Healthy Tips

I bought this roman chair a few months ago after using this type of equipment for years in various gyms. One of the only ways for me to get rid of my gut and “love handles” is by employing side bends and forward raises. I’ve been off for a year from a work injury (I’m an Ironworker) and had gained 30 pounds. At 5’8″ and a normal weight of 160#, that was too much. I’m 51, and I work out with medium weights, then bike or run miles afterwards. My injury causes upper and lower back, neck and shoulder pain. I figured that building my back muscles and core up again would help.

I shopped the internet, and this one looked closest to the gym models that I’d used, although I knew that at the $99 sale price, quality was iffy. But it had the foot plate and handles, which help getting on and off, and was the same basic design, with an adjustable setting for user height. I figured if I really didn’t like it, I could return it.

When I put it together, I noticed the welding was pretty sad looking, which should be expected since it was probably fabricated with slave labor in China. When I set it up and used it, it seemed a little wobbly, but nothing I couldn’t handle. If I really wanted to stabilize it, I could fasten it to the floor with bolts, but it’s not that bad. I will agree with one reviewer who said that the padding on the waist pads is insufficient. The backing board is evident when bending forward. They should have used better padding and wrapped the edges of the board. But this is something anyone can do. I re-upholstered a whole Universal brand Gladiator gym last year (first time at reupholstering), and for less than ten bucks worth of new padding and better vinyl from the local fabriccrafts store and a few staples, I can make these pads professional grade. (I googled gym reupholstering to find out how. It’s easy) But, I’ve been using this for 3 months, 3 days a week and it’s not a big deal to me. If it’s set up right, it isn’t a problem, anyway.

The adjustment intervals could be set closer for different size users, but again, for the money, it’s not a deal killer. With the toe pan, you could always lay a 2×4 or book or something to bring you up to the right spot. My feet tend to set a little off the toe stop in order to catch the calf pads, but that’s ok. Some models don’t even have plates for your feet.

I use mine for forward bends (face down), and side bends. The dual pads come in handy for the side bends. I put both feet on one side of the calf pad post with my upper ankle against the calf pad, and then have my left or right hip on the pad that’s on the side my feet are on. It works great for getting rid of those love handles, since stretching that fat is about the only way I’ve found to get rid of it. Plus, this really helps build your core muscles.

To conclude, I think this tool is more than sufficient for the job it does. It’s a little tense the first time on, since it isn’t as stable as the gym rigs, but it actually helps my work out. I can’t speak for the heavier guys on this, but it works for me. The padding isn’t high quality, but it can be made high quality for a lot less than spending another couple of hundred bucks for a professional grade piece of equipment. And, like one person said, you can always put a towel over the pads if it’s a problem.

This is the way I look at it– Pro equipment is made for constant, daily, hard use. It has to be the best to stand up to possibly hundreds of uses each day. I need this tool every other day, and it takes me 10 seconds to do 10 repetitions, 3 sets each of 3 different positions (front and both sides). That’s about 2 minutes each work out, 6 minutes a week. Even if I start doing this daily with my morning sit ups and push ups, it would still be less than 15 minutes a week use. Professional grade is not needed for my amateur use. For the hundred bucks (and free shipping) that I bought this for, I say I got a deal. And also, I have a piece of equipment that honestly gives me results that make a difference. And will probably last me for the rest of my life if I take care of it. If you don’t like it, get your money back or put it on craigslist! There’s somebody out there wishing they had one. I give it 4 dumbells!!

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This is absolute scrap metal chincy poorly constructed junk!

It is off centered twisted,..the foot support is bent the adjusting knob bolt is stripped and there hole in one of the pads.

These defects are clearly NOT from incidental damage,Like some one running over it with a forklift or a semi truck.

It is manufactured with absolute lack of quality!

What can one expect from “made in china”?

You are way better off spending the extra $100 or so bucks and buy from a reputable dealer and get something which you can actually use!

Customer service is non existant they say they will contact you promptly after you leave your message or e-mail,,,Good luck! their piece of junk chair will rust away before you hear from them!

Avoid this evil vile company at all costs
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