One morning I was reading Joanna’s great blog Fitness & Spice and saw her talking about Gym In A Bag. I thought the product looked really nice – especially for someone like me who doesn’t belong to a gym. Later that day I was contacted by the Gym In A Bag people who asked if I’d like to try the product and then give one away on my blog. I was excited to try the system out so I said, “Definitely.”
A few days later this came in the mail.
How fun. The system includes:
•4 resistance bands in varying strengths
•wrist and ankle cuffs
•custom hooks designed to be used with the cuffs
•a padded steel bar that unscrews into three sections
•a DVD featuring Kim Lyons
•a flip-chart instruction book
•a door attachment
•a very nice looking carrying bag
•and the potential to make you stronger.
We’ve all seen resistance bands before right? Well, the thing that makes these different is the cuff system. Instead of grabbing onto a handle like traditional bands, you let the cuffs either rest in your palm or on your wrist, depending on the exercise you are doing. Why?
Well, as Jerry from Gym In A Bag explained to me, when you grip anything, be it a glass of water or a resistance band handle, you are expending energy in your hand and forearm, which makes sense. By using the cuffs, you can avoid that and isolate those targeted muscles, be it biceps, or whatever. From their website, “Flexsolate’s Grip-Free approach to exercise has been scientifically proven to assist in isolating targeted muscles during exercise, by more than 400%, while eliminating the use of non-targeted secondary muscles by more than 8 times. By reducing the use of secondary, non-targeted muscles, we enable targeted muscles to fatigue properly.” At the Flexsolate website they even sell cuffs that you can take to a gym and use with the gym equipment. You can see some gym exercises here. And I have to say – that Gunter Schlierkamp is really fit.
I have been using Gym In A Bag system this for about 2 weeks now and have really enjoyed it. I like that the exercises are laid out for you, but you are free to mix and match them to meet your needs. There are upper body, abdominal, and lower body exercises included. The bands can either be used alone, or combined to give you stronger resistance. The bar screws together and then unscrews, and can be stored in the bag which is great if you are space challenged. And the door attachment is really strong, but be sure and follow the directions on making sure your door is securely closed! If you were travelling you could definitely stick this in your suitcase and take it with you – it’s that compact.
You can buy the Gym In A Bag from their website, GymInABag.net and you can have a chance to win one right now! Unfortunately, the giveaway is only open to US residents. You have three chances to enter. Leave a comment telling me why you’d like this bag, write a blurb about it on your site and link back here, or twitter this post, using @fittothefinish. Please leave a separate comment for each entry so when I do the random number generator I can be sure to count you properly! I will close the contest Wednesday, February 9th at midnight CST. Good luck!!!
Disclosure: I received a Gym In A Bag for myself to keep, and one winner will receive one for winning the contest. The winner’s Gym In A Bag will be shipped from the company!
For some reason I really really desire this (doesnt that sound better than WANT
)!
Im growing ever tired of dvds yet am still choosing (ooh look at that! Im taking ownership of my choices–does that win me points?
) to hang with child and workout at home and not plop her in the gym daycare.
plenty of gymtime when shes in the kinder of the garten.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..Personal First Aid Kits: aka self preservation in a pimp hat. =-.
Seems a good gym bag for home trainers…enjoy..am sure you going to get lots of pleasure from this bag.
Good luck to everyone!
.-= Marcelle´s last blog ..Received A Parcel =-.
Wow! I like how compact it is, a convenient size to toss in the luggage.
When I travel, I tend to loose a lot of my healthy habits because i loose my routine and I am stressed just by being on the road. It is not atypical for me to come back a few pounds up from a week long trip. This certainly would help keep my mindset in a better place.
Mia
PS
I have to say, I love seeing pictures of you! You are so cute and inspiring!
Looks like a great bag of goodies that can help those of us at home with strange hours off.
Twittered!
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Halfway There! The Perfect 10 – Update Five =-.
Or is it tweeted? I can never remember the word.
Anyhow, I would love to win this so I could give it to my wife. She has been saying she wanted something like this, but she’s not sure she would use it. There is no better way to find out than to win one!
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Halfway There! The Perfect 10 – Update Five =-.
Wow, that is a really comprehensive product! I’m all for home workouts for those times when the gym isn’t do-able or you just want to change it up! Great giveaway
.-= Marisa (Loser For Life)´s last blog ..Winter Wonderland =-.
I think resistance bands can give you a great workout and I love that you can do this at your own convenience.
Tweeted!
.-= Marisa (Loser For Life)´s last blog ..Winter Wonderland =-.
It really is a great product, isn’t it? Well designed, packaged, and executed! I’m so glad you have one in your home gym.
.-= Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Super Bowl Sunday School =-.
I would love Gym-in-a-Bag. I don’t have the option of a gym, and right now all my workouts are pretty much treadmill, leg-lifts, squats and sit-ups. It would be nice to add to my home “gym”
.-= JourneyBeyondSurvival´s last blog ..Pause, Murmur, Exhale =-.
How fun!!
.-= Staci´s last blog ..Contemplation =-.
That is a neat lil thing! I will tweet about it also….I think I have hit a new all time low during this journey, and am trying to claw my way out of this pit i dug for myself…could use a new gadget to excite and entice me…any extra motivation, you know?
What a cool product!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Stepping out of my comfort zone =-.
What a great idea, I have never seen this but would absolutely love it, for a little ‘change of pace’ in my routine. Michigan winters require a little creativity indoors!
.-= Julie @ Pickley Pear´s last blog ..Race, Plum, Cookies =-.
Diane, how cool that you got to try this & KEEP it! You know I love resistance exercise!!!! I only have one resistance band & I do stuff at home too so boy, I could make use of this big time. I also carry my band to the gym too so I would use all the bands at home & the gym! And vacation if I could afford one!
I would love to add this in to my routine for more “change it up” workouts. You know I love the change!!!
I will blog tomorrow about this & post then to you.
I don’t Twitter so sorry about that!
HOW COOL though! Hey, are you making it to Dr. Oz even with the weather???
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Sunday Jog; More Exercise Options =-.
What a great find!! Especially for those days when going to the gym just isn’t an option. Or on those days when you have to work late!! Thanks for sharing!!
I think that it would be nice to have. Right now, I’m using a tote bag, and I can’t seem to fit everything in it! Plus, I think the resistance band would be a good work out as well.
Sounds like an awesome system. I do belong to a gym, but with the toddler and life happening, it’s not always possible to get to the gym. I love having other options. I also like that everything is so neatly stored in the bag. I have to really work on being organized… Also, I’ll travel a lot over the summer, and this looks small enough to take along on the road…
.-= Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..In and Around the San Francisco Ferry Building =-.
So fun! I travel a good deal, and am always throwing random stuff in my suitcase, this would be amazing to have!
.-= Morgan´s last blog ..Live, Love, Eat and…Run? =-.
I would love something like this for when I can not make it to the gym for one reason or another. Like today my car is not here so no gym today=(
.-= katie´s last blog ..back on track. =-.
tweeted http://twitter.com/IamSucceeding/status/8810442283
.-= Trish @IamSucceeding´s last blog ..Failure… That Is Success =-.
Moving to a much smaller home and having to give up my Bowflex this would be awesome…a great substitute!!
.-= Trish @IamSucceeding´s last blog ..Failure… That Is Success =-.
Hi Diane! Thanks for the great review! I’d love to win the Gym In A Bag so I could give it to a woman I’ve been training for the past three months…she could use it at home on days like today (tons of snow here, Maryland) or on our ‘off days’.
Thanks for the terrific post!
-Fred
.-= Fred´s last blog .."Locked and Loaded…Take 2" =-.
This would be awesome for the days that I’m too lazy to go to the gym!
.-= kittay skeezah´s last blog ..You’ve Been Dying to Know =-.
Also, I tweeted this!
.-= kittay skeezah´s last blog ..You’ve Been Dying to Know =-.
I would LOVE this bag. I do not belong to a gym and I am trying to incorporate more to stretch my muscles as I continue to stretch my mindset and lifestyle.
Mind, Body and Spirit makes us whole and the body portion is what needs the MOST exercise because I RESIST that. This sounds perfect for me!
.-= Jules – Big Girl Bombshell´s last blog ..Sunday Stud – Ryan from No More Bacon =-.
This would be great for me when I travel for business, I’d love to win!
.-= Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..fun day in the bean! =-.
That would be great just to keep everything organized in my tiny apartment.
I’m a busy homeschooling mom of 6 and don’t belong to a gym either! This would be quite helpful!
I twittered this. I want this BAD!
.-= Jules – Big Girl Bombshell´s last blog ..Sunday Stud – Ryan from No More Bacon =-.
This gym in a bag would be great for on the road or for travel or for right at home!! Great give away!! Love it…want it!!
Jen
.-= Jen-JensFitnessTips.com´s last blog ..5 Reasons Swimming Will Make You Look and Feel AMAZING… =-.
I would so love this. I have been working out at home using just DVD’s for the past few monts and it’s kind of tiring. I need something new & this gym in a bag looks like it would be perfect! I hope to win this.
Also I tweeted this!
twitter name is @fierliss
.-= Randi´s last blog ..Work & Exercise =-.
What a great idea. It would be perfect for someone who travels.
.-= karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..Taking Off the Baby Weight =-.
I would love this bag! pick me magic generator!
.-= sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Giveaway-Fashion with a Twist =-.
I can’t afford to go to the gym right now. But I am determined to do what I can to make this work. So as seen on my spark page ocean0830 I have created a mini gym with items people have given me or found on craigslist. But I feel this has limited my workout. The Gym in a Bag would enhance my mini gym workouts without needing a lot of space. This would be a GREAT addition and great to travel. We have lots of family events this year and I have been worrying how I would maintain working out-this would be a great way!
Thanks for all your post, contest, photo etc.
I would love to have this bag because sometimes it is hard for me to motivate myself to get to the actualy fitness center. I must exercise due to a circulatory issue and this would be here at my home and I couldn’t avoid it.
I would love to win since it is so portable and I can bring it anywhere to workout! It would be great for vacation or days that I am too lazy to go to the gym!
Tweeted!
What an awesome giveaway!
I would loooove to win this gym in a bag! I am in the midst of planning a wedding and between work, appointments, and moving into a new house I have been majorly slacking in the fitness department! This would be so easy to just do at home when I have a half hour to spare!
And I am tweeting!
.-= MySensei´s last blog ..Steak Dinner for Two =-.
I would love to win. We don’t belong to a gym–I call my family room the gym–so the gym in a bag would be PERFECT! I’m just starting to exercise more, and so this equipment would be great. Thanks for the chance!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Losing the Weight, Gaining the World =-.
That looks like so much fun! Don’t enter me because I’m Canadian. But that would be SO useful to have on the really cold days (which is every day for 6-8 months of the year around here, haha) when I’m not in the mood to leave the comfort of my house
.-= Sagan´s last blog ..Poll: Do you approve of competitive sports? =-.
I love using resistance bands, but have never tried these kinds with the cuff before. What a great give a way!!!!
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..For the love of Artichokes =-.
Great giveaway! Id love it!
.-= tj´s last blog ..Splurges =-.
I tweeted about it!
That looks neat, but I’m not sure I need it as I have resistance bands and weights here at home. So, if the generator picks me, please feel free to pick someone else.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Perfect 10 – Update #5 =-.
I travel a lot for work and I’m always struggling for activities to do in the hotel or on the road. Not all hotels have great fitness centers. This would be great to use in the room so that I don’t have to put my training on hold.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Lessons Learned + Goals =-.
With the tempermental PA weather there are days that I cannot make it to the gym so this would definitely be nice to have!
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Day #39: Random Ramblings… =-.