bar). The instability factor here is akin to that of the famous bamboo bars that utilise kettlebells hanging off the sleeves with resistance bands.

In reality, you don’t achieve anywhere near bamboo bar levels of instability – however it’s not designed with the sole purpose of instability, whereas bamboo bars are. It is however, unstable enough to receive a decent degree of training stimulus for this.

I’ve actually used this for military pressing too, due to providing the instability factor. The rotator cuffs and lower traps really have to work to keep this moving in the optimum manner.

3.5/5

 

WOW Factor

This would have got top marks for WOW-iness back when I purchased it. However since then, the market competition has significantly increased – this has naturally decreased the novelty factor and unique qualities of the bar. It’s not on the same wow-iness level as the recently reviewed Watson Safety Squat Bar, by a country mile.

3.5/5

 

Longevity

It’s 8 years and still going strong. No bends, no breaks, just gains! I have actually managed to chip off some of the black oxide coating on each sleeve. This in no way effects the function of the bar. If you’re super concerned about the aesthetics (and if you’re the type of person who’s interested in buying this bar, I’d like to assume you’re not), then this might be a game changer for you. If it is, then I’d suggest you should look elsewhere and perhaps consider joining your local health club instead.

5/5

 

Price

This was pretty much the only Olympic Cambered Bar available in the UK when I bought it. There are many more options available now, but the price still holds up very well to the competition.

It’s actually slightly decreased in price since I bought it (which is pretty impressive when you consider the state of the economy over the past 8 years), currently sitting at £179.99 + free delivery to UK mainland.

At time of writing, the price of the grandaddy of all cambered squat bars (Watson) is unknown as they don’t advertise their prices online. However, a very similar looking version is on offer over at Gym Ratz for £460. Blk Box also offer their own version for £420, with Steelflex offering a cambered bar (not too dissimilar to Strength Shops version) over at Body Solid UK for £187.95. Shipping will likely be on top of those costs too.

5/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4.57/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Overall, I think this is a very good bar that achieves what it sets out to. I would consider purchasing this barbell, as it really is quite a niche thing and I think many people may not appreciate, or use it to its full potential. If this is the type of person you think you are, then you risk being disappointed.

If you’re not the type of person above, AND you understand all of the biomechanical technical jargon that I’ve spurted out above, AND this will accommodate all your biomechanical needs – go ahead and spend that cash now!

You can find one below.

Strength Shop Olympic Cambered Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

Should You Purchase an Olympic Shrug Bar in 2025? Our Answer Might Surprise You!

     

Background

T’was 2017. I was scraping the funds together to snap up a decent trap bar so that I could add some variation to my deadlifts. Hmm, there may be a theme starting here!

At the time I had some niggly injuries that conventional deadlifts were aggravating. So as you do, instead of going to see a physio to address the issue, I tried trap bar deads in the local gym instead. To my amazement, it felt like they were helping!

I therefore started to learn the nuances of the engineering master piece that is the trap deadlift bar. I’d ignored the bias interpretations of Starting Strengths’ Mark Rippatoe, who’d say things like it’s not safe to use because of the instability in the sagittal plane (a fact of which is correct – but that doesn’t make it an unsafe exercise).

Some of the strongest deadlifters I’ve known will train on the trap bar year round until 4-6 weeks out of a comp, where they’ll then strictly reinforce their neural patterning to that of the conventional dead. They do this, they say, because it’s a safer way to lift the pure volume of heavy ass weight that they torture themselves with day in day out.

The Trap Bar/

Equal Distrubution of Force

With a trap bar, the centre of gravity (COG) is directly over base of support (BOS) which places the majority of the load onto your legs. In comparison, the COG with a conventional deadlift is slightly in front – requiring more effort from the posterior chain (lower back and hips).

Grip

A conventional bar wants to roll out of your hands. In some cases, this can make grip strength the limiting factor in whether or not you rip the bar off the floor! This is why mixed grip, hook grip or straps tend to be adopted with the heavier lifts.

With a trap bar, the handles are fixed in a neutral position – meaning no rolling out of the hands. With grip strength not being a limiting factor, you’ll be free to load up the bar and train the back and legs harder before the grip packs in.

With that being said, of course, there’s always two sides to a story. If you want to work your grip more, then a double overhand grip on a conventional barbell will do just that!

Handle Heights

Due to most trap bars having two options for handle height, it’s fairly easy to accomodate high pulls or low pulls. This comes in handy when you really want be exposed to a lot of load (😁). Simply load up the bar and pull from a higher starting position with the grip.

Shin Health

A slightly less considered benefit to using a trap bar is shin skin health! If you’ve ever pulled heavy, you’ll have experienced this. Ripping bare skin off the shins as the conventional bar’s knurling acts as a cheese grater is no fun, whoever you are! There’s none of that malarkey with the trap bar.

Less Injury Risk

Conventional deadlifts place shear forces through the lumbar vertebrae, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if neutrality is maintained throughout the spine (see more about anti-core strengthening here). Issue can however rise if the user fatigues and places, continuous, prolonged excessive shear stress through the lumbar vertebrae – pulling in a manner not unlike that of the commonly termed ‘gym bunny’ with the excessively anteriorly tilted pelvis, or the opposite being the classic ‘cat back’ deadlift seen in novices attempting to pull far more weight than their strength levels allow.

 

The risk of this happening with the trap bar is far less due to the whole COG factor. Remember, with the trap bar, the COG is pretty much directly over our base of support (imagine dropping a plumb line right down through the middle of your head and see where it lands). This also means that our centre of pressure (COP) is very close to our COG.

Centre of Pressure (COP)

When a person is standing or walking, their body exerts a force on the ground, to which the ground responds by exerting an equal and opposite force, called the ground reaction force (GRF). The COP is the point at which the total force (the GRF) acting on a person’s foot or feet is concentrated. This is different to the centre of gravity (which is basically the point [or plumb line] where there is an equal division of weight on all opposing sides of the body).

In layman’s terms (which are always the best terms), the COP is the point at which your weight is being placed through the feet on the ground.

See this video for a visual reference

 

So, why is this relevant to a review of a trap bar? Good question!

Well, the above is a very long winded explanation to illustrate that the COP in a trap bar deadlift is smack bang in the middle of the BOS, as long as the user has normal biomechanics (meaning as long as their weight isn’t offset due to injury, neurological impairment or chronic muscular imbalance). This ultimately facilitates a more evenly distributed power demand amongst the anterior and posterior chain, thereby reducing the shear stress on the lumbar vertebrae (*remember – the demand on the posterior chain is more in a conventional deadlift due to the bar placement being slightly forward of the body).

Ok, enough science b**ch (shout out Jesse Pinkman 😊)

With all this being said, in a similar vein to the Watson Safety Squat Bar – not all trap bars are created equal!

Cue the review.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

Can’t fault it.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Bar Type: Hex
Classification: Olympic
Bar Length (ft): 4.60
Solid steel build: With a super-durable zinc plated finish
Uniquely designed: To eliminate contact with the upper thighs and front torso to provide greater range of muscle contraction and deep tissue development
Used for a variety of exercises: Including shrugs, dead lift, bench press, military press, squats and lunges
Length of Bar: 56″ (1.42m/142cm approx.)
Weight of bar: 20.5kg
Bar KG Rating: 220kg
Shaft Diameter: 25.4mm

 

Build Quality

It’s as solid as you’d expect. Cosmetically, it is severely rusted. The rust itself doesn’t bother me, however the flaky metallic silver coating that regularly falls off onto the gym floor does. It’s required regular wire brushing, with liberal applications of oil for damage limitation. Not great.

2/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

Well, it is a hex bar. So it’s comfortable for all the reasons mentioned in the science bit. BUT, unlike most trap bars, this one doesn’t have raised handles which allow you to start the lift from different heights.

This is definitely a first world problem, but it’s still frustrating because if you want to have the handles higher up the leg, you have to build the height up from the floor with boxes, gym mats, or more weightlifting orientated options like Gym Masters Drop Mats.

In reflection, although this does sit nice and flush on my wall due to the lack of raised handles – I’d definitely go with raised handles in the future to avoid the need for boxes/mats.

3/5

 

Adaptability

The lack of available sleeve length is a biggy here. Yes, you can load it up to around 200kg with standard bumper plates. But if you use the bar regularly, you’re going to want to go beyond that. Especially if you start pulling from higher hand positions.

The lack of raised handles also influences its score here. Raised handles aren’t just good for adding that variety to the pulls, they’re also great for adding real variety to your bench (yes, you can go wild and floor press with these bars too!)

2/5

 

WOW Factor

I’m sorry to say, nothing really blows me away with this bar.

0/5

 

Longevity

Well, it’s still one solid piece of metal, so I suppose it’s got that going for it! The flakey silver metallic paint hasn’t faired up too well to Father Time though.

3/5

 

Price

Currently sitting at £119.99, with free delivery. To be honest, I think this is a bit pricey for what it is. For that price, I’d expect higher handles and longer sleeves to accomodate more weight. Take for example, the Mirafit Olympic 2″ Trap Bar currently sitting at £119.99 or the RIP X 2″ Diameter Olympic Hex Trap Deadlift also currently priced at £119.99.

2/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 2.43/5

Should you:

• Avoid!
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

If you don’t want to avoid this like the plague, then grab one below today 😊

Body Power – Olympic Shrug/Deadlift Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

The Best Quality Swiss Bar for Your Money in 2025.

     

Background

 

The Olympic Swiss Bar

Firstly, the terms Football Bar and Swiss Bar are used interchangeably. There are however subtle differences in their design. Swiss Bar handles are straight, whereas Football Bars have slanted handles. Where to do the terms originate? Well, rumour has it that the neutral handles of the Swiss Bar are likened to Switzerland’s neutral foreign policy. The Football Bar derives its name from the bar being used mainly in American Football, the semi-neutral positioning of the handles allowed the players to bench press even if they were suffering from any upper body injuries, especially the shoulders.

Both promote a pressing motion with the elbows tucked in close to the body. This reduces the internal rotation on the shoulders that can cause discomfort on a conventional bench press, whilst also encouraging a stable back position with proper scapular retraction.

The more neutral grip also reduces stress on the wrist joints, whilst simultaneously require greater activation of the muscles of the hands and forearms. The bar can also be good for working on your lockout strength, as the neutral grip also stresses the triceps to a greater degree than a conventional bar.

This is one of the more versatile speciality bars, as it can be used for many lifts. In theory, you can switch a conventional bar for one of these for any lift that involve gripping the bar.

The recurring theme with all the gym equipment that we’ve reviewed is that not all kit is made equal! These bars are no exception. Certain indicators of high quality are:

• Sleeve length – Are these long enough to fit into your power rack?
• Sleeve coating – Are these nickel plated? Powder coating is easily chipped off when loading/unloading plates. The bare steel on the sleeves is then more susceptible to rust.
• Weight capability – What is the bar rated to? The quality and girth of the steel can vary between manufacturers. Traditionally, bars made in the UK have higher tensile strength than their Far East counterparts.
• Handle coating – Are the grips knurled? No knurling = cheaper to manufacture. Smooth handles are more challenging to grip with sweaty palms.
• Spacings between the grips – This is very much down to individual choice. If you have absolute shovels for hands, then you may appreciate more widely spaced grips.

Okay. So I started writing the science bit here, but I soon discovered that if I wanted to truly explain the intricacies of the bench press, along with how hand and bar positions alter the biomechanics of the lift, this article would read like War and Peace. So, I’ve separated them! Click here for the science bit, and for a brief breakdown of moment arms click here 🙂

If you’re a super geek and are all over physics/biomechanics – Powerlifting World Record Holder Greg Nuckols, writing for the incredibly informative website Stronger By Science, provides an excellent summary of what is going on during a bench press:

‘To produce movement, your muscles contract. By doing so, they produce a linear force, pulling on bones that act as levers, producing flexor or extensor moments at the joints they cross, with joints acting as the axes of rotation. In the case of the bench press, you’re primarily trying to produce an extensor moment at the elbow (i.e. straightening the arm out) and a flexor and horizontal flexor moment at the shoulder (i.e. raising your arm, and bringing your arm toward the midline of your body) that exceed the opposing forces exerted by the bar. If you can do that, you exert a force on the bar that exceeds the force the bar is exerting on your body, and voíla! A successful bench press.’ (Greg Nuckols, Stronger By Science)

Ok, enough background. Let’s get into the review!

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

No issues, arrived on time in showroom condition as is the norm with any Watson kit.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weight: 25kg
Toal Length: 2.05m/205cm (fits into an Olympic Power Rack)
Shaft: 30mm solid high-tensile steel
Shaft diameter: N/A
Square Section (Containing Handles): 83cm x 18cm
Loadable sleeve length: 35cm
Centre knurling: N/A
Knurling type: N/A
Recommended max load/rating: Can handle over 400kg
Warranty: Lifetime on all Frameworks.

 

Build Quality

Every piece of Watson kit we have reviewed so far has been built to perfection. That is the bar is weighted evenly, all welds are smooth, sleeve diameter is spot on for loading/unloading 50mm olympic plates, and I’m fairly confident it will outlive me and anyone reading this! It even has a metal plate stamped onto it with the name of the actual person that built it. That speaks volumes about Watson’s confidence in their products, and a very rare touch nowadays that demonstrates superb levels of accountability. Well played Watson! 🙂

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

The handle spacings were perfect for my hands. There’s no knurling on this bar, however I actually don’t mind that, as whatever it’s coated in seems to prevent any slipping of the hands when you’re sweaty.

5/5

 

Adaptability

Well it fits in my squat rack (a Body-Solid Classic Power Rack GPR78) with no dramas at all. As mentioned at the start of the article, anything you can do with a regular barbell, you can pretty much do with this.

That being said, unless you’re Jujimufu, I’d probably steer clear from trying any type of back squat with it though! You can add conventional deadlifts to that too.

I’d love to give it top marks, but I can’t. That’s not anything to do with the build quality/brand of the bar though, it’s simply due to the design of swiss bars in general.

3.5/5

 

WOW Factor

Having a personalised metal stamp on the bar stating the exact individual that built the bar is pretty wow for me. The look of the bar with the matte black finish, the manufacturing perfection and the fact that it’s rated to over 400kg (which is pretty high standards for swiss bar), all mean this gets a smashing top mark from me.

5/5

 

Longevity

I bought this a good few years ago now. It’s been battered by many a powerlifter, strongman and weekend warrior. To it’s credit, it’s still going strong. No bend, no cracks. Maybe a few war wounds cosmetically (but nothing to cry about). I do believe this is one of Watsons products that comes with a lifetime guarantee too.

5/5

 

Price

It looks like the version online now might be a slight evolution for this model, however the price online currently is £385 ex vat + shipping. With VAT currently sitting at 20%, that makes it £462 + shipping.

This is on the pricier side of the equation, but it’s to be expected with the likes of Watson, who offer top quality gym kit. I do think this prices many people out of the market though, as you can buy a lot more for your money in terms of gym equipment.

If you’re starting a gym, or home gym, I’d say this certainly shouldn’t be on the top of your priority list, as the billy basics would be far more beneficial (i.e Squat Rack, Olympic Barbell, Olympic Plates and some Dumbbells). If you have however got all of that squared away and are looking to spend a wad of cash, then go for it! This is definitely the best Swiss Bar I’ve had the pleasure of trying out.

3/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4.5/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

You can find one below.

Watson – Swiss Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

The Best Hip Bands For Your Money in 2025.

     

Background

I started to have issues with my squat after running a full block of Smolov (yes yes I know… with hindsight and a few more years on my back, I realise this probably wasn’t the wisest of ideas). It did add 30kg to my PB though! I’d unfortunately find out later that I tore the cartilage in my hip as a result. This naturally led to some further injury niggles down the road.

Cue the research, rehab and overanalysing the minutest of detail in an attempt to get back onto the gain train. Glutes, glutes, glutes! That’s what I kept telling myself. In part, this did turn out to be the case, however we don’t need to delve deeper into that here! If the creative juices are flowing, I may write an article in the future on closed chain vs open chain, single joint vs multi joint exercise selection for hip rehab… or then again, that feels like a lot of work. Maybe I won’t.

So, I purchased my first cheap set of hips bands from eBay. I found that the strongest one was far too stiff to use for any meaningful rehab, and the lightest one actually snapped as I sunk deep into the hole squatting with it wrapped above my knees!

It was clearly a case of buy cheap, buy twice.

I had to therefore apply a little more thought than I initially intended to deciphering the indicators of a quality set of hip bands, as I didn’t want repeat the mistake and have to buy a third set!

I considered the type of material used for each band, the elasticity, the resistance, and the strength of the stitching holding it all together.

I know right?! I spent more mental energy on this than I was initially willing to devote. Lucky for you, I’ve wasted my hours so that you don’t have too!

 

Elvire – Fabric Hip Resistance Band Set

Ok, they’re hip bands. They’re not going to change the world. But after all the hours of research undertaken, I’ve determined these to be the top hip bands for rehab.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

Top notch. As expected from Amazon. Next day delivery, with tracking via their site if so desired. They arrived undamaged, in perfect condition. It also arrived with a handy black mesh storage pouch, not pictured because I’ll be honest, I lost it. It was however large enough to put all your small mobility kit inside of it (lacrosse balls, resistance bands etc.). A basic exercise guide was also provided, and again – it’s not pictured, because I lost it.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Color	‎Light Blue, Dark Blue & Black
Size	‎Short
Style	‎Resistance Band
Item display length	‎82 inches
Material type	‎Nylon, Cotton, Contains Latex
Number of pieces	‎3
Features	‎Non-Slip
Sport	‎Exercise and Fitness, Pilates, Strength Training
Included components	‎User Manual, Carrying Case
Batteries included?	‎No
Brand	‎ELVIRE SPORT
Manufacturer	‎ELVIRE SPORT
Item model number	‎LD40
Product Dimensions	‎36 x 8.13 x 0.03 cm; 381 g

 

Build Quality

Material type: The nylon/cotton mix ensures the bands are non slip, strong and robust enough to withstand years of regular use.
Resistance: Lightweight band (5-10kg resistance). Medium band (10-20kg resistance). Heavy band (20-30kg resistance).
Elasticity: Not got a clue how this is officially graded, but I’d say they’ve got the perfect amount of stretch in them.
Strength of Stitching: There’s absolutely no breakage at the seams on any of the bands after two + years of use and abuse.

The only negative is that if wrapped around hairy bare skin (i.e. – my thighs), it can pull the hairs out now and again, which nips a bit. I imagine that can’t be helped though, as the band is non-slip. It’s a trade off I’m willing to make!

4.5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

They’re soft on the skin, with enough height to the band to prevent that crumpling effect that happens with narrower bands. They can also be easily scrunched up and stored in either the provided travel pouch or simply thrown into some deep recess of gym bag without taking up too much space.

5/5

 

Adaptability

These are primarily designed as hip bands, but they can double up as effective bands for activating your shoulder stabilising muscles if you place them around your wrists and apply outward resistance as you move your arms through the available ranges. I guess you could also use them for neck retractions if you so desired!

I’d therefore say that they are fairly adaptable.

4/5

 

WOW Factor

Well, I have to be honest here. They’re hip bands, there’s not a lot of WOW about them. But there doesn’t need to be!

1/5

 

Longevity

Two + years and still going strong, providing as much resistance as they did the day I opened them.

5/5

 

Price

These are currently sitting at £17.99 for the set. They’re £15.99 if you go with the pinkier version. I’d say that’s a bargain when you consider the quality and longevity of the set. For comparison, the random hip bands I bought from eBay cost £12.99 and snapped within a few sessions.

5/5

 

Summary

Easy to find and purchase. Rapid delivery. Top quality stitching. Appropriate increases in resistance, and elasticity grades as you progress through the set. Non-slip on your skin (though if you have hairy legs like mine, they can sometimes nip if you don’t position them correctly).

Finally, let’s be honest – if they do break within 12 months, Amazon has your back!

Total rating: 4.2/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

You can find them below today.

Elvire – Fabric Hip Resistance Band Set

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

An Effective Tool for Balance and Agility Training At Home.

     

Background

I recently had the pleasure of starting my own falls prevention clinic. This has provided me with more opportunity to challenge people’s balance in a safer, more controlled environment compared to the random places I’ve had to in the past. This is where these coloured discs come into play.

I won’t harp on too long here, but it’s important to consider which of our bodies input systems we use, and which strategies we autonomically deploy in order to keep us upright when our balance is perturbed (i.e – knocked off balance).

We use our visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive system for input. Feel free to Google each one for further information. If I delved into these today, I fear this article would turn into another one of my unnecessarily deep dives into sciencey stuff! I will however signpost you to looking into the different aspects of balance as a compromise, these being: static, dynamic, anticipatory and reactive.

Our bodies utilise four strategies to maintain balance, these being the ankle, hip, step and reaching strategy.

Now, improving these strategies is the real key to preventing/reducing the risk of further falls. Training these can prove to be quite a tricky thing to do safely (after all, we have to challenge balance to improve it – but challenge it too far, and we inherently fall).

Alongside the support of a sturdy table top (or in my case, a plinth), we can use these coloured markers to effectively train the strategies above at varying difficulties, scaled to a persons ability. When used correctly, they really are a very good tool for reducing falls in the elderly, which in turn reduces the risks associated with long lie’s (i.e – unable to get up themselves, and can’t get help either), hip fractures, prolonged inpatient stays that result in further deconditioning, which lead to further falls, potential traumatic brain injuries, DVT’s, amputations, strokes, permanent disability… the list goes on and on and well, hopefully you get the point.

 

Eco Walker – Spot Markers (20cm)

Believe it or not, but these are incredibly multi functional. It just takes a bit of imagination! They’re great for setting up games for the kids to play, awesome for colour and number recognition for toddlers, great for sports agility drills and markers in general. As mentioned above, I use them for a slightly different purpose though.

These are great for setting visual cues for the elderly to step to on command. As physio’s, we can leverage this to train a persons dynamic and reactive balance (the one which is most responsible for preventing falls).

I find that these are the perfect size and depth, with excellent colour and number variation to help the elderly work on their balance. The non-slip nature of the TPE material ensures safety whilst performing various drills too.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

As is the case with most of my Amazon deliveries, this was flawless. I wasn’t actually in at the time, so I went on the app and asked them to drop it off with a neighbour. They arrived in pristine condition, no dramas at all.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Size	‎20cm
Features	‎Natural
Batteries included?	‎No
Brand	‎Eco Walker
Manufacturer	‎Tay stationery
Package Dimensions	‎20.5 x 19.9 x 2.2 cm; 500 g

 

Build Quality

They’re sturdy enough to throw in and out of my gym bag with force, slam onto the floor with a surprisingly satisfying slapping sound, and withstand the heaviest of flat footed men and women continuously stamping on them.

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

Yep, these get top marks from me. I can’t really explain why, they just do!

5/5

 

Adaptability

As previously mentioned, these are limited only by the restrictions of your imagination. I’m sure kids could think of endless ways to use these to achieve their main purpose in life – having fun!

5/5

 

WOW Factor

I’d say due to the variety and complementary contrast of the colours, these are pretty WOW-EY.

5/5

 

Longevity

I’ve had them six months so far, without issue. No splits, cracks or fading of the colours or number.

They do tend to easily pick up dust and muck from the floor due to their TPE non slip material. This is easily fixed by wiping them down with a wet cloth though.

5/5

 

Price

These are currently sitting at £11.99 for the set in the images above (1-5, or 6-10), or £24.99 for the full set. For what these can potentially provide in return (improved balance, reduced risk of falling if used appropriately, and plenty of hours of distraction for the kids), then that is a bargain buy from me!

5/5

 

Summary

Holy moly, this is our first ever 5/5 top marks review here on FGUK!

If you’re in the market for improving your balance, ankle stability, sports drills or you simply want to help your toddler learn colours and numbers, then these are perfect for you.

Total rating: 5/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Grab a set below today.

Eco Walker – Spot Markers (20cm)

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

Consider The Best Adjustable Dumbbell For Your Home Gym in 2025.

     

Background

Fancy a decent set of adjustable dumbbells, where you can quickly change the weights and not faff about screwing/unscrewing things and storing lots of weight plates around? Well, so did I…

No way did I have the money, or space, to purchase a full set of decent commercial dumbbells back when I dropped some dollar on these bad boys. For a set of 2.5kg to 32.5kg, back then we were talking at least £2.5-3k. Cue the birth of the mechanical adjustable dumbbell!

As with all the equipment we’ve tested so far, not all adjustable dumbbells are created equally. I spent hours/days/weeks/months anxiously agonising over which set to buy. The cheaper ones would be heavily composed of hard plastic which felt prone to snapping if you dropped them after a heavy set. I’d read reviews of working parts seizing up, awkward shaped dumbbells, and severe weight discrepancies (though I recognise most aren’t calibrated, so you’ll always get a degree of inaccuracy).

 

ANYWAY, flipping heck I’ve deviated again. What were we talking about? Ah yes, the adjustable dumbbell.

Well, after much research, the OG Bodymax Selectabell Adjustable Dumbbells were the one’s I bought. I did consider the Bowflex and PowerBlock one’s, but the Bowflex reviews at the time weren’t great, and I’d have had to remortgage the house if I bought the PowerBlock ones.

 

Bodymax Selectabell Adjustable Dumbbell

The OG versions are pretty rare to find online nowadays. Occasionally you may see a pair on eBay. If you do, I’d recommend snapping them up immediately! The build quality is second to none. I dare say that the metal plates will outlive us all. Okay, the paint probably won’t – but do you want these for functionality, or for cosmetic value? You can adjust them with a simple push of a button and twist of a knob. The weight selection starts at 2.5kg (empty handle) and increases to 32.5kg in increments of 2.5kg.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

I actually purchased these directly from a store down south. I think it was a fitness superstore, but my memory isn’t too reliable when it comes to things like that nowadays! I’ll give myself top marks for transporting them back to my house safely. Their condition at time of purchase was pristine.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weights: 2.5kg – 32.5kg (rising in 2.5kg increments).
Material: Steel, Rubber, Plastic.
Sold as: Single dumbbells.
Storage: Dumbbell stand is optional extra (genuine Bodymax stand – not the chipshop version in this review).

 

Build Quality

This is second to none. As previously mentioned, at the time, the alternatives were composed of mainly plastic parts which would bend when dropped, rendering them useless because the wieght changing mechanism would no longer work. As these are mostly metal, it avoids any potential for deformation of the weight discs. There is a little bit of plastic that forms part of the handles, but it feels really strong and they’ve withstood years of clanging and banging in my gym without any breakage whatsoever.

The rubber rings that wrap wround the outside of the handles on mine have both split, but this doesn’t affect it functionality as the rubber grip that wraps around the central shaft is still intact. To be honest, even if that eventually perishes, it’s not going to affect function or comfort one bit. If it does, I’d argue you need to work on building some asbestos hands 🙂

Some people have said they’ve needed to use a bit of WD40 on the discs now and again to ensure the mechanism still works smoothly. I remember doing that once, but only because I thought it was the right thing to do, not because the mechanism was sticking.

4.5/5

*dropping .5 only due to the perished rubber rings.

 

Ergonomic Rating

This is probably the one downside to these. Due to the length of the shaft, it can sometimes feel awkward bicep curling when stood if you like to keep your elbows close in. This is because they can collide into one another when held parallel to the ground. To overcome this, you end up sort of side flexing your trunk.

For all other exercises, they do the job well.

3.5/5

 

Adaptability

When you consider how much it would cost you to purchase individual dumbbells from 2.5kg through to 32.5kg in 2.5kg increments, and the space they would all take up on a dumbell rack, then these suddenly become really adaptable. The choice of exercise selection is only limited by that of standard dumbbells, so I’d say they get top marks here.

5/5

 

WOW Factor

Considering these were among the first of their kind to introduce the mechanical adjustable dumbbell concept, and achieve it in such an effective, ergonomic manner, they have to get top marks here.

5/5

 

Longevity

I must have had these well over five/six years now and they’re still functioning as well as they did on day one.

5/5

 

Price

I won’t lie, these were/are on the pricey side. They were however far cheaper than their more expensive counterpart, the PowerBlock. It’s important to bare in mind that they’re priced individually too. I can’t remember exactly how much they cost at the time, and it would be somewhat irrelevant if I could remember anyway, as the price and model have now changed. Although they did set me back a bob or two, it was far cheaper (and still will be) than purchasing a full rack of dumbbells.

On Bodymax’s website, the new model allows weight changes from 4.5kg to 34kg, coming with a two year manufacturers warranty. They’re currently priced at £269 per dumbbell, or £484.20 if bought as a pair.

4/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4.57/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Fancy a set? Grab them below today 😊

Bodymax – Selectabell Ajustable Dumbbell

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

The Best & Most Cost Effective CrossFit Grips of 2025.

     

Background

I joined a CrossFit gym a few years back. Thought I’d see what all the craze was about. To be honest, it was a lot of fun! The trainers were highly qualified, experienced and competent. CrossFit has obviously got a lot of stick over the years, and rightly so in most cases (in my opinion). However, if the principles of CrossFit are strictly adhered to, with good instructors who use the correct training methods and prioritise correcting any dysfunctional movement patterns first, then I think it’s one of the best past times to keep you overall strong, fit and healthy.

Anyway, I could rant on and have a very long conversation with myself about the who’s, what’s, why’s and when’s of CrossFit. I’ll save you from joining me in that experience! I bring up CrossFit because it’s the reason behind why I purchased these grips.

The story goes… I was happily minding my own business, learning how to perform the kipping movement, then incorporating this into toes to bar and chest to bars. Unbeknownst to me, my grip was beginning to weaken. This surprised me, as I considered myself to have pretty decent grip strength, having trained grip for strongman for many years.

The gym was packed, lots of attractive women were training hard, and they were all clearly far more experienced and competent than myself when it came to gymnastic work.

I got to about the tenth toes to bar, when at the exact point my body came to what felt like parallel to the ground, my grip decided to fail me and I fell smack bang onto the floor from one of those super high pull up bars. It all happened within a millisecond.

All those very attractive women in the gym either saw or heard the thump of my body hitting the floor. An eruption of laughter followed! I felt a tad embarrassed to say the least.

This is when I decided to take note of what everyone else had on the hands – GRIPS! But not the weightlifting, deadlift or figure of 8 one’s that I’d used before. No, these were called CrossFit grips.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly no expert when it comes to choosing which ones are the best for you. I know that some have holes, and some don’t. And that’s about the extent of what I feel I need to know!

I can however say that since using these grips, my grip when doing any hanging bar work hasn’t failed me yet!

 

Picsil Rx Grips

There’s so much kit that CrossFitters have in their military style bags. The ex-squaddie in me does question whether it’s all necessary, or it’s the result of wanting to fit in, or look ‘cool’ for want of a better term. After all, CrossFit can turn into a bit of a cult if it’s allowed to.

As I couldn’t be arsed looking into all the kit CrossFit promotes, I simply asked the lead CrossFit dude what they used. These were on their list. And I’m glad I took their advice!

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

Amazon Prime. Next day. Tracked in real time once out for delivery. Arrived in pristine condition.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Color	‎3H Orange
Size	‎M
Hand orientation	‎Left
Style	‎Wrap
Shape	‎Cylinder
Material type	‎Carbon Fibre
Sport	‎Weightlifting
Included components	‎2 Hand Grips
Batteries included?	‎No
Brand	‎PICSIL
Department	‎Unisex
Manufacturer	‎PICSIL
Item model number	‎RX0006
Package Dimensions	‎45.72 x 30.48 x 0.1 cm; 80 g

 

Build Quality

Stitching is still all intact. No tears to the leather, or new splits/fraying around the holes. The leather does now rest in a naturally curled position, simply due to the extended use they’ve had. You can see that I’ve had to weight them down with a rolling thunder handle in the images above. That happens with all leather though. Simply put, they are standing the test of time so far! And it’s been a good two years now.

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

They’re comfy, easy to put on and off, stable, supportive and do wonders for a failing grip. The medium size fit my hands perfectly. I used the size guide on Amazon, which was accurate for me.

There’s small, medium, large and extra large for you absolute behemoths who have shovels for hands. There’s also a G and a G+ size, which appear to not have holes in them. I think you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m no expert when it comes to these grips… but what I do know is that the ‘G’s’ look like they don’t have holes in them!

5/5

 

Adaptability

Hmm. I guess these are used for hanging bar work mostly. They might be used for other gymnastic stuff, but I don’t have a scooby doo about that. I’m going to say they are built for purpose, and not for adaptability. For that reason, they get:

1/5

 

WOW Factor

Hmm. Nope, there’s not a lot of WOW about them. But not everything has to be WOW to be really good at its job.

Wooden spatulas. There’s nothing WOW about them, at all. But since the dawn of man, they’ve been one of the best cooking utensils in the world.

There you go… the Picsil Rx Grips are the wooden spatula’s of the CrossFit world. I couldn’t bestow a greater accolade.

2/5

 

Longevity

Two years running and as strong as the day I purchased them.

5/5

 

Price

They’re currently up for grabs at £24.95, which I would argue is well worth it if it prevents you looking like an absolute numpty falling off the bar smack bang right in front of a crowded gym 🙂

5/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Grab a set below today.

Picsil – Rx Grips

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.

   

 

A Great Way to Train Your Adductors and Abductors at Home in 2024.

     

Background

Yes, Yes, I know… what a random bit of kit to review!

This purchase came about when I was rehabbing bilateral adductor strains. I had limited access to any machines that may have help helped, but I did have access to a cable machine.

I thought that if I could manage to hook a strap around my thigh, then connect that to a cable machine – that’d do the job. I thought that if it worked, it could provide me with a very low resistent force to adduct against – enabling me to perform a graded recovery, moving through isometric movements to full on max power isotonic movements.

It turns out that I was on the right train of thought, however I originally purchased these. And apologies in advance DMoose… but these really weren’t effective for my hip/knee/ankle rehab as there’s wasn’t enough contact between the strap and skin. This meant that I had to hold/anticipate certain muscles to make the movement work. As I released the weight, a large gap would appear between the pad and my skin.

If I applied slightly too much force on the concentric phase, the cable would also ‘bounce’ – which is the opposite of the smooth movement that I was trying to achieve. In short, it just felt like a very unnatural movement, not conducive to working through smooth movement patterns. This wasn’t necessarily just an issue with DMoose’s version either. Most ankle straps appear to have this design.

 

Instant Speed – Speed Training Bands

I therefore needed something that would wrap around the entire ankle, with a good degree of cushioning the whole way round. That’s when I found these speed training bands.

*Disclaimer*

They’re not really advertised for use on a cable machine.

*Disclaimer*

They have they’re own set of bands that attach each strap together, so that you can perform agility drills and the like, placing more emphasis on glute control through movement.

If you hook carabiners to the d-rings on each strap, they then turn into really effective ankle/knee/hip straps for use on the cable machine.

I doubt the manufacturers would reccomend using them on a cable machine, as there may be a risk of the strap coming loose with very heavy weights. But for the sort of load needed for my adductor rehab (and any ankle/knee/hip rehab work), the velcro remains as secure as any strap that ever I’ve used on a cable machine.

Now yes, yes I know… you can train your Abductors and Adductors without equipment by just using gravity as the force. You can even whack a resistance band around your squat rack and legs and do it that way. Resistance bands however slip, rip hairs (first world problem, I know), and require regular replacements due to usage and old age.

These speed bands don’t slip, they provide a perfect snug fit around the thighs – meaning that you can confidently use this to isolate the hip joint, removing the knee and ankle from the equation. And yep, I realise bands can be utilised for this too… but as mentioned above – they slip, twist, rip out hair, and the resistant force is limited by the tension of the band.

None of that is an issue with these speed training bands.

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

Amazon Prime Delivery.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Color	‎Brown
Size	‎S
Style	‎Resistance Band
Height	‎5 centimetres
Item display length	‎12 centimetres
Weight	‎300 g
Item display width	‎12 centimetres
Material type	‎Natural Rubber
Number of pieces	‎1
Sport	‎Football
Batteries included?	‎No
Brand	‎Instant Speed Training Bands
Manufacturer	‎Instant Speed Training
Item model number	‎672975459918
Product Dimensions	‎20 x 10 x 7 cm; 289 g

 

Build Quality

Stitching, hooks, velcro are all standing the test of time. The firm, but comfortable and still somewhat squishy interior that makes contact with the skin has no chunks that have been ripped out through constant donning and doffing of the bands.

They’ve handled half of the weight stack so far and the velcro hasn’t slipped an inch. I think this is partly due to the quality of the velcro, but also the sheer quantity/length of the connecting velcro pieces. The D-Handle on ours shows no signs of not being able to handle heavy loads. There’s no deformation or splittage of the seams connecting it to the band.

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

For everything mentioned above – top marks!

5/5

 

Adaptability

This in an incredibly versatile bit of kit. Imagine everything that you do with resistance bands – and these can do them better. You could even strap these around your arms and perform shoulder stability work with the connecting bands. Your exercise selection will be limited only by your imagination!

5/5

 

WOW Factor

For the sheer comfort factor, robust build, and innovative design – these get the top WOW marks.

5/5

 

Longevity

It can’t be said with certainty that these will last the ten years plus that some of the other kit that we’ve tested has, as they’ve only had about a years use. But as mentioned in the build quality – they’re still as good as the day they arrived.

5/5

 

Price

These are currently sitting at £24.95 on Amazon. If they last the true test of time, then this is a true bargain buy. And holy moly, this is the second ever product to receive our 5/5 total rating!

5/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 5/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

Grab one below today.

Speed Training Bands

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.