Introduction
I’ve owned Bulletproof Isolator for well over a year, and it has served me extremely well since I added it to my home gym soon after it came out. I’ve used it multiple times each week, and it continues to hold up nicely. I’m happy with its overall performance and space-saving ability.
I don’t think it’s for everyone, though. For example, most people would probably want a dedicated post to leave on 100% of the time, which I will explain in more detail.
That said, I believe it is one of the most innovations I’ve seen since starting a home gym 8 or 9 years ago, and I think many would benefit from adding this to their home gym.
With the rest of this review, I’ll touch on:
- What is the Bulletproof Fitness Isolator?
- Trade-Offs with All-in-Ones
- How I’ve utilized The Isolator
- Its Durability
- How It Continues to Get Better
- Other Notes to Consider
- Conclusion
By the end of this review, you should know if the Isolator is right for you.
What is the Bulletproof Fitness Isolator?
The Bulletproof Isolator is a versatile rack attachment designed to replicate a number of strength machines in a small package. This unique tool is engineered to enable movements such as leg curls, leg extensions, pulldowns, preacher curls, and more, effectively targeting specific muscle groups.
It attaches easily to most standard power racks, making it an adaptable addition to your existing setup.
It fits and 2×3 or 3×3 rack with 1″, 3/4″, 5/8″, or 11/16″ racks.
Trade-Offs with All-in-Ones
Certain tradeoffs exist with “All-in-One” gym equipment. You get much in a small package, but there are definitely some things you need to be aware of and work around.
The number one item I think most should note before buying is that the base weighs over 40 lbs. Therefore, it may not be something that you want to take on and off each workout. In addition, you’ll most likely need to strip the add-ons to raise or lower the isolator for different movements. This will only take a few minutes, but can certainly slow down your workouts.
Therefore, I think most would want to make sure they have some sort of dedicated post for the Isolator rather than buying with the intention of putting it in storage after use each time.
In addition, most of the movements will likely not be quite as effective as those on a standalone machine. For example, with leg extensions, there is no leg brace or handles that allow for a bit more comfort when using them.
That said, I find leg curl/extensions, hip thrust, and preacher curls to be pretty close to being as effective as many other plate-loaded machines.
For example, off the top of my head, comparing it to the Gronk Fitness Leg Curl/Extension, which is in the same price range, I’d say it is 90% as effective for leg curl/extension.
How Have I Utilized the Bulletproof Isolator
Therefore, with those trade-offs in mind, I’ve primarily set the Isolater up to exclusively be used as a leg curl/extension machine, which is the device I’ve missed most from my commercial gym days.
*Note you most likely need an adjustable bench to perform leg curls.
The adjustments between leg curl and leg extension are very easy to do and only take a few seconds since I do not have to raise or lower the Isolator.
As I previously mentioned, I would consider its overall performance very close to other plate-loaded leg machines I’ve used from Body-Solid, Gronk, and Titan.
For those interested in buying a leg curl/extension, consider purchasing this option to save space, allowing for more room to buy other gym equipment.
In addition, as discussed, I have rarely adjusted it during everyday use and have never stored it away.
Durability
I am 6’2″ and about 215 lbs, and I have used this very frequently. As I’ve discussed, it’s not the lightest rack attachment in the world; however, that is a good thing in terms of durability.
It’s held up extremely well, and the hex port that holds everything together has a “commercial gym quality.”
On the Bulletproof website, it states that the maximum user weight is 265 lbs and the weight plate capacity is 275 lbs.
It Continues to Get Better
Since I only use it as a leg extension/leg curl, you may wonder why I wouldn’t just simply purchase some other rack attachment that focuses just on those movements – like the one from Titan (which is priced cheaper).
My biggest reasoning is that Bulletproof Fitness seems to continue to focus on and improve the current version of the Isolator. For example, they recently added a long lever arm that can be used for pullovers, reverse hyper, and more.
In addition, on a recent Instagram post, the founder, commented:
“We’ve got an upgrade option dropping that lets you use the seat and replace the bottom bracket with one that uses a kickstand leg for added support, an adjustable back pad for seated leg extensions to prone leg curls, movable handles that can hex port in for seated leg extensions, prone leg curls, and more. Those who want it to be true setup to match a stand alone unit can now upgrade and this will allow that!”
Therefore, I think that the potential for this unit’s performance will only get higher.
Plus, it’s still nice to know that you can still perform other movements if necessary.
Other Notes to Consider
- There is a very engaged group of members in the Bulletproof Fitness Community on Facebook that often share how they are using the Isolator. There are quite a few more ways people are using on a regular basis than what I’ve touched on earlier. While I personally do not find myself moving it around often (a big reason is that space is not a huge issue for me), there are plenty of people who do.
- As your gym evolves, this product is easy to adapt to since it can be attached to so many types of posts. Therefore, I believe it would make a good “early purchase” for many home gym owners who are just starting their build.
- It is priced similarly to other standalone leg curl/leg extensions. It’s not necessarily “cheap,” but I think it’s a fair price.
- I’ve taken this piece to numerous tradeshows and have heard pretty much nothing but good feedback.
Conclusion
In the end, the Bulletproof Isolator is a versatile rack attachment that allows you to perform exercises like leg curls, leg extensions, pulldowns, and preacher curls in a space-saving way. It attaches to most power racks and is very durable.
In a perfect world, all of our home gyms have standalone machines for all of these movements, but that is not the case. Space is at a premium for so many, and that is why so many have picked up this piece of equipment.
I’ve been using it for over a year and find it to be a good value, especially for leg curls and extensions. However, there are some trade-offs to consider:
- It’s not ideal for people who want to put it away after every workout because it’s heavy and requires adjustments for different exercises.
- It may not be quite as effective as some dedicated machines, for example, there is no leg brace for leg extensions.
Overall, I the Bulletproof Isolator for people who are short on space and want a versatile option for leg exercises. They also believe that the company will keep improving the product with new attachments.