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Chair Gym Review

By CANDICE GREY ConsumersCompare.org Update: Jul 26, 2024

Reviews, Workout Equipment

5.7 Out of 10

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Chair Gym Review

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Three Different Resistance Bands

The chair comes with two different bands that offer three different resistances. For example, there is a gray band that is the most stretchy, giving you more stretch thus making the workout easier. The second band is the black band and it gives off a medium stretch. The hardest resistance is pairing those two bands together for less stretch, making the workout harder. [2] You can change these up when you need a boost or when you need a rest, but still want to get an ample workout in. The chair also comes with a swivel seat that can attach to either the top of the chair or on the floor behind the chair for abdominal exercises and balance movements.  Some folks who purchase the Chair Gym like to take it to work, and replace their actual office chair. When they need a break from the grind, they simple grab the bands, swivel in the seat, or try out the other 48 other exercises you can do with this device. Because it is portable and easy to pack up, it can be easily stored if you do not want to sit in it all day long. [3] When you first take a look at this at home “gym” system, it looks rather complex and in depth regarding set up, but is it?

Putting Together The Chair Gym

When you first order the chair, it comes almost completely fully assembled, which is a relief to anyone who hates putting together a million pieces of something they just purchased. In total, you will be getting a chair, resistance bands, a backrest, a pulley system for the bands to operate on, 2 hand grips, and 2 ankle straps along with an L wrench to tie it all together. Because of the L wrench, you will not need any tools at all. To assemble the rest of the chair, you will want to secure the headrest to the seat by sliding it down the tubes that fasten the pieces together. Secondly, you will want to connect the pulley system by placing it on the L-shaped hook, and lastly you will secure the bands to the pulley system to complete the setup process. [4]

The Chair Gym Versus The Resistance Chair

There are many different gym chairs on the market today. Some of the main differences between the Chair Gym exercises system and the Resistance Chair is the color of the products, one of blue while the other is black. Another difference is the fact that the Resistance Chair holds 50 pounds more weight than the Chair Gym does. So instead of 350 pounds, it can hold up to 400 pounds easily. You will typically see both of these exercises chairs on TV, and they are both relatively easy to buy. There have been reports of the Resistance Chair seat actually breaking and splitting only after a few uses, and the bands being too rigid for a lot of people. If you need weaker bands, they do not come with the system and are hard to find ones that are compatible with the chair itself.  The customer service from the Chair Gym has also been said to be poor, making customers pay for their shipping and handling if they want to return it for any reason. However, it is just a tad better built overall, which might make up for lack of customer service. The Chair Gym offers 50 exercises which is great, but the Resistance Chair has more features on the product itself. For example, it has a balance bar handle and a resistance cable which the Chair Gym does not have. Another interesting difference between the two is the weight, with the Chair Gym weighing around 17 pounds, and the Resistance Chair weighing an upwards of 30 pounds. Finally, one of the main deciding factors between the Chair Gym and the Resistance Gym is the cost.  In price they vary by at least $100.00 with the Resistance Chair being much more expensive, and this could be the difference maker in your decision. [5]

Chair Gym Claims

The company makes a few claims regarding the Chair Gym,

• “Chair Gym® works multiple muscle groups so you get more of a workout in less time! It’s an efficient way to stay strong, toned, and flexible.” [6]
• “Chair Gym® has built-in resistance bands for a smooth, controlled range of motion that is easy on the joints! All while seated in a safe, stable, comfortable chair.”
• “Get a great total body workout in just minutes a day!”

The Science (or Lack Thereof) Behind The Chair Gym

The main idea behind the Chair Gym is in the fact that it is a doable workout from anywhere because of the products lightweight and convenient nature. For people who have access to a workout more easily than trudging to the gym when you are short on time, it could easily appeal.  The chair could almost double as a plastic folding chair with a few brands attached to it, which can be confusing at first glance, but it is said to be able to do so much more. Resistance training to an extent can help you to lose weight, feel great, and even gain flexibility over the long term, but is it the most effective way to lose weight compared to other exercises? How much can you really gain from this workout, and why did the company not provide any nuts and bolts to the driving force behind their invention.   When looking into a study done by Duke University comparing aerobic exercises and resistance training against each other to see which one produced greater results, the outcome was interesting. They did a long study on a variety of factors when it came to pairing up the two exercises head to head to look at results like lean body fat loss, and overall fat loss throughout the body. In the study, there were 234 individuals who did not have a history of diabetes, but were overweight and were assigned to three different groups: Aerobic training, aerobic plus resistance training, and just resistance training to see which one yielded better results overall.   The age ranges of the participants was far and wide, ranging from 18 years old to 70 years old. The aerobic training group was assigned a 45 minute workout three times a week where they had to get their heart rate up to at least 70-85% of their max. The people assigned to just resistance training also had to workout for three days each week, but instead of focusing on heart rate, they focused on getting 8-12 reps in on eight different resistance machines. The group assigned to both forms of exercise had similar demands, but they had to mix the two forms of exercise. [7]  So what did the results say after all of the testing took place? There were a few different ways to look at the results, one of them being how resistance training changes your overall fat and body mass percentages. The results?

“Although we did not directly measure RMR in the present study, we observed that Resistance Training increased lean body mass without a significant change in fat mass or body weight, irrespective of any change in RMR that might have occurred. Given these observations, along with those from other studies.” [8]

When you pair resistance training and aerobic training up against each other, who wins as far as overall body composition changes? According to this study,

“Based on the STRRIDE AT/RT data in which similar exercise times were prescribed, Aerobic Training was the more efficient method of exercise for favorable changes in body fat.” [8]

So what are the overall results?

“The data support the following conclusions. Although it was more effective for lean body mass gains, RT did not significantly reduce either fat mass or total body mass. AT was more effective than RT for the reduction of fat and body mass in previously sedentary, nondiabetic, overweight or obese adults. While requiring double the time commitment, a program of combined AT and RT did not result in a greater loss of fat mass or body mass over AT.” [8]

Word On The Street About Chair Gym

So we know overall that aerobic training is a little more effective for weight loss when it is all said and done. However, what did customers who purchased this weight loss system have to say about their purchase of the Chair Gym? There were mixed voices when looking into the Chair Gym reviews, but overall they were not terribly negative. The convenient service the chair provides might be enough to convince you, but overall it is not immune to criticism as you will see below.   Christina (2013, 1 star), 

Janna (2015, 4 star),  

The Bottom Line: Is The Chair Gym Worth The Purchase?

Risky. I truly wanted to give this infomercial exercise chair the benefit of the doubt, but there were a few things that hindered me from giving it the green light. It is cheaply made for one, which means parts could break leaving you down and out with a broken, unusable chair until you spend more money to fix it. Secondly, you will not get your dream body with this chair alone, as it has been proven throughout many different studies that aerobic exercise is also very important for weight loss. While there is no actual harm in purchasing this product, it is over $150 dollars when it is all said and done, which could be the equivalent to a few really great exercise classes that give you both aerobic and resistance training. If you are one of those people who likes the convenience of the Chair Gym, it might be a good route, but be mindful of some of the setbacks that could come with its purchase like spotty customer service and a cheaply made chair.