When it comes to working out, sometimes portability is the name of the game. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you need an easy exercise solution.
One of the best home gyms is the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0.
In this BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 review, we will take a close look at its unique features and see why it’s one of the best selling resistance band-based home gym on Amazon.
Bodyboss Home Gym 2.0 Overview
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The BodyBoss 2.0 is different because it has a base that the bands connect to. There’s a collapsible bar and handles for dumbbell-style moves.
You can even do cardio. The combination of the unique base and padded bar sets it apart from any other portable gym on the market. Add in the handles and you literally have a complete gym.
BodyBoss is out to make exercise convenient for everyone, not just fitness enthusiasts. The BodyBoss 2.0 is their flagship product. There’s a large market for portable home gyms but no one’s been able to knock off the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 yet!
Pros:
- Portable – Work Out Wherever You Want
- Includes A Base, Bar & Door Anchor
- Lets You Do Compound Moves Like Squats
- Includes A Case
Cons:
- Only Two Resistance Bands Included
- More Bands Means Extra Cost
Things To Consider Before Buying A Portable Home Gym
If you travel frequently or lead a busy lifestyle and can’t get to the gym, a portable home gym may be the solution.
Just think, with a portable home gym you can train anywhere!
This makes it ideal for anyone that wants to get or stay in shape no matter how busy they are.
This type of home gym is not the best choice for bodybuilders or powerlifters.
There are other home gym options that work better for the bodybuilder or athlete. These include leverage gyms, a power rack, stack-based gyms or Smith machine-based gyms.
What you should think about before buying a portable home gym:
- Is A Portable Gym The Best Fit For Your Fitness Goals – While a portable gym is a great idea, you want to be sure it fits your goals. They’re primarily designed for frequent travelers or those users that cannot always train in a gym or at home. A portable gym can work as long as you can do the exercises you need to. The level of resistance is also a major factor.
- Quality & Durability – The gym you choose to buy should be high quality and durable. This is true for any type of home gym. A portable home gym needs to be well built and long-lasting, no matter how simple it is.
- Does It Fit My Budget – Of course, even a portable home gym has to make financial sense. No one wants to over-spend for what is ultimately a simple gym concept.
- What Does The Warranty Look Like – You can tell how well made a product is by its warranty. Make sure there’s a good warranty on any portable gyms you’re considering.
Features & Benefits
The Resistance Bands
The bands that come with the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 provide up to 30 lbs. of resistance.
You can increase the resistance by shortening the bands. They are about 30” long, cloth-covered and come with clips at both ends so you can attach them to the base as well as all the attachments.
One potential downside is that only 2 bands are provided. Additional bands cost extra.
It’s true that for many users, 30lbs of resistance goes a long way, but some users will want more than that. If you choose to add more bands, BodyBoss will hold up to 5 bands per side.
The Base
Also known as the Fold Up VectorFit Platform, the base is one of the major selling points of this portable home gym. Most other resistance band kits do not come with a base like this.
The base creates a platform that you can stand on as well as attach the bands to.
This allows you to perform a wide variety of exercises and solves the common problem of standing on the bands for certain exercises, such as squats or overhead presses.
The other advantage of the base is that it lets you change the resistance.
You do this by shortening the bands; by attaching them to one hook and then running them through another hook, they get shorter.
The other way to increase resistance is to add more bands. The fact that you can attach up to 5 bands per side means the resistance should be enough for most users.
Any home gym requires space no matter how small it is.
In this case, the base measures 19.75 “(L) x 34″(W) x 1″(H) when it is flat and ready for use. This is enough room to perform any exercise you want to do.
Since the BodyBoss 2.0 is designed to be portable, you can fold the base in half and carry it like a briefcase.
Also, there is a non-slip bottom to help keep it in place while you workout, and it’s padded for a comfortable workout.
The Attachments
There are several attachments that come with the BodyBoss 2.0.
One of the best attachments is the collapsible workout bar.
The combination of the base and the bar make it easy to do exercises like squats, one of the best overall exercises you can do. A nice touch is the padding on the bar for comfort.
There are also 2 handles that can be used like dumbbells and 2 limb straps that, as per the ad, can be used for cardio boxing.
Finally, there’s a door anchor which allows you to do various high/low pulley-style exercises.
With the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0, you have an instruction manual and access to live or pre-recorded online workouts.
By going directly to the BodyBoss site, you can purchase extra bands and add-on accessories such as an ab wheel and RepLoops, a tracking device that can pair with your smartphone.
Reploops attach to the handles or bar and provide workout information. It’s a novel way to track your workout performance and progress.
With all these attachments, BodyBoss has created a complete portable gym that lets you work your entire body.
One potential downside for some users is that deadlifts and bench presses are going to be difficult to do.
The problem with deadlifts is that you won’t be able to get the bands short enough to provide good resistance at the start of the exercise.
With bench presses, your best option is to try standing variations.
Still, if you have access to a bench it is possible to do bench presses with the BodyBoss 2.0.
Floor presses may also be possible if you don’t have a bench. This would limit the range of motion but is still a good chest exercise.
Otherwise, according to BodyBoss, you can work your entire body with up to 300 exercises.
Overall, the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 provides a good selection of attachments. Exercise variety and versatility are important and BodyBoss comes through.
As stated above, it’s not really the best choice for serious bodybuilders and athletes.
Yet with the option of additional bands, any bodybuilder/athlete that travels frequently could still get a decent workout with the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0.
If you consider that many hotels have poor fitness centers (if they have one at all), this is a great solution if you find yourself on the road and unable to get to a gym.
See it in action here:
What Are Customers Saying?
We did an extensive online search on the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 and found a lot of positive reviews.
For most users, the BodyBoss 2.0 has been a great choice in a portable home gym. It has helped them achieve their exercise goals.
Whether it’s lack of space, not living near a gym, or always being on the road, the overwhelming opinion is that BodyBoss 2.0 does what it says it will.
Alternatives To Bodyboss Home Gym 2.0
1. BandBoard Portable Home Gym
One alternative to BodyBoss 2.0 is BandBoard Portable Home Gym.
This portable gym comes with a small board shaped platform to stand on, 2 bands and 2 handles.
The company advertises 300 exercises just like BodyBoss.
Yet, there is no bar or no limb straps. Still, this is a good alternative for someone that wants to get in shape and doesn’t mind not having a bar.
While the BodyBoss has an exclusive base that is much more functional than the Board that comes with BandBoard, some users may prefer BandBoard over BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0.
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2. BodyGym Core System Portable Home Gym
There are several portable home gyms that have a bar but no base. One option is the BodyGym Core System Portable Home Gym.
This system is celebrity endorsed and based around a bar that breaks down for easy carry.
While you can use it anywhere, some of the workout options require using a chair, making it more of a space saving home gym instead of a portable one.
The system comes with a bar, 2 resistance bands, a travel bag, a wall chart and a DVD. This type of portable home gym is actually one of several portable gyms that revolve around a special bar.
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3. Gymwell Portable Home Gym 2.0
Finally, there’s Gymwell Portable Home Gym 2.0.
This is a clever take-off of BodyBoss 2.0 because instead of a base, the resistance bands attach to padded ankle cuffs.
Gymwell uses bands that look similar to BodyBoss, and a bar that also looks similar. It comes with a door anchor strap that can be attached to a door or any type of pole, creating a fully portable gym.
There’s also a travel bag, an exercise wall chart and a smartphone app for workouts.
The Gymwell system may be the closest to BodyBoss despite the lack of a base. It should be noted that the unique padded ankle straps take a little time to put on and attach the bands to.
Still, it’s a good system and the bar can also be used like a bow. This allows Gymwell to compete with the various portable home gyms that feature different styles of bars.
Plus, Gymwell is a little less bulky to carry than BodyBoss.
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Conclusion
Ultimately, there is nothing quite like the BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0.
The exclusive base provides a solid platform to train on. It also acts as a means of adding bands or shortening them to increase resistance.
While you get 2-30lb bands with the kit, the base can hold up to 5 bands per side. The versatile padded bar allows users to do any exercise that requires a bar in a regular gym.
Plus, you get handles for dumbbell, cable style exercises, and limb straps for cardio boxing.
With BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0, you can do 300 exercises. You have a wall chart and online access to pre-designed workouts. Perhaps best of all, BodyBoss 2.0 is 100% portable. This might be a good choice for those who want an in-home training option.
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2 thoughts on “BodyBoss Home Gym 2.0 Review – Hit or Miss?”
Hello! Finally discovered another in depth critique of the workout. Appreciate you for taking the time to do this.
I actually found a detailed, but negative, review of bodyboss on a site I follow – That blog is Pushpedalcrank, just google “Push pedal crank Bodyboss” if you want to read it. I was wondering why she was so negative on it, and so insistent on more affordable options that she liked more, so I wanted to find a second opinion.
I guess what I genuinely want to know is if you think Bodyboss is the best program for the price nowadays. Have you revisited it or any alternatives at all?
I’m ready to buy workout guides, since I have identified that it’s difficult for me to adhere to diets and training plans without assistance, but I have to make positive that I’m spending my money well. If there is an alternative to the Bodyboss method that is cheaper and better like PushPedalCrank suggests, I’d need to go for it.
Apologize for rambling!
S.J.
It is portable, So you can workout wherever you want but can you tell me that it is suitable for only young people or old one can get benefits from it as well?