That could cause some confusion among anyone who’s into functional exercise equipment, as Dave Schmitz from Resistance Band Training has been using the initialism “RBT” for over half a decade to brand his line of resistance band products.

Other than the identical initialism, there is nothing similar about CrossCore’s RBT and Dave Schmitz’s RBT. CrossCore’s RBT is inelastic pulley suspension gym training, and Dave Schmitz’s RBT is elastic continuous loop resistance band training. But I still figured it was worthwhile to explain the difference between the two, since I regularly mention both products on this website.

So whenever I mention RBT in the context of pulley suspension gyms, I’m talking about CrossCore’s Rotational Bodyweight Training system. And whenever I mention RBT in the context of continuous loop resistance bands, I’m talking about Dave Schmitz’s Resistance Band Training system.

If you haven’t picked up a set of Gravity Straps, and you’re in the market for a doorway mounted suspension gym, I highly recommend that you grab a set. The Gravity Straps are without a shadow of a doubt the best bang for the buck fitness product I’ve ever purchased.

Frankly, I’m dumbfounded that GoFit is able to sell the product for $39.99 when comparable suspension gyms sell for $100 to $200+, but GoFit is known for selling great exercise equipment at phenomenally low prices, so I guess the killer price of the Gravity Straps shouldn’t be too surprising.

Anyway, if you haven’t yet pulled the trigger on a suspension gym because you haven’t found the right product at the right price, definitely check out the Gravity Straps. Absolutely phenomenal product from top to bottom, at a unbelievably low price.

I deeply despise every single person I’ve ever dealt with at Fitness Anywhere, but I’ve got to admit that their latest product redesign is superb.

Cam buckles can be a huge pain in the ass. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, and even when they do work, they have questionable durability because of the moving parts. Huge pain in the ass.

The new design of the TRX that uses d-rings instead of cam buckles is ingenious.

Product Summary: The GoFit Gravity Straps are made of nylon straps that feature well-designed adjustment markers that allow you to quickly and easily adjust the straps using the cam buckles that are attached to the integrated door anchors. The Gravity Straps feature a split design which is ideal for mounting the straps in a configuration that allows for optimal range of motion when performing pressing exercises such as chest press, chest fly, and triceps extensions.

The Good:

• Sewn on adjustment markers are the highest quality and most accurate markers I’ve ever seen on any suspension gym.
• Handles feature rubber grips that make them extremely comfortable and durable.
• Anchors feature soft nylon sleeves that do an outstanding job protecting the door by preventing any hard pieces (stoppers, cam buckles) from coming into direct contact with the door.
• Foot slings are the most comfortable foot slings I’ve ever used on any suspension gym.
• Workout manual includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts with detailed photos and descriptions for each exercise.
• Price is positively unbelievable, making this by far the best value of any exercise product I’ve ever purchased.

The Bad:

• Handles and foot slings are separate pieces, unlike many competitor products that feature combination grips and foot slings.
• The bundled workout DVD is pretty awful. It’s not so much a workout as it is a mishmash of poorly demonstrated exercises. Strangely, the series of exercises shown on the DVD is different from the workouts in the manual.

The Verdict: The GoFit Gravity Straps are a phenomenal product from top to bottom, and the price is unbeatable. Although the DVD is awful, the Gravity Straps (i.e. the equipment, not the bundled content) are without question the best doorway suspension gym currently on the market, at any price. I wholeheartedly recommend the Gravity Straps to anyone looking to purchase a suspension gym for home use.

Click Here To Order GoFit Gravity Straps

More Photos:

The author didn’t waste any time posting inaccurate information. From the first paragraph:

Originally hooked to overhead bars and tree limbs, variations on the theme add doorjamb attachments and a pulley.

Wrong, the original suspension gym is the door mounted Jam Gym. It was invented by Dosho Shifferaw (the guy that invented the Bowflex), and it preceded the TRX Suspension Trainer (which many people incorrectly regard as the original suspension gym).

The author failed to clearly point out that the SKLZ Power Strapz (awful name) require you to open and close the door every time you want to adjust them (i.e. huge, royal, pain in the ass).

He inaccurately described how the pin and pulley system on the CrossCore180 works. Inserting the pin does not convert the device into a regular suspension gym — far from it. Sure, it locks the pulley, but the rope still easily slides across the locked pulley, allowing full rotation at all times.

The “door attachment” on the CrossCore180 is a not exactly a door attachment. It’s just a steel buckle. Might have been useful to clearly point that out, instead of vaguely suggesting that CrossCore should have included a “softer door attachment device”.

And how on earth can the author criticize the Gravity Straps by saying they “lack the simpler, quick-change design of the Power Strapz”. Huh? The Power Straps that require you to open and close the bloody door even time you need to adjust them? For the record, the Gravity Straps include cam buckles and strap markers for quick and easy adjustment without fiddling with the door.

Also, the author uses the Fitness Anywhere trademark “Suspension Training” to broadly refer to all suspended bodyweight exercise. I’m sure Fitness Anywhere really appreciates one of largest newspapers in America genericizing their trademark like that.

Terrible review, but still nice to see suspension gyms getting mentioned in the LA Times.

For a dual-anchor suspension gym with cam buckle adjustment, I consider adjustment markers a positively must-have feature. I simply wouldn’t use a dual-anchor cam buckle suspension gym without adjustment markers. For gymnastics rings, I couldn’t possibly care any less about adjustment markers. They are simply not a feature that I even remotely care about at all when it comes to gymnastics rings.

The reason I like adjustment markers on suspension gyms but don’t care about adjustment makers on gymnastics ring straps is simple. With suspension gym workouts, I change the length of the straps constantly during the workout. With rings, I rarely ever change the length of the straps. Since I own a suspension gym that I use for workouts that require frequent strap adjustments, I have no need for adjustment markers on my gymnastics rings.

But if you do not have a suspension gym and are considering purchasing a set of gymnastics rings to use for suspension workouts (i.e. that require frequent strap adjustment), then adjustment markers such as the ones included on the Elite EXF Rings will be incredibly useful and make your workouts significantly more convenient.

I liked the rings so much that I ended up buying three more sets of Xtreme Rings (bringing my total to four) and introduced them into my outdoor boot camp program. The gymnastics rings, or more specifically the exercises that can be done on rings, were wildly popular with my customers.

I ended up eventually transitioning away from rings and into suspension gym systems because of the additional features available with suspension gyms (i.e. quicker setup and adjustment, lighter and more portable, padded handles, foot slings, etc).

But even though I stopped using rings at my boot camps, and in general shifted my focus away from rings and more towards suspension gym training, I still love ring training and use my rings regularly (the rings I currently own are Again Faster Wooden Rings).

With that in mind, I figured I’d write a blog post comparing the five best gymnastics ring systems currently available. Three of the five sets of rings mentioned in this blog post are wooden rings. The other two sets of rings are made of polycarbonate. I prefer wood simply because I like the feel of wood more than textured polycarbonate, but if you prefer textured polycarbonate, the two best choices are listed in this blog post for you.

One last thing to mention before I get to the comparison. Gymnastics rings generally come in two sizes: 1.11″ diameter grips, and 1.25″ diameter grips. 1.11″ grips are considered FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) standard, but people with big hands might find the 1.11″ rings a bit comfortable, so some companies offer larger 1.25″ rings. Just boils down to preference. My rings are 1.11″ FIG spec.

Again Faster Rings · $82.99

Specs:

• made of wood
• 1.11″ grip diameter
• 15′ straps with cam buckle adjustment
• straps made of 1″ black nylon webbing
• includes elastic wraps for excess strap

Programming: Lots of detailed instructional videos available for free on YouTube and Vimeo.

Verdict: These are awesome rings for anyone looking for the highest quality FIG spec wooden rings with sturdy straps and cam buckles that also include convenient elastic wraps to keep excess straps from dangling. But quality and features aside, the main reason I choose Again Faster Rings is that I greatly appreciate all of the wonderful gymnastics training videos Again Faster posts online, so I wanted to support them with my gymnastics ring purchase.

Click Here For More Info On Again Faster Rings

Rogue Fitness Rings · $72.00

Specs:

• made of wood
• 1.11″ or 1.25″ grip diameter
• 16′ straps with cam buckle adjustment
• straps made of 1.5″ nylon webbing
• straps available in various colours
• includes velcro wraps for excess strap

Programming: None.

Verdict: Although I passed up the Rogue Rings in favour of the Again Faster Rings, it wasn’t an easy decision. The Rogue Rings were tempting because the 1.5″ strap is more comfortable on the arms (less digging), plus I really love the different colour of straps that are available from Rogue (my favourite is desert tan). The Rogue MIL Spec Pouch is also a nice accessory that I would bought if I had chosen Rogue Rings. Also, if you want 1.25″ wood rings, Rogue is a phenomenal choose.

Click Here For More Info On Rogue Fitness Rings

Rage Fitness Rings · $89.95

Specs:

• made of wood
• 1.11″ grip diameter
• 20′ straps with cam buckle adjustment
• straps made of 1.5″ black nylon webbing
• includes velcro wraps for excess strap

Programming: None.

Verdict: These rings wouldn’t be my first (or second choice) because they’re quite a bit more expensive than Rogue, and they don’t offer anything I couldn’t get from Again Faster (the company I choose to support because of the great training videos they post). Also, I much prefer the elastic wraps included with the Again Faster straps over the velcro wraps included with the Rage Fitness straps. With that said, if you need extra long straps (Rage straps are 20′ compared to 15′ from Again Faster and 16′ from Rogue), that’s a good reason to go with the Rage Rings.

Click Here For More Info On Rage Fitness Rings

Xtreme Rings · $59.99

Specs:

• made of polycarbonate
• 1.11″ grip diameter
• 18′ straps with cam buckle adjustment
• straps made of 1″ black nylon webbing
• includes velcro wraps for excess strap

Programming: Incredibly detailed books, ebooks, and DVDs are available for purchase, plus lots of great training info available for free on the online forum.

Verdict: These rings are positively the best polycarbonate rings on the market. They have an incredibly high quality feel, nice weight, perfect texture. No complaints at all. I did run into a few cam buckles failing with with 4 sets I owned back in 2008 (apparently a problem limited to a specific batch of units made back in ’08), but Coach Sommer was quick to replace them for me, and I would purchase Xtreme Rings again without hesitation if I’m ever in the market for polycarbonate rings.

Click Here For More Info On Xtreme Rings

Elite EXF Rings · $71.95

Specs:

• made of polycarbonate
• 1.11″ grip diameter
• 17′ straps with cam buckle adjustment
• straps made of 1″ black nylon webbing
• straps have markers for quick adjustment

Programming: Downloadable ebook included with purchase. Training DVD available separately.

Verdict: The Elite EXF Rings are made of polycarbonate, and each ring features two different textures. Half of the ring has medium texture, and the other half has a fine texture. The Elite EXF Rings also feature straps with adjustment markers (i.e. lines and numbers on the straps) to make adjusting your straps quicker and more convenient. So if either of those features are important to you, the Elite EXF Rings are an excellent choice.

Click Here For More Info On Elite EXF Rings

Still undecided? Here’s the straight goods:

If you want the best all-purpose wooden gymnastics rings from a wonderful company that shares tons of free gymnastics training videos online for free, choose Again Faster Rings.

If you specifically want thicker straps and/or straps in a cool looking military colour and/or thicker rings, choose Rogue Fitness Rings.

If you need extra long straps that are 20′ in length, choose Rage Fitness Rings.

If you want polycarbonate rings with a rough texture, choose Xtreme Rings.

If you want polycarbonate rings with a medium or fine texture and/or you like the idea of having adjustment markers on your straps, choose Elite EXF Rings.

Incredibly high-quailty craftsmanship, comfortable and durable rubber handles, ingenious “Easy-In Foot Cradles”, built-in door anchors, can also be mounted to any sturdy overhead anchor, also allows single-anchor setup, and this list goes on. A killer product from top to bottom.

But there’s a big huge drawback to the Jungle Gym XT. A drawback so massive that this single problem is enough to prevent me from using the Jungle Gym XT even though it’s an otherwise phenomenal product. The problem is that the Jungle Gym XT doesn’t have any adjustment markers.

On a dual-anchor suspension gym that uses cam buckles for adjustment, if there aren’t any adjustment markers on the straps, it’s a huge royal pain in the ass to get both straps adjusted to the same length. Changing the straps is a gong show every single time.

Adjust one strap, adjust the other strap, check to see if they’re the same length, tweak as necessary to get the straps the same length, check again, rinse, repeat. Huge, royal, massive pain in the ass every time you want to shorten or lengthen the straps. So I refuse to use a dual-anchor cam buckle suspension system that doesn’t have adjustment markers.

Adjustment markers are simply visual aids sewn or printed onto the straps to make it very simple to quickly get both straps the same length. Instead of fussing around eyeballing the handles to try to get the straps the same length, you simply look at the adjustment markers while shortening or lengthening the straps with the cam buckles. Extremely simple.

So if you’re in the market for a dual-anchor suspension gym, and you’re considering picking up the Jungle Gym XT, yes it’s an incredibly high quality product with lots of great features, but keep in mind that the lack of adjustment markers makes it very frustrating to use, particularly when doing workouts with lots of different exercises that require frequent adjustment of the straps.

If you’ve ever done boxing training, having someone hold focus pads for you is ridiculously fun and motivating. It’s fun and dynamic, and it’s impossible to slack off when you’ve got someone standing right in front of you motivating you to keep working hard. Alternatively, whaling away on the heavy bag is pretty boring and not motivating at all.

From what I’ve seen of the Lebert Buddy System, it’s the resistance training equivalent to what I just described about boxing training on the focus pads. Lots of fun as you perform dynamic exercises that involve yourself and a partner, plus highly motivating when you’ve got the partner directly involved and cheering you on to keep you trying your best. Regular suspension gym training is like partnerless heavy bag training. Boring and lacks motivation.

Don’t get me wrong, I like suspension gym training, or at least I like it as much as it’s possible for me to like mundane exercise. Certainly if I’m stuck working out alone (which is the case 99.9% of the time), regular suspension gym training is one of the most fun and interesting ways to exercise.

But there’s no question that working out with a partner is fun as hell. And I don’t mean going to the gym with a friend and shooting the shit in between sets. I’m talking about when you and another person are both directly involved in the same workout and motivating each other the entire time. Nothing beats that. It’s ridiculously fun with boxing and focus pads, and I assume it’s ridiculously fun with the Lebert Buddy System as well.

The two main pieces of exercise equipment that I enjoy using right now are continuous loop resistance bands, and a suspension gym. Continuous loop bands are great for functional, unilateral, and rotational training, and suspension gym training is a really fun way to take bodyweight training up several notches and really challenge your core to the max.

If you’re bored with whatever types of workouts you’re currently doing, consider picking up some inexpensive home exercise equipment such as bands and/or straps to help add some much needed variety to your workouts and make them significantly more enjoyable. The more you enjoy your workouts, the harder and more consistent you’ll exercise, which means better results for you.