Lebert Fitness EQualizer Bars – the Perfect RV Fitness Equipment

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What Makes Lebert Fitness EQualizer Bars Ideal for RVers?

Our research of another tool we could add to our fitness lifestyle arsenal lead us to the Lebert Fitness EQualizer Bars. We reached out to the team at Lebert Fitness and asked if they would send us a set to try out and see if they would be perfect fit for the RV community.

In our experience with Thousand Trails RV Parks, they are hit or miss in regards to having a fitness room.  Even if your RV park does have a “fitness room”, it may just be a single ratchety old recumbent bike that is hidden in a corner next to the free library exchange (side note, best gym award so far goes to…Sunshine Key in Florida). So, that leaves us RVers to utilize our RV sites as our gym.

Here again there are always variables.  Will there be a concrete slab?  Is there a picnic table (if so, is it sturdy)? Will the ground be gravel, soil, mud or grass? I would always recommend going into a park assuming that they have nothing. When we first set off into the RV lifestyle, we knew we had to bring the perfect fitness equipment with us onto our rig, a 22-foot Airstream Sprinter van. Being into heavy resistance training, for us that is 150 pounds of Hoist adjustable dumbbells. Although we still love them, after six months we found our campsite workouts a little one dimensional.

What are EQualizer Bars?

Marc Lebert created the EQualizer bars to perform body weight rows in a home/group setting.  Specifically, they were designed with a certain client in particular who wanted to perform pull-ups but didn’t have the strength, or the space in her home for training with a lat pulldown machine.  The EQualizer bars resulted to become a versatile, all-in-one piece of strength training equipment.  This equipment offers hundreds of exercise options with various modifications to suit all fitness levels.  While the bars get a lot of action being used for pull-ups, presses, and dips, they are also great for stretching, endurance, and cardiovascular exercises.  You truly are limited by your imagination when creating workouts.

EQualizers are Portable, Light and Simple.

The number one factor of what you can and can’t bring on your rig is the size and weight. It is always a delicate balancing act of wants and needs. Let’s face it, most people don’t think 150 pounds of dumbbells in a small van are a necessity. But to us, health and fitness is not only our lifestyle, but it is our business. So, we prioritized the space and weight to bring them. I understand this isn’t for the average RVer, but EVERYONE should prioritize health into their life in some form or fashion.

We think these bars tick off some major boxes for being a good piece of fitness equipment for a wide range of ages, fitness levels, and space constraints, for both men and women. They are not overly complicated like some pieces of equipment out there. You can’t get much more simple than two parallel bars, but I am amazed at the effectiveness and the variety of what you can do with them.

EQualizers are Great for the Beginner, the Intermediate, and the Advanced.

You never really know what piece of fad fitness equipment is going to end up in your basement collecting dust, or for us RVers, squirreled away in a seldom used storage cubby. But after using these EQualizer bars for a few weeks, I can really see the diverse value. Even after consistent heavy resistance training (weight training) for about 5 years, these things are no joke. They are very challenging just using body weight and different angles while offering an insane amount of variety in the exercises.

That was the goal for us as we wanted to supplement our weight training for a better well-rounded fitness routine. But you don’t need to be an expert to see value in these bars. In fact, they could be your only piece of fitness equipment and if you used them 5 days a week you could be in the best shape of your life! Just starting out in your fitness journey can leave you with many questions and many uncertainties. I think that’s why an easy straight forward program can be a good option for beginners. What I like about the Lebert Fitness EQualizer bars is that they allow you to gradually increase the difficulty and intensity as your skills and comfort level grow. From beginners to very advanced, you can grow into these bars!

Are Lebert Fitness EQualizer Bars a Full Body Workout?

Absolutely.  For many people they could be your sole form of exercise. But there are many different fitness goals out there and some would prefer to incorporate resistance training along with these (like us)!  The largest adversary of the EQ’s full body capability is not being able to train your body with HEAVY resistance. While you can still do many variations of squats, lunges, and presses, it would be the heavy deadlifts I would miss most!

These bars are getting me to do the workouts that I normally dread, put off, and essentially don’t do at all.  I’m talking about exercises such as burpees, HIIT circuit drills, and calisthenics.  By adding in these moves to my regular weight training I will without a doubt be improving my overall athleticism.  You know the saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.  If you want to get a change and see results you’ve never had before, you need to do something you’ve never done before!

The Goal is to do this RV Thing Longer, Right?

Yes, the answer is yes. This lifestyle is absolutely amazing, with the people you meet in the community and the breathtaking places you get to see. There are two easy things you can do right now to live a longer healthier life: eat right and exercise.  Let’s face it though, the RV community could use a boost in the health and fitness area (don’t shoot me, it’s true!). But that is the great thing about this thing we call life… it’s YOUR life and YOU can change it at any moment you choose! And I’m here to help you do it with education, motivation and perspiration. Wait a minute…that last one is your part.

One of my favorite things about these bars is they bring the fun back into working out.  Having a new piece of equipment often can bring a fresh hit of motivation.  And having a piece of equipment gives you a starting point for the direction your workout is going to go.  The first day I played with these bars I sweat like crazy.  And I was grinning ear to ear as I amused myself with new exercises, jumps, and challenges to beat myself. A little friendly competition anyone?

Are the Bars Limited to a Single User?

Aaron and I always workout together.  We lift weights together and do the same exercises on any given day.  You know what really grinds my gears? It’s when people talk about “workouts for men” or “workouts for women”.  Men and women should do the same exercises using the same programming principles.  The belief of some exercises being “manly” or “making women bulky” is completely absurd! Man or woman, if you eat big you will get big, bottom line.  I am a huge advocate for working out with your partner.  Couples that workout together and motivate each other have a statistically higher chance of sticking with a program versus going after it solo.

When Aaron and I tested these EQualizer Bars out I wrote multiple circuits for us to work out together on various days.  Using one timer, side by side.  There are so many exercises that you can do with a single bar while your partner uses the other bar.  And on the exercises that require using both bars, you simply take turns.  One person does their set while the other person takes their rest…then switch.

What’s that Smell?

Finally, think about what is on the ground out there at RV parks.  Many RVers have dogs.  Even if the owners properly leash and clean up after their pets, there is still pet urine around and often times residue of the other #.  This on its own really isn’t that big of a deal to us.  If you don’t think about it, it won’t bother you.

But if you think deeper…what is one of the last things that gets done when a big rig checks out in the morning? Emptying out the black tank and hosing down your septic hose and kits.  This can be a large area of ground that is contaminated.  And it could be the only area of ground available for you to use as a workout space.  These EQualizer bars get you off the questionable ground!  Keep your hands clean and feel confident going into your workout.  Contaminated ground? Who cares!

What are the Options and Cost?

There are two different sizes available for purchase, the standard and the XL.  The XL EQualizer is ideal for people taller than 6 feet.  The XL legs are 3″ taller (31″) than the standard (28″) and allow you to feel deeper stretches and fuller extensions.  The standard is available in a variety colors and the XL is available in black or chrome (chrome is the Frank Medrano edition).  Both sizes offer weight capacity of up to 400 pounds.

EQualizer Bars                 EQualizer Bars, XL     XL, Frank Madrano, Chrome

                                                                          

Specs and Assembly

Assembly: Comes with two bars, four feet (two feet per bar), and screws.  Assemble in less than five minutes.

Specs for standard:
Height: 28.5″ (31″ for XL)
Width: 25″
Weight: 8# per bar (9# per bar for XL)
Weight Capacity: 400 #

Warranty

Lebert Fitness does offer a warranty. “All merchandise is guaranteed to be free from defects for 365 days from the date of purchase. However, we may not be held liable for any misuse of our products. This warranty does not cover claims for damage due to abuse, neglect, alteration, or damage due to shipping or packaging”. For more information on their warranty check out Lebert Fitness’s FAQ page.

PROS

After using these bars for a few weeks, we love them.  We loved them on day one and we love them even more now.  I was in need of adding variety to my personal programs and these bars filled that void.  The workouts are fast paced and fun.  Here are my top reasons why I love our new EQualizer Bars:

• This equipment got me doing exercises that I normally dread or avoid (like the famous BURPEES)
• Having a piece of equipment gives you a sense of direction in your workout and provides a path for an actual program regime
• Workouts are more fun and less intimidating with a prop
• Dual bars are great for 2 people working out together.  There are many options for single bar exercises, or you can easily take turns between sets while using both bars.
• Using the bars protect your wrists
• Having the bars are a great stability net for those who are new to exercising.  This benefit from the added balance support does not stop at newbies.  Experienced fitness junkies can also use the balance support to train toward advanced exercises such as pistol squats and unassisted pullups.
• Many modifications for exercises allow for all fitness levels
• The bars are easy to carry off of your RV site.  Take them over to the beach or the common picnic area for more space.
• The bars get you off of contaminated ground
• Great value for the cost

CONS

There aren’t too many things that we don’t like about these bars.  In terms of what they are designed for, they do an excellent job and offer great value.  Our only complaints are purely in regards to being used in an RV lifestyle, along with some suggestions for an even friendlier RV model.

• We are not able to store these bars assembled in our Class B because our garage space is extremely limited.  Each time we use them we need to assemble and disassemble.  Luckily, they only take a few minutes to put together.  It would be really slick if there was a modification for a “quick snap-in” leg assembly that didn’t have a negative effect on weight capacity and stability.
• Since we are using these bars on uneven grounds with rocks and gravel, they are going to get beat up very quickly.  The nice foam handles are so perfect when it arrives.  We are “babying” the handles now to make sure they last long.  On exercises where you lay a single bar on the floor (burpees, push-ups, mountain climbers) the foam handle can get beat up.  An RV model recommendation here is a highly rugged rubber handle or something that is more resilient than the foam.
• Similar to above bullet we found the paint along the legs will get chipped up with time.  This is again due to the nature of our workout areas with rocks and gravel.  Some sort of a “Rhino Liner” on the legs could help these be even more RV friendly.

Hopefully this review gives you some insight into the Lebert Fitness EQualizer bars.  There are so many different options on the market today, it can be overwhelming to start researching.  We truly do want to help the RV community live a healthier lifestyle through education and motivation.  If there are any areas that you have more questions on, please comment below or send me an email.  I am happy to help anytime!