Bodygym Review

What is Bodygym?

Bodygym is an all-in-one training system that uses one latex resistance band to work your whole body. The resistance band has handles on the ends for a sure grip, and a flat cloth sleeve mid-band that you can stand on with one or both feet to create a point of resistance and ensure the band doesn’t shift or snap up at you mid-exercise. The Bodygym trainer also comes with a 2.5-feet-long hollow bar that you can attach in place of the handles to use the contraption for exercises you might do with a barbell, like squats or bent-over rows.

The Bodygym trainer can be used in multiple ways to work your arms, legs, and core. You can stand on the band and perform exercises like bicep curls with the handles, or you can attach the bar and do exercises like chest presses by looping the band around your back. You can then go back to standing on the band and perform some squats or lunges while resting the bar on your shoulders, or lie on the ground for assisted sit-ups with the Bodygym band under your feet and the bar held across your chest. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to use your device to work out, Bodygym has a page on its website showcasing exercises you can do with it.

The Bodygym comes with one band, resistance level two, which adds 10 to 40 pounds of resistance (depending on how far you stretch it). You can purchase Bodygym’s other resistance bands separately for $30 each, but you can only use one at a time. Level one adds 5 to 20 pounds of resistance, level three adds 20 to 50 pounds, and level four adds 25 to 80 pounds.

What I like about Bodygym

Above all else, Bodygym was easy to use. I like my workouts fast-paced, so the last thing I want to do in the middle of a sweaty session is fiddle with changing weight plates or shove around heavy gear before using it. The Bodygym trainer was easy to put together and simple to use throughout my workout. I found the level two resistance band to be great for my level of strength. It added enough resistance that I felt challenged, but not too much to the point where I was sacrificing form.

I enjoyed not having to switch between resistance bands or combine bands with weights during certain exercises. The Bodygym made it easy to complete a full-body workout with one piece of equipment. I started with exercises like bicep curls and chest presses that could be done with the resistance band handles, then snapped on the bar and finished with exercises like squats and tricep extensions.

I already own small resistance bands and booty bands for hip and leg exercises and large resistance loops (a.k.a. super bands) to use for various arm and leg workouts. The Bodygym trainer made working with long resistance bands much more comfortable, thanks to the interchangeable handles and bar. These accessories allowed me to have more control than I’ve found with the super bands, and I felt my form was better because I had a more secure grip. Stepping on the cloth sleeve on the resistance band also made sure the band didn’t slip around under my feet.

The device is as easy to break down as it is to put together—you just unsnap the resistance band from the handles or the ends of the bar and separate the bar into two halves. And as it weighs less than 3 pounds, it was convenient to carry with me if I wanted to work out outside (especially as it came with its own drawstring bag). On days with nice weather, I went for a long walk and carried the trainer with me to complete a resistance workout in the park after getting my steps in. It was so lightweight and comfortable to carry around, I found myself checking my bag to make sure I hadn’t accidentally left part of the trainer behind.

What I didn’t like about Bodygym

My number one complaint about Bodygym is the price. Though it made my resistance band workout much more enjoyable, it’s just not worth $120. You can buy a single resistance tube with handles from Gymshark for $15 or a set of five resistance tubes from Amazon for $25. For $120, you should at least be getting all four resistance levels Bodygym offers, not just one, and even then it would still be expensive.

I also thought the design of the handles could be improved. When snapping the resistance band to the bar, the handles stay connected to the band and just dangle off the sides. It wasn’t a huge inconvenience, but they occasionally got in the way of my feet. I think it would have been better to allow the handles to completely snap on and off.

What reviewers are saying

Reviewers love Bodygym, no doubt about it. Of the over 200 reviews on the brand’s site, most rave about the same attributes I enjoyed—that Bodygym makes it easy to do many different exercises and take it with them wherever they want to work out.

“Love the Bodygym!” one reviewer writes. “Been using it for a year now and just updated the band to a higher weight. With gyms being closed for the last year this has truly been a lifesaver. I feel I get a great workout with it.”

The main complaint reviewers have is not being able to select the band strength that comes with the trainer. Some found the level two band too heavy to start with, and said when they ordered another it took two to three weeks to arrive.

Is Bodygym worth it?

I got a great full-body workout with the Bodygym trainer. But because of the price, I have to say Bodygym is probably not worth it for most people, when you can find similar enough options for a fraction of its price.

After my review, I discovered an older version of the Bodygym trainer available on Amazon for $48. You still only get one level of resistance—which adds 15 pounds of resistance—and the handles and bar look slightly different, but they work in the same way. I haven’t tested this one, but $48 seems much more reasonable, and more than 4,000 reviewers give it an average rating of 4.3 stars, with many raving about the amazing workout it offers.