What It Is: They look like something you’d hurdle at a high-school track meet, but–at 29 inches high–these cheerfully yellow metal bars offer surprising versatility (a big bonus for home gyms). The Equalizers are good for stretching and strengthening muscles, and even for cardio; see for yourself.
What You Might Not Know: When the creator–Toronto personal trainer Marc Lebert–and his business partner noticed that the two bended bars standing side by side looked like an equal sign (=), the product name was born. As a nice plus, the name works well because of how the bars help you exercise body parts equally.
Feelin’ the Love: When I first saw the Equalizer I thought it was just for guys. Buff guys. But when I dragged the bars into one of my circuit classes at an all-women’s club, they became a main attraction. I stand corrected.
You can lift the Equalizer like you would a dumbbell–they’re eight pounds each–but this product really shines for bodyweight exercises. The Lebert Equalizer is the best option around for doing triceps dips, incline pushups and single-leg exercises. What sold me: How it targets your butt like no regular squat or lunge can (see for yourself in the DVD that comes with the Lebert Equalizer).
If I Could Change One Thing: Minor assembly required, ug. When I first put the Equalizers together, they seemed a bit wobbly, and that’s because I hadn’t adjusted the screws properly (my bad, but, still, IKEA-style DIY instructions might help). Now everything’s secure, but I keep a screwdriver handy to ensure the bars that fit together in each Equalizer stay firmly aligned.
Should You Get It? If you want a versatile way to work out at home and you’re bored of your dumbbells, yes. If you’re a fitness trainer or instructor who could stand to motivate clients with something fresh yet effective, yes.
LebertEqualizer.com; $99, set of two plus exercise poster & DVD
Twitter Updates
I have been working with the Equalizer with clients for years now in facilities, in-home training and in boot camps and it is my favorite portable fitness product. It is so versatile and can be modified to suit any fitness level from beginner to advanced. My clients are always amazed at the variety of exercises you can perform with such a simple set of bars. I highly recommend it, very portable and cost effective.
We have 13 sets at our gym and I still never have enough for boot camp class. The participants love them. I use them for warming up, cardio circuits, pull up competitions, muscle strength, and stretching. The Youtube videos keep me up to date with new ideas. They are a welcome change from the old standby of weights, balls and bands!
The Equalizer is my favourite strength training tool. It’s so compact and versatile – in just a few minutes, I get an amazing full body workout, right in my own living room or backyard! The endless variations on pull-ups, push-ups, tricep dips, lunges, squats, and other core exercises allow (and encourage!) me to constantly challenge myself. I have seen incredible results using the Equalizer, and it continues to be part of every one of my workouts – highly recommended!
Wow. I’ve never even heard of The Equalizer before. It looks like it would be easy to store as well. We don’t have a lot of room for fitness equipment, so something you could store would be great!
As a dip station it’s very effective. As a pull-up station, you should pass on it. Jumping pull-ups to or band assisted pull-ups to a normal height bar is much more effective then hanging underneath this station and pulling up.
Thanks for commenting on this blog post Daniel.
- Amanda