The Gorilla Bow is a resistance training tool that’s designed to go where you go. Fashioned after the ancient weapon, the Gorilla Bow is about as basic as it gets. It is light, easy to use, and very portable, even though its frame is rigid and cannot be folded.
Most portable strength training devices (other than free weights) work using resistance. It can get monotonous really quickly, especially if there’s only a limited number of exercises you can perform on each.
The Gorilla Bow is slightly different. If you hook it up to a door frame, you can do a whole lot more with it. You don’t get such options with most devices.
This particular resistance training device can be a nice addition to your home gym. It offers high levels of resistance, but more importantly, you can adjust the resistance level to suit your workout needs. The device is comprised of an aluminum bow with four detachable resistance bands (or cables).
Basic as it is, the Gorilla Bow is capable of working out several different muscle groups. The bands are colored, and they each offer different levels of resistance. The bow itself is capable of withstanding up to 300 pounds of force, so breaking or bending it is not an easy feat.
Traveling with it is easy enough if you’re traveling by bus or train. On a flight, the Gorilla Bow would have nowhere to stay as it is quite long, and its frame doesn’t fold. Luckily, it is light enough to carry around without feeling like a burden.
They say that the most effective exercises are the simple ones. That’s the principle behind this portable home gym. It generates enough resistance to help you build muscle and stay lean and fit. Its straightforward design contributes a lot to its versatility. Any resistance training device that’s versatile enough to be considered a portable gym is worthy of our attention. That’s precisely what the Gorilla Bow is.
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Gorilla Bow Exercises
It is marketed as a full-body workout device, or a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout tool. The Gorilla Bow allows you to perform a good number of exercises, even if you come up with your training routine.
Here’s what you can accomplish with a Gorilla Bow:
1. Front and Back Squats: Squats focus on the gluteus and calf muscles. These exercises are used to tone the legs and lower back while strengthening the knees and ankles.
2. Lunges: Lunges can be adjusted to workout different muscle groups. It could be the calves, chest, or arm muscles. Lunges are also suitable for stretching out your muscles.
3. Curls (Biceps): The Gorilla Bow can replace the regular weights you use to perform bicep curls. It can generate an insane amount of resistance to help you build muscle quickly.
4. Upright Row: The upright row trains most of the muscles in the upper back and shoulders. It is a useful exercise for staying fit or for sports that require upper body strength and fitness.
5. Calf Raises: Calf raises work on the muscles on the back of the lower leg. It engages them during the raising phase as well as during the controlled lowering period.
6. Chest and Overhead Press: The chest press works on the pectoral muscles and other chest muscles. The overhead press strengthens the shoulders, upper arms, and upper back muscles.
7. Obliques: Obliques are famously tricky for a reason. They engage a part of our core that we often ignore during training: the sides. Obliques increase core strength and flexibility.
8. Crouching Row: Rows engage nearly every muscle group in the body from glutes to quads to triceps to the upper back. The crouching row is a very effective exercise, but it can be hard to nail down the correct form.
9. Tricep Extensions: Tricep extensions stretch and strengthen the triceps. The exercise is quite simple when done using a Gorilla Bow.
10. Crunches: Crunches increase core strength and help in the sculpting of the abs and obliques. Having some resistance while doing crunches is an excellent way to increase muscle mass.
Pros
- Construction quality is good
- Very portable; easy to store
- Designed for a full-body workout
- Comes with four resistance bands
- Resistance is adjustable
- Great warranty and money-back guarantee
- Travel bag included
Cons
- The bow cannot be folded or stashed into a suitcase.
Who is it For?
If you’re after a workout device that lets you do more at home, then the Gorilla Bow is for you. Capable of performing a full-body workout, it is a comprehensive piece of equipment on its own.
It is useful for building muscle mass through various strength training exercises and comes equipped with variable resistance to suit both men and women of different sizes.
If you’re looking to pack on considerable muscle mass, then perhaps the Gorilla Bow is a little too vanilla for you. Sure enough, it is a formidable workout tool that can help you stay fit and lean. However, you can’t use it as a substitute for free weights.
What you can do is give up your gym membership if you own a Gorilla Bow. After all, it replicates most of the equipment you’ll find there, so why bother making the trip when you can get your workout done at home?
Who is it NOT For?
Competitive bodybuilders and people with intense workout needs should stick to the gym and heavy free weights. Though the Gorilla Bow is a great workout device overall, it pales in comparison to hardcore gym equipment.
If you’re looking for a way to stay fit without leaving your home, it is an absolutely perfect device. However, don’t expect to see a lot of gains with it if your body is already conditioned to work hard at the gym.
Still, there’s nothing wrong with staying fit, and the Gorilla Bow helps you do just that no matter how far you are from the closest gym.
Gorilla Bow Alternative
The best alternatives to the Gorilla Bow are The BodyBoss 2.0, Tension Toner, and INNSTAR. All of which rely on resistance bands and other muscle-building accessories.
1. BodyBoss 2.0
2. Tension Toner
3. INNSTAR
Key Features
- Aircraft-grade aluminum bow
- 100% latex resistance bands
- Adjustable resistance levels
- Flexclaw at each end of the bow for easy band attachment
- Offers up to 107 pounds of resistance
- Lightweight
- Portable
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 2-year warranty on resistance bands
- Carry bag included
Gorilla Bow Resistance Bands Specifications
| Band Color | Tension At 2.5x Stretch |
|---|---|
| Yellow | 10 Pounds |
| Red | 20 Pounds |
| Royal Blue | 32 Pounds |
| Black | 50 Pounds |
| Blue | 60 Pounds |
| Orange | 80 Pounds |
| Gray | 90 Pounds |
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Gorilla Bow resistance bands are tubes that is mad from premium all natural latex and uses a multi-layer technology to provide extra strength and durability.
Note: The full tension is only achieved at a full 2.5 times stretch. So if you have the 47″ band stretched to 90″ it will not be full strength. You will need to have it stretched to 118″ for full tension.
Closing Thoughts
The Gorilla Bow is an impressive workout device. It does what it says on the box, and then some.
Designed to be as simple as possible, the tool looks exactly like a bow. With it, you can accomplish over ten different exercises with varying resistance levels.
For the average fitness enthusiast, it offers a great way to stay in shape even with a busy schedule. As for professionals and seasoned gym-heads, there’s no question that this tool opens up new avenues to stay fit no matter where you are.