SMARTGYM Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about SMARTGYM. If you do not find an answer to your question here, please email our customer service representatives to assist you. All inquiries will be answered promptly, usually within 24 hours.

What is SMARTGYM?

SMARTGYM is a complete portable gym in a 3.5-pound package that you can use at home or on the road. It's unique Power Band system with 8 levels of dynamic variable resistance and omni-directional high-low pulleys provides customized total body workouts that rival a health club...free weights, treadmills, and all.

Can SMARTGYM help me lose weight and reshape my body?

Absolutely! SMARTGYM is so versatile it provides over 70 club-quality exercises for total body strength and cardio training. And because you can flow from exercise to exercise without stopping, your heart rate can remain in your aerobic training range while strength training, so you build muscle and burn fat at the same time. SMARTGYM users can literally cut their workout time in half!

How can SMARTGYM be so small and inexpensive?

Most of the expense of other machines lies in the heavy steel frame needed to support an equally heavy resistance system based on metal plates. SMARTGYM is designed to use any conventional door as the frame. Since doors are readily available almost everywhere, you don't have to buy and carry around a heavy frame, which makes SMARTGYM extremely light weight (about 3.5 pounds), easily portable, and inexpensive.

How do I set up SMARTGYM?

SMARTGYM sets up in seconds on a door or it can be mounted permanently to a wall or other vertical surface.

It is secured to a door with two narrow "cinching straps" made from very thin, very light, extremely strong nylon webbing. The cinching straps slide over the top and underneath the door and meet behind the door where they are pre-threaded through a D-ring. Simply pulling downward on the cinching straps levers the pulleys apart to rest at the top and bottom of the door, respectively, with the Power Bands stretched between them. Velcro® is used to hold the straps in place at the back of the door once they've been "cinched" tight.

The beauty of the SMARTGYM design is that once setup is complete, the unit behaves as if it's been screwed directly to the door. But what's really happening is that it's "vector balanced," and that's why it can remain flat against the door even as you push and pull on the Power Bands. What's more, no matter how tightly your door is fitted to its frame, the cinching straps will still fit between door and frame for easy, no hassle setup.

Beware of cheap "knock-off" products that attach to your door with bulky steel clamps. These can prevent the door from closing, and make the product unsafe and unusable. Only SMARTGYM's patented Vector Balanced™ design fits all standard doors (up to 7' high).

What type of resistance does SMARTGYM provide?

SMARTGYM's resistance consists of four variable resistance Power Bands, each guided by its own independent, omni-directional high/low pulley system that swivels with you as you change your angle of motion. As pressure is applied, the pulleys smoothly distribute the power of the bands so that resistance builds dynamically over the entire range of motion.

This allows you to push or pull against the resistance in almost any direction or fashion imaginable, facilitating over 70 progressive strength and cardio exercises, plus other resistance movements that are impossible using free weights.

Just change your body position and you're working different muscles automatically!

How much resistance is available?

SMARTGYM comes standard with 2 red (heavy duty) and 2 blue (light) Power Bands -- one of each size for each hand. The red bands have a linear resistance of approximately 20 lbs each; the light bands are approximately 12 lbs each. The bands are dynamic, which means that resistance increases as they are stretched, so the cumulative effect is much more than the numbers would indicate. That's why SMARTGYM works for bodybuilders as well.

How do I change resistance?

Changing resistance is a snap...literally. Just snap a handle, ankle strap, or cardio belt onto one or any combination of bands for up to 8 major levels of resistance instantly. To adjust the resistance within each level, simply move closer or farther away from the door.

How do Power Bands compare to weights?

Power Bands actually have a number of advantages over dead weight, such as dumbbells and barbells. First, Power Bands are specially engineered to provide an amazing range of variable resistance while reducing the overall size, weight, and cost of SMARTGYM dramatically. More important, though, is their therapeutic effect on your body.

For example, at the end of a set of bicep curls with a dumbbell, when your muscle is in its un-contracted, vulnerable state, you've got the full pressure of the weight tugging on the muscle and then you have to bend over and set the weight on the floor or push it into a rack. This puts unwanted pressure on your back, joints, and spine. At the end of the same set of bicep curls with SMARTGYM, the Power Bands are no longer stretched, so there's no weight tugging on the fatigued muscle and virtually no pressure on your back, joints, and spine. That's why Chiropractors and Physical Therapists recommend and use SMARTGYM to help rehab their patients.

And since there is no "weight" to hold in position, SMARTGYM allows you to do exercises that are virtually impossible to do with free weights. Plus, if you're training to be an astronaut, you could even use SMARTGYM in the weightless conditions of outer space!

How long do the Power Bands last?

The Power Bands are very durable. Many, many customers have reported using their SMARTGYMs regularly for years and the bands are still going strong.

Can I replace the Power Bands?

Yes, replacement bands come completely assembled with pulleys and brackets (2 bands/set). They can be installed easily after removing one screw, top and bottom. Click here for simple instructions. So if the bands do become worn, just replace them, and you'll have a brand new SMARTGYM.

Can I upgrade to more resistance if I want to?

Yes, you can order red bands and replace the blue bands so you have 4 red bands. Conversely, if the red bands are too much resistance for you, you can replace them with blue bands.

What's the warranty?

SMARTGYM comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you're unhappy with SMARTGYM for any reason, just send it back within 60 days and we'll refund the purchase price (less s&h). No questions asked!

SMARTGYM also carries a 6-month limited liability warranty against defects in workmanship.