Soloflex refers to both the Soloflex exercise machine and to Soloflex, Inc., the company that created and produces it. Instead of pulleys, the Soloflex used an elastomer Weightstrap made of heavy-duty rubber to create variable resistance. The company started out as Bucksteel Mfg in

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the seat of, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the Roswell micropolitan area. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 48,422, making it the fifth-largest city ...

, in a small plant on the old

Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

base south of town. It is now based in

Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro ( ) is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies ...

History

Soloflex, Inc. was established in 1978 by Jerry Wilson. The idea behind the weight straps came from Jerry's days flying small airplanes. The resistance on the plane's controls came from the

bungee cord Bungee cords equipped with metal hooks A bungee cord (sometimes spelled bungle; also known as a shock cord) is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath. The ...

. Jerry used this idea to create the Weightstraps that provide enough resistance to equal large amounts of free weight. In 1980, the company relocated to

. After the move to

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, Bucksteel changed its name to Soloflex. The company then used model Scott Madsen in an infomercial to promote their product. By 1984, the company's sales had grown to $18 million annually. Over time, several additions to the machine were made, such as butterfly attachments and leg extensions. The newest product addition is the Soloflex Whole Body Vibration (WBV) Platform. Vibrating while you are lifting weights is thought to magnify the conditioning effects to help promote faster muscle growth.

Products

Soloflex home gym machines use an elastic element to provide resistance. The product also comes with an instructional

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

. Soloflex's WBV Platform recently made news in July 2007 for a

Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...

review that demonstrated it had been using claims from research that may not apply to their machine. "At press time, even the research on its Website involved competitors’ products and lab machines. Some research suggests that certain vibrating machines might help improve strength and balance, but our experts said it's unclear whether the Soloflex would. Its vibration levels differ from those studied."Consumer Reports Article
/ref> Soloflex disputed the article's comments on burning calories, but did not comment on other claims.

References

External links

Official Soloflex website
Weight training equipment Exercise equipment Exercise equipment companies Companies based in Hillsboro, Oregon Manufacturing companies established in 1978 1978 establishments in New Mexico {{product-stub

History

Products

See also

References

External links