Versatility in equipment is king!
One of the first things I think about when I try a new piece of training
quipment is
"how many exercises can I do with this?" I look at a bar or a
machine or a bench and think to myself "what else
can this be used for other
than what it's supposed to be used for." I like to know that I'm getting
more than just a one-trick
pony when I buy a piece of exercise equipment.
Well, when it came time to test the AMP Bar (which stands for Articulated
Multi-Purpose
Bar), I found out that the maker of the bar had been thinking
the same thing! The sheer variety (and effectiveness) of the exercises
I
was able to perform with the AMP Bar was FAR more than that of a regular
barbell and rivaled that of a multi-gym station costing
many, many times
more.
And, of course, being who I am, I naturally took the exercises that the
maker listed and came up with
a bunch more...
The bar itself consists of three separate pieces. The main piece looks like
a typical straight bar but
with a couple of vertical posts on it. Attached
to these posts on the main piece are two other bars that are moveable and
removable.
You can angle these extra bar attachments to dramatically alter
the mechanics of exercises and provide very unique patterns of resistance.
Also
included in the frame of the AMP bar is a hole that you can fit the end
of a barbell through. This feature is used for Barbell
T-Bar Rows (one of
my favorite back exercises).
So what does all this mean for you?
It means you can use this bar to challenge
your muscles in ways they've
NEVER been challenged before. The exercises and unique patterns of
resistance will allow you to
build muscle more effectively and accomplish it
with a much greater variety of exercises. This variety is vital for complete and
balanced
muscle and strength development. Variety also keeps
your workouts from getting boring, which is EXTREMELY important!
Here
is a list of exercises demonstrated on the manufacturer's site:
T-Bar Rows
45 Degree Handle Upright Rows
Counterweight Resistance
Curls
45 Degree Handle Shrugs
Hammer Curls
Tricep Extensions
Push-Ups (using the bar as a base to grip on)
Forearm/Wrist Curls
Squats
Calf
Raises
The Plus Side:
The AMP Bar has a very good weight capacity and is well-constructed.
I've loaded the bar with
over 300 pounds for shrugs and deadlifts and it's rock
solid. There's room for several more weight plates on top of this as
well.
You don't need nearly this much weight for the majority of the exercises you'll
be doing with the AMP Bar, though. This
bar will last a lifetime.
The unique angles of the moveable handles allow you to use
leverage to generate more resistance in
the exercises. Think of it this
way...is it going to be harder to hold a 10 pound weight right in your hand
or to hold a long
stick with a 10 pound weight at the end of it? The
placement of the weights really does a good job of changing the leverage
of
many of the exercises, making them more effective (the barbell curls,
especially).
You can remove the extra handles and do
almost any straight bar exercise
as well. Because the main piece of basically just a straight bar with a
couple of posts attached,
it functions just like a regular straight bar.
The posts make the bar more versatile, however, allowing you do exercises
like hammer
curls and overhead triceps extensions with a neutral grip (palms
facing in).
The AMP Bar also comes with an attachment that allows
you to mimic the
excellent Forearm Bar that the company also makes (previously reviewed in a
past issue of Better U News).
The
Downsides:
The trickiest thing about this bar is learning how to properly use it.
Once you get familiar with it, how it works
and how much weight you need to
add onto each weight post, it becomes easy but it can be intimidating
getting started simply because
it does have so many ways it can be used.
My advice: take some time and just play with it when you get it. Move the
handles,
change the weights, do each of the exercises for a few reps to get
an idea of how they work with this bar. Basically, just get
a feel for it
before you try and use it in an actual workout. That way, you won't feel
pressured to try and figure it
out while the clock is ticking on your rest
periods.
Adding heavier weight plates (35 to 45 pounders) to the angled bars can
be a challenge but really, the only time you'll be adding plates like that
is when you're setting up for shrugs or partial deadlifts.
This can be
easily worked around by laying the bar on the ground with the angled posts
pointing up in air. When the weights
are on, you can just roll the bar back
over.
Conclusion:
When it comes right down to it, the downsides of the AMP Bar are
minimal -
any piece of equipment (even a dumbbell) has a learning curve on how to use
it. The advantages you get from the bar
really outweigh the negatives.
The unique design and multitude of exercises available to you with the bar
make it an excellent
investment not only for a commercial gym but especially
for a home gym user who has free weights and is looking for a greater
variety
of exercises to do at home.
