The Bottom Line: The Iron Gym is a durable, versatile workout system, and we liked it very much. The only things preventing it from getting five stars were the fact that it did not come with the ab straps as advertised and did not fit in larger doorways.
Reviewed by: Nathan MarkReviewed on: 9/11/2009 9:34:52 AM
What It Claims To Do: The iron Gym promises to make you lean and strong in just 30 days. The infomercial informs us that the Iron Gym has no screws, causes no damage to doors, and can give you the ability to do great push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and crunches in just seconds. What We Found: The Iron Gym took more than just seconds to set up. We had to try several doors before we found one it would fit. Either the doors were too wide (you'll need doors that are less than 30" wide), or near a corner which did not give enough room for the outer bars of the Iron Gym. The iron gym was light and easy to put on and take off the door. It seemed sturdy during the workout, and even came with a small metal piece that attaches to the top of the door frame to prevent slipping. We liked the fact that the Iron Gym has several different grips. When you do chin ups, the different grips allow you to isolate different muscles with each workout. It is also possible to use the Iron Gym for sit-ups, push-ups and crunches. There are some limitations to using the Iron Gym workout bar for push ups. With a normal push up bar, you have the option for using a v-formation, which allows you to isolate certain back muscles. With the Iron Gym, you are forced to do a parallel workout. Another thing we noticed - the metal piece that runs accross the top of the Iron Gym seemed somewhat flimsy. You'll want to be careful not to step on it, or it will bend. We were disappointed to learn that the Ab Strap advertised on the infomercial did not actually come with the product. Instead, there was a mail-in-rebate on the box. To get the Ab Straps, you need to mail away a few dollars and wait a few weeks for the straps. Bottom Line: We liked the Iron Gym. It's well-made, mobile, versatile, and offers several different workouts. We were unimpressed by the false advertising that the Ab Straps come free with the Iron Gym, but that was not enough to make us feel poorly about this product. Just be sure that your doors are under 30" wide, or the Iron Gym will not be able to fit.