Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set with Accessories

Purchasing the BLACK MOUNTAIN resistance bands is one of the best investments that I’ve ever made and have been using them for two months now. I spoke with the owner Dan Weidner pertaining to some questions about the bands and the man is an absolute professional. He was very polite and answered all my questions and told me I could contact him anytime. He sincerely wanted me to feel happy with my purchase.

I’m a 55 year old man with several medical conditions that now prevent me from work. I’m on social security disability due to a 38 year chronic back condition, 13 years of fibromyalgia and recently diagnosed with several bulging degenerative discs. This has resulted in several misaligned discs causing me multi-level bi-lateral foraminal stenosis of the spine. I have moderate to severe numbness in both my legs. Since I was a teenager, I have done some form of exercise, swimming, running, bodybuilding, elliptical and Nordic Track. It is only after I turned 52 that I really began to have major medical problems due to the combination of the above. I lost the ability to lift weights which has always been my physical therapy. I need to keep active and keep my muscles active and strong to support my spine and reduce the muscles spasms caused by Fibromyalgia.

I thought I’d give these resistance bands a try and I couldn’t be more satisfied customer. I have been lifting weights for 35 years but can’t use them anymore, that is, unless I want to end up in the emergency room. These bands are very easy to use. I find them to work my muscles better than weights and weight machines because they stretch the muscle throughout the movement, really great for my Fibromyalgia condition. Of course you should use the appropriate band(s) and do the exercise fluidly and slow, no jerking or relaxing upon completion of the movement to get the full effect. These bands remind me of the bands I used for swimming team practice.

I would recommend purchasing these resistance bands sold by BLACK MOUNTAIN as they are well worth the money. Take this review from someone who has been into fitness for most of his life and who has used a variety of gym equipment; and if you have a muscular/neurological conditions like me than these are for you.

The bands are well made and the hand grips are very comfortable.

I’ve altered several exercises in the manual to fit my condition and added a few of my own as follows.

SEATED ROW – IX and XIV

Place door anchor about 18 inches above floor.
Put resistance bands into door anchor
Sit down on floor with legs flat on floor at a 45 degree angle facing door (opposite angle from door anchor.)

TRICEP EXTENSION – III

Place door anchor in top middle of door.
Put resistance bands into door anchor
Push down and back with BOTH hands bending at the elbow.

LAT PULL DOWN – XIII (standing as in instructions does not work for me)

Place door anchor in top middle of door.
Put resistance bands into door anchor
Sit with back against door and legs straight out on floor.
Pull resistance bands straight down to where handle is parallel to shoulder.
(This gives better support for my back and allowing for a better stretch).

The following are exercises not in instruction booklet.

SITTING LAT CHEST PULLDOWN
(This builds lats in upper back and intercostal rib cage muscles.)

Place door anchor in top middle of door.
Put resistance bands into door anchor
Sit with back against door and legs straight out on floor.
Keeping arms fully extended, pull resistance bands straight down (palms facing floor) to 12 to 18 inches above knee.

FOREARM CURL
(This is similar to exercise V the curl but builds forearm muscles instead of bicep.)

Place band under feet.
Curl band with palms facing down towards floor, instead of palms up as in bicep curl.

FORWARD LATERAL RAISE
(This is similar to exercise VI side lateral raise but gets deltoids at a different angle.)

Place both feet over center of band.
Keeping arms straight, raise arms forward and over head.

I bought these bands for use as a training device. They are still new so I will have to wait to report on their durability and longevity, but they appear very sturdy.
The bands are “weighted” by color and the booklet has their listed weight estimates. The weight of the resistance can change dramatically depending on how far you stretch it. Example: overhead press puts much more “weight” into the band than say a curl might. This gives a similar effect to squatting with a chain. The intensity increases further into the movement.
The insertion point of the band into the nylon/hook area is very well manufactured. It has a knot, wrapped in a rubber sleeve, that has been inserted through an eyelet. The clips are strong carabiners and are not hooked to the bands in any way, they are hooked to the nylon.
The handles are foam, not rubber, grips, so I assume the normal wear and tear from a foam handle, but they are not, in any way, flimsy. The system works very simply to clip in and out for varying resistance. It’s a quick and easy change when you move between exercises. When I had mine in the door frame, I kept all the bands hanging and only clipped the ones I needed. It worked great so my boyfriend and I could swap out between sets without any fuss.
The door anchor is decent; I have seen more secure versions but I still don’t imagine this will be a problem. The anchor is smaller than what I’m used to seeing (I have always seen the “tube” style anchors, this one is a few small… things… inside the nylon) but it seems to work just fine. The anchor can go over the door, or on the hinge side of the door to adjust for height. Both these methods work great and are simple to set up.
The ankle strap is soft and comfortable with a sturdy D ring to clip to the bands.
The total system is small, lightweight, and incredibly versatile. Aside from being great just to have in your home or small apartment, they would be great for personal trainers who do in-home training, physical therapists, or the fitness minded person who likes/needs to travel; just throw it in your suitcase and go.
I got a great workout from these bands and they offer resistance in a way that weights do not. Similar to working out with TRX… the moves may be the same, but the muscles it works may be different, or the same muscles may be worked in a different way. This is a great addition to any gym. I don’t know what took me so long to get a set. I’m very happy with the system, the product, and the customer service (I called to talk with CS to ask them about a promotion they had noted in the paperwork. They were so nice. No sales pitches, no pushy reps, and no gimmicks, just a really nice guy who answered my questions, and was very friendly and informative).

Great exercise gear. We are using them with our high intensity interval training to train with some more tension than just our body weight. Also easy to take with you on holidays when you are also into exercises while away from home. Highly recommend. Looks very durable .

Delivered next morning, product well-packed and quality is good. Still not familiar with exercising with this but feels good after testing.