Resistance band options for the Soloflex Muscle Machine

The only problem I have ever experienced with my Soloflex Muscle Machine has been with the resistance bands.  When I purchased my machine it came with a complete set of bands.  In time and with regular use the bands began to crack, split and ultimately break.  This is an across-the-board problem with all Soloflex

machine owners.

The black rubber resistance bands generally used with the Soloflex machine are too brittle.  In addition, they are very expensive to replace when purchased from the Soloflex company. 

Good deals on replacement bands can often be found on Ebay.  In most cases the resistance bands from

Ebay are previously used and therefore cannot be expected to last as long as new bands which come directly from the Soloflex company.  It is almost a damned if you do,  damned if you don't situation.

After a bit of searching and experimentation I have discovered other resistance bands that work well on the Soloflex Muscle Machine.   I found all of the resistance band options which follow to be more rubbery and flexible than the stiffer, more brittle bands from the Soloflex company.

The blue Resistance bands in the photo on the left are 10lb bands.

The black bands in the upper right corner of the photo are 25lb bands.  The lower right bands are 10lb bands.  All of the bands are from a
body by Jake Bun and Thigh Rocker.  The Body by Jake Bun and Thigh Rocker is no longer in production.  They can occasionally be found in thrift stores and at garage sales, however.  I purchased a Bun and Thigh Rocker  in a thrift store for $10.  That is how I was able to get the bands featured in the photo.

Another option for resistance bands are to use Power Bands from the Bun and Thigh Roller.  This is a different machine from the Body by Jake Bun and Thigh Rocker. 

https://www.bunthigh.com/order_form.html?offer=accessories

When you click on the link above this is the ad is what you will see:

Dramatically enhance your workout with our advanced resistance bands. These bands can increase the strength training of your exercise by more than 50 percent and are only $19.95 + $4.95 s&p each. Your Bun & Thigh Roller will take you to the next level with the help of the Power Bands.

A third resistance band option is to use Airplane shock rings.  Shock cords were the original type of resistance bands used on Soloflex machines.  They were used  before the black bands that  are currently used came along. Below is a  photo of  shock cords and a link where purchasing details and more information can be found.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/menus/lg/shockcordsshockcoilrings.html

That covers it.  Everything I know about Resistance band options for the Soloflex Muscle Machine.  Until my next post - Peace.

INVERSION: You are only as strong as your lower back

One of the most common injuries for weight lifters, bodybuilders and aging men in general is lower back pain. My own history with lower back pain has been long and antagonizing. It wasn't until recently that I discovered the benefits of regular inversion and the accelerated pain relief that it offers. And I must say, my back hasn't felt as good as it does now in years. I no longer live in the almost constant dread of throwing my back out. Then being out of full commission for weeks at a time until it healed.


One day, while sitting in my office I took notice of a commercial for teeter hangups on the television. For those who are unfamiliar with teeter hangup, the company makes inversion boots, inversion tables and other lower back pain relief devices. Because I was desperate for relief from my back pain and willing to try anything I paid full attention to the Teeter commercial. After the commercial was over I realized, I COULD USE MY SOLOFLEX FOR REGULAR INVERSION SESSIONS! I gave it a try. It worked beautifully!

I know there has to be other Soloflex owners out there who are also dealing with regular bouts of lower back pain. Who have never considered their Soloflex Muscle Machine as the means of long term back pain relief.

Here is the theory behind why inversion is believed to work to relieve lower back pain. The constant pull of gravity has a cumulative negative effect on the joints and spinal discs. Inversion puts gravity to work by placing the body in line with the downward pull of gravity. Not only can inversion therapy help to temporarily relieve back pain, but it also can be used as a method to relieve other negative effects that gravity has on the body. Hanging upside down stretches and relaxes the muscles and reduces stress on all the spinal discs.

Inversion temporarily lengthens the spine, increasing the space between the vertebrae, which relieves the pressure on discs, ligaments and nerve roots. This reduction in

 pressure on the discs translates into less back pain.

The inner core of the spinal disc is made of jellylike material which provides the "cushioning" in the back. You can lose up to .5" (1.3-2.0 cm) in height daily during your waking hours from the compressive effects of gravity. This daily height loss reverses overnight, but not 100%, resulting in permanent height loss, loss of flexibility and shock absorption. While inverted, you are able to temporarily reverse the downward pressure on your discs, helping the discs to recover an regain lost moisture and lost height, with improved flexibility.

Lying down in bed only releases 75% of standing body weight on the spinal discs. The hundreds of ligaments and muscles that encase and stabilize the spine act like a bunch of rubber bands holding the spine in compression equal to 25% of standing body weight. Inverting to 60 degrees helps to reduce the disc pressure to at or near zero.

Inverting yourself to as little as 20-25 degrees for even a few minutes can help relax tense muscles and speed the flow of lymphatic fluids which flush out of the body's wastes and carry them to the blood stream.

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system has no pump. Only the alternate contraction and relaxation of the muscles moves the lymphatic fluid "uphill" through capillaries and one-way valves to the upper chest for cleansing. Inverting the body so that gravity works with, not against, these one-way valves stimulates the flow of lymph system, helping to clear toxins from the body.

Your heart must work against gravity to pump blood up to your brain, which is the body's largest consumer of oxygen. Inversion is a simple way to improve circulation to the upper body.
When inverting, you are helping your heart to move the blood from your feet, legs, and lower body. This allows the blood in your limbs to circulate more easily, which may help to drain blood from varicose veins.

The experience of thousands of people who invert regularly is that it gives us the relief from back pain we have been looking for. Just as important, we gain the rejuvenating effects of inversion on the entire body, providing health benefits far beyond the relief of back pain.

John. This Soloflex User Got Focused And Made Some Major Changes

This post is one I am really excited to make!   It is about my new friend John and his recent physical transformation.    John's experience will not only inspire Soloflex users, but anyone wanting to shed a few pounds.   John is the first to demonstrate the Soloflex Muscle Machine as a valuable tool for building, toning and sculpting muscle while following a serious weight loss regimen.  Sure, others have undoubtedly used their machine during weight loss, but John is the first to document it publicly, as it happened.

 

These are photos of John before and after and of his home gym.  John's gym is ultra streamline, with two classic Soloflex machines. His gym is clearly capable of doing everything any die-hard weightlifter or bodybuiler could need.  Johns gym also has  additional safety features.

                                                             

You can follow John's actual progress and posts by going to the comments sections of my Hybrid Soloflex videos. 

 

The following is a cut and paste from an email that John sent to me today outlining his diet and progress.  It serves as a great guide for anyone interested in taking control of their bodyweight issues.

"The most dramatic change came the last 3 weeks of my eating plan. I used a homeopathic product called hCG in drops form. The diet was very extreme 500 calories a day for three weeks. Now I'm on eating about 1100 calories a day. The first picture was me at 188 lbs.

"The second picture was me at 172lbs. I wanted to go down to 165 lbs but I lost another 17 lbs in 21 days. The whole time on the hCG I did some exercises on the Soloflex and with the free weights. I walked alot every day a very fast pace. Usually 3 miles on my way to and from work. The first part of the diet I followed the James Bond diet Daniel Craig used for Casino Royal.

"After the intial loss I plateaued which is when I discovered the hCG diet. I've been on it for 3 weeks with the drops and almost 2 weeks off the drops. I completely gave up all starchy carbs these past 5 weeks. I eat 2-3 melba toasts or bread sticks a day. At each of three meals I have 4-6 oz of protein, green vegestables, and a piece of fruit. a lot of coffee, tea, and water. I have much more energy, sleep better, and a whole new wardrobe. I even fit into my Army uniform from 31 years ago which is a size 38 when I was 29 years old. I just need to tighten up the slight bid of fat arund the middle. I took your advice and bought a fat burner called Recreate. I start tomorrow."

 

Done like an expert, John.  Thanks for leading the way.

 

How To Create Your Custom Workout Using The Gadget Located On The Right Side Of This Page

The workout gadget will produce two weeks of routines. As you progress through the input steps of the gadget you will be able to enter a start date for your routine to begin. Day 8 of the routine will be the same as day 1 of the routine. In other words, you will start the weekly routine all over again on day 8. Beginning with day 1.

The first box in the gaget requires your "Split information". Here you are able to decide how many times per week you want to work all of your major muscle groups. You are able to "Split" your full body workout up to span the course of a seven day period.

Box two requires you to decide how many days per week you want to do your "Split" workout. Said another way, "How Often" do you want work your entire body in a week?

You will not input information in the third section of the gadget. In this "Traning Days" section the gadget will inform you how your work and rest days will be broken up after you apply the informaion you have entered in the first and second boxes.

The "Weak Muscle Group" section is pure genius! We all have one or two week muscle groups. The workout gadget takes your individual weaknesses into consideration and builds your routine to focus more one those groups.

The "Exercises, you cannot do" area is self explanatory. Check the exercises listed that you can't do or prefer not to do. The workout gadget will give you exercise options which will allow you to still work the scheduled muscle group(s).

After you input all of this information and press Continue you will discover more options at the top of the gadget to select from.

Enjoy your workouts.  I hope you find the workout gadget as useful as I have.

What you can expect from this blog

My intent is to provide exercise, workout and fitness suggestions based on my experiences with the Soloflex Muscle Machine. I will sometimes offer limited advice on diet and weight control. The advice will be limited because I am no expert. I have no professional or formal fitness training. I am not a personal trainer and have never aspired to be one. Any advise I offer will be based on the trials, errors and successes encounted in the course of achieving my idea of physical fitness. Not much else.

As I create posts I will insert them across all of my internet blog sites. The topics featured on this blog site will be the same topics featured on my other blog sites. There will be differences with regard to which Soloflex Hybrid attachment is being discussed on the site, but not much differnce in overall blog content.

The execption will be my Stock Charting Blogs. Their content will be completely different from the Solofllex Hybrid blogs.

How to build the freeweight attachment

The Length of the inside pipe is EXACTLY 40 3/4 inches (fourty and three quarters). 1/2 inch inside diameter blackpipe. Threaded on both ends. The exact cut of this pipe is important because the more precise it is the better able you will be to screw the plate ends on without having slack between the reducers and the Soloflex barbell arm. I screw my plate arms on and off as I need them. This will make more since later if it doesn't now.

Once you have the inside bar cut you will need to wrap it with duct tape. Not the entire bar. You will wrap it In sections. Remove all oil from the bar with alcohol or some other degreeser. After the degreeser on the pipe drys stick the ducttape to the pipe and begin to wrap the tape over itself. Just like it is on the cardboard spool you are removing the tape from.

What you are creating here is a shim (a spacer) for when you insert the pipe inside the Soloflex barbell arm. You want to stop taping the pipe when the taped pipe will barely slide into the Soloflex barbell arm. Repeat this about six times down the length of the pipe. Space the tape evenly along the pipe.

When you are finished slide the taped pipe into the barbell arm. It should be slightly difficult because the tape should be barely allowing the pipe to fit inside. When you are finished with this part of the assemebly you can check if you have done it right by spinning the barbell arm.

The barbell arm will be heavier because of the additional weight. Hold it with one hand on the top of the bend in the neck and spin the entire thing 360 degrees a few times. The pipe inside should stay put. If it doesn't remove it and add more duct tape. Make it stationary inside the barbell arm but removable in case you decide to use the machine in 100% classic mode.

The plate pipes should be cut 15 inches long. 3/4 inch galvanized pipe. You will need two, of course. Thread one end of each pipe. DO NOT REAM the uncut ends of the pipes. Reaming expands the ends and will prevent certain small holed plates from sliding onto the pipe. I had this problem in the beginning.

Add a 3/4 X 1/2 inch reducer to the threaded end of each pipe and tighten with the pipe wrenches.

Now screw these onto the pipe inside the barbell arm. At first REALLY tighten the plate pipes onto the barbel arm. I mean crank it down! Then, remove both plate pipes, reducers and all from the inside pipe. Take them off completely. Screw them on again. Repeat the tightening steps. Really crank it down for a second time! Remove the plate pipes again at the reducers.

From now on you will be able to tighten the ends down hand-tight.



Here are the hand-tight steps:

Make sure you have the same amout of thread sticking out on either end of the barbell arm. Screw the plate pipes onto the ends of the barball arm pipe. Stand in the middle of the barbell arm. Grab the plate pipes and turn in the the opposite directions Really handtight. They will hold. I have used up to 200 lbs with handtight torque. For heavier weight just attach the pipe wrenches to the Reducers and do the same opposing motion.

Thats it. Enjoy your workouts and have a great day.