Door-mounted home gym system offers unique fitness options

“It’s Boston. The winters …” Velikin said.

“And when you have boys that age, they have so much energy,” Alexandrov said.

So the two created a door-mounted unit from which to hang a swing. It was such a hit with their families that the two started thinking of other applications for the system. Fitness seemed like the obvious choice, and the two eventually developed a number of attachments for boxing, yoga and other exercises — as well as additional indoor playground equipment such as trapezes, ropes and ladders. They called this system Gorilla Gym.

Velikin and Alexandrov said their system addresses a number of challenges people face when trying to get and stay active.

At $59.95 for the base unit, with attachments ranging from $9.95 for simple straps to $139.95 for a yoga swing, it costs less than an annual gym membership.

By eliminating the need to go to the gym — or even outdoors — one has fewer excuses for avoiding a workout. “It reminds me of what Woody Allen says about success: 95 percent is showing up,” Alexandrov said.

And because the system is easy to take down and store, it doesn’t have to become the focal point of that spare bedroom, as treadmills or other home gyms often do.

Naturally, I had to try it out.

Read more…