A great alternative to lifting weights -- highly recommended.
Most people are quite familiar with lifting weights as a way to do strength training. Weights definitely work, but they are not easily portable and there is a high potential for injury if you are lifting without the proper technique.
Enter exercise cables, a viable alternative to using weights for strength training. TNT cables, made by Lifeline, are some of the best out there. They use quality materials allowing the cables to hold up use after use. The cables come in a wide variety of different strengths that are well standardized by this company. And they are eminently portable, weighing less than a couple pounds.
Cables are versatile, and Lifeline's handle increases their versatility. You can connect up to three cables at a time to the TNT handle allowing you to increase or decrease the resistance as needed for a given exercise. A note to the skeptical: cables are no less challenging than weights. They are a different form of resistance, but by using multiple and heavier bands most people will find them just as challenging.
This is also a no frills/no nonsense product. Basically you receive the handles, three 'R4' cables, and a simple instruction poster. A door attachment is also supplied which increases the number of exercises that you can do.
Some caveats:
1. Snapping the cables in and out of the handle is simple, but with higher resistance cables this can sometimes be a daunting task. Once you get the hang of it it is fairly quick but it can take some serious stretching and pulling at first.
2. There are a lot of exercises that work well with the cables, but they do not correlate exactly with similar exercises with weights. You may have to experiment with different angles or approaches to make one of your exercises work with the bands.
3. Band resistance is different than weight resistance. Weight resistance is constant and dependent on gravity. Band resistance increases as the band is stretched. This is not a bad thing, it is just different and it takes a while to get used to the bands if you have used weights all of your life.
4. There is no exact 'number' or poundage that you can look at with the bands. This drives weight lifters crazy, because they cannot gauge their progress as easily. I have to say, however, that once you get used to using the bands this matters less. The results are no less dramatic than weights anyway so gauging progress becomes less important over time.
I am impressed with this product. It is especially great for travel as it takes nearly no room in the suitcase and makes your gym portable.
Jojoleb (Pittsburgh, PA)
