By John Salak –
Almost everyone is familiar with Gorilla Glue and Gorilla Tape. How about Gorilla Bows? Those not deeply immersed in heavy duty workouts or resistance training may be unaware of this relatively new fitness product. But that may change soon as Gorilla Bows are starting to turn up on all sorts of cutting-edge equipment lists.
Gorilla Bows, for the uninitiated, started sprinkling on to the market about two years ago and have built up a steady, albeit still relatively small, following. These resistance-focused fitness products look, well, like bows as in bows and arrows. They now come in three different styles—Regular ($199), Lite ($119) and Travel ($249). They all work off the same principle, which involve adding more or different resistance bands where you’d normally string a regular bow. With the bands in place, users can pull and stretch in a variety of prescribed ways to theoretically tone and build muscle and burn calories. Resistance levels ranges from of 120 pounds for the 47-inch Lite bow to 300 pounds for the 56-inch Regular bow and all the way to 350 pounds for the 56-inch Travel bow. As the name suggests, the travel bow can be broken down into smaller segments to more easily fit in back packs and cases.
Do these bows work? Absolutely. Do they offer a complete body building and cardio workout that leaves users wanting nothing else? The jury is still out but probably not “completely”. But what does.
Many reviews, nonetheless, have been favorable, offering a general consensus that these bows, like many band-resistance training approaches, offer users more stability than traditional weight training and are easier on joints.
LA Fitness Reviews praised the Gorilla Bow concept in general, noting its true bow shape “makes it a bit more interesting for anyone tired of training with weights.” It also went on to note that the bow system is extremely versatile for all fitness levels; aids body toning by mixing and matching the various resistant bands: and provides lots of training tips through the Gorilla Bow site and its YouTube channel. The system also has a low injury risk and the Lite 3-pound version is highly portable.
Basic exercises possible with Gorilla Bows include:
- Front and back squats
- Pull-downs
- Triceps pushdowns
- Deadlifts
- Bicep curls
- Triceps curls
- Calf raises
- Crunches
- One-hand rows
The Home Gym also offered up a solid review when the product first came on to the market. “Overall, the Gorilla Bow is a solid piece of fitness equipment that effectively provides exactly what it claims to: it’s super portable and can provide a full body workout. The design is simple, but effective,” it reported. The Home Gym also praised the bows for having a decent warranty and being extremely easy to use and adjust.
The system is not without drawbacks, at least according to these and other reviews. LA Fitness points out that Gorilla Bows, as with many resistance products, can be tricky for regular weightlifters to adapt to because they don’t offer resistance from the beginning of a motion. Beyond this, there may be limited tension on certain exercises. Another drawback can stem from where the bow is anchored in certain movements. This can lead to uncomfortable pressure on the spine and scapulae, especially for beginners. One tip is to wear thick tops to reduce pressure on back muscles.
These reservations don’t necessarily make Gorilla Bows a no-go. But newbies should be aware of them and take time to look at the abundant training videos and advice the company offers if they’re inclined to start yanking on a Gorilla Bow.
