Well-being

My Review of the Body Sculpture Power Roller Plus

Body Sculpture Power Roller Plus

I received a Power Roller Plus from Body Sculpture in return for the following review. All thoughts are my own and I will only recommend products that I am happy to use myself.

If you purchase the Power Roller Plus through this link and enter the code POWERCHAOS, you’ll get £5 off the price.

When I was contacted by Body Sculpture to review The Power Roller Plus, I jumped at the chance.

Last month, I wrote a review about my love for the Body Sculpture kettlebell, so being given the opportunity to review another one of their products was a no brainer.

I was a little skeptical to begin with as it’s not a piece of equipment I would normally use. I’ve tried something similar a couple of times at the gym, but didn’t have much love for it so have avoided ever since.

But The Power Roller Plus is unlike any other ab roller I’ve seen before. They normally look a bit like a really unstable unicycle – but for use with your hands. So, when I first saw a photo on their website, I assumed it was a bit gimmicky.

I was wrong to assume.

After using it for a couple of weeks, here’s what I thought.

What I liked about the Power Roller Plus

The Power Roller Plus is fitted with a smart mechanism, which in simple terms means you get resistance on the way out and assistance on the way back. At first, I thought this meant it would take some of the effort out of using it, making it too easy. Please trust me when I say it doesn’t!

It feels sturdy. The ab rollers I’ve seen in the gym have always looked a bit cheap and nasty. I realise they’re there to work your core, but they just look plasticky and unstable.

It’s easy to assemble. It arrived in 3 pieces but was simple to put together. You simply slide the metal handle through the middle of the roller, then place the foam cover over the end.

You can choose how to record your usage/workout. You can program in time, repetitions or calories. So, for example you can set the timer for 1-minute and when your time is up a beeper will sound. It also records how many repetitions you completed within that time. And it keeps track of the total number of repetitions you’ve done with the Power Roller Plus overall.

It comes with a handy kneeling mat, to help protect your knees.

It’s affordable. Just like the other Body Sculpture equipment, I think it’s a very reasonable price.

Does it work?

I could feel it in my abs and shoulders the next day. If you don’t hurt after a workout, I’m a firm believer you need to up your game a little bit. I’m not talking about hurting yourself as in an injury, but rather the soreness you feel in your muscles after a bloody good workout.

Otherwise known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. This type of pain is caused by temporary inflammation around the muscles you recently worked.

It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I’ve started to notice a difference. I eat well and exercise regularly, so I think it’s a combination of things. But since adding the Power Roller Plus into my workouts I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my core strength and the appearance in my abs.

Tips for getting the best use

I don’t see the Power Roller Plus as something to burn calories with. I see it more as a piece of equipment to help build strength and stamina within my core at the end of a workout. As 12 repetitions only burnt 1 calorie, the calorie setting only confirmed what I already thought.

If you’re not used to working your core this way, it can be difficult to begin with, so take note of the instructions.

The instructions recommend 7 repetitions to start off with, which I thought would be too easy – so I jumped straight in and set it for 2 minutes! That’s a LOT of repetitions and swearing to start off with. Ha! #epicfail

Start off steady and build up. You’ll soon begin to see progress with your strength and stamina. My favourite setting is the timer. I like seeing if I’ve completed more repetitions than the day before.

Having said that, remember it’s not a race. Slow and controlled beats speed any day.

For the first few days I used it on a yoga mat, but it just didn’t feel right. It felt sluggish in its movement. In the end I moved into my hallway which has hard wooden floors and this was much better. Especially with the foam kneeling pad that comes with it.

Please be careful though. The instructions recommend using a non-slip surface.

Remember to warm up a little first.

Instructions

The one thing I have to mark the roller down on, is the instructions. It looks like they’ve been translated into another language and then back again. I must have read them about 5 times before finally giving up and just having a play with the electronic panel.

It’s definitely not a deal breaker and they’re easy enough to figure out.

Press and hold the button to switch it on. Tapping Mode will take you through the different options. E.g. Time or calories etc and pressing Set lets you program in your workout.

For example when I want to set the Power Roller Plus for 1-minute, I press mode until I reach timer. I then press Set to get me to my desired time, and then press mode again. Once I start rolling the timer counts down and beeps once my 1-minute is up.

You can also choose to complete a number of repetitions in a certain amount of time. Simply set your time and then the amount of repetitions you want to to try and complete.

Pressing and holding the button for 2-seconds will reset the counter so you can program in a new workout. The panel will switch itself off automatically if you just leave it.

EDIT:

Body Sculpture have emailed me some updated instructions. They’re a little basic, but they make sense – unlike the earlier version. They also include a warm-up and a 3-week workout routine. But as I said above, it’s pretty easy to figure out how to use anyway.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I like the Power Roller Plus. I’ve been adding it into my ab routines at the end of my daily workouts. I program in the length of time I want to work and then get rolling! The beeper goes off once I’ve completed my time and then I check how many repetitions I’ve done. I take a break for about 30-seconds and then do another set, doing 3 sets all together.

I think The Power Roller Plus would make a good addition to any other home fitness equipment you already have.

If you purchase the Power Roller Plus through this link and enter the code POWERCHAOS, you’ll get £5 off the price.

I am a fully qualified Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer working in the fitness industry, but I am not a doctor.  Remember to check with a medical professional before exercising, if you’re unsure about your health in any way.

Power Roller Plus

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