Can some one review valslides for me?

girlschmoopie

I'm looking at possible getting some, I read about them in New Rule of Lifting for Abs and am curious about them. I try not to jump on the bandwagon for 'gimmicky' fitness stuff, and try to keep to the items that allow for solid fitness benefits. I have dumbbells, a resistance band, a jump rope, a bicycle (for when the weather is good) and a gym membership (for when the weather is bad). I'm a runner, so most of my cardio come from that.

This year, I'm focussing on building up some strength. I love runninging, but doing that alone for so long...I've noticed that I've become weaker in some areas. I have been working with my dumbbells, doing push ups, and planks and I am noticing a positive difference. My question for those who have experience with the valslides... Will they up the difficulty/intensity of my plank work? Are they worth the $30? I saw a girl with a personal trainer at the gym yesterday using them, and the trainer had her do mountain climbers with them-which looked a lot smoother than the jumping version I do.

They also seem like a convenient thing to take on vacation so I don't lose my momentum with this new direction of fitness. Am I being taken in by how fabulous they seem, or are they really as great as the website makes them out to be? http://www.valslide.com

Cherimoose

They are just furniture sliders, which are sold at home improvement stores for $12. I have a pair, but i don't use them much because my gym has so many other options for exercises. But they're fine for home workouts to add novelty, or, like you said, make some exercises smoother.

I think the foundational tools for home workouts are a set of adjustable dumbbells that are heavy enough, and also heavyish resistance bands that can attach to a door. Then you can do things like the cable punch, cable twist, and dumbbell deadlifts, which eliminate the need to do prone core exercises (which personally i dislike).

JoRocka

They are just furniture sliders, which are sold at home improvement stores for $12. I have a pair, but i don't use them much because my gym has so many other options for exercises. But they're fine for home workouts to add novelty, or, like you said, make some exercises smoother.

I think the foundational tools for home workouts are a set of adjustable dumbbells that are heavy enough, and also heavyish resistance bands that can attach to a door. Then you can do things like the cable punch, cable twist, and dumbbell deadlifts, which eliminate the need to do prone core exercises (which personally i dislike).

this.

You can use paper plates/towels/ magazine's on wood for sliders as well.

it's not really worth buying a specialized set- the double sided ones for wood/carpet is nice- but meh- can do what you need without the spiffy new toy.

girlschmoopie

Thanks, both of you! Your responses are very helpful!