Rated 10/10 The Best in Measurable Isometrics
By Chrystopher Johnson
/ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US
As a practitioner of the Isochain for the last 2 years, to say I've been impressed is an understatement. The Isochain has forever changed my outlook on fitness training. My knees are the best they've ever felt and my chronic tennis elbow hasn't flared up since 2020 when I started using the chain. Fast forward 2.5 years and the developers/researchers in DD'S R&D department drop the IsoMax, the successor to the Isochain.
Quieter, more portable, easy to select numbered straps, rechargeable battery and more access to different exercises (chest press!) and we have one for the history books. This device is a must buy for anyone who is looking to develop not only functional strength, but with the right routine, peerless strength (think Alexander Zass and Bruce Lee who were both huge proponents of Overcoming Isometric training).
There have been products I've spent a couple hundred on in the past and have sorely regretted my decision. The Isochain and Isomax are not one of them! Highly recommend!
Rated 10/10 Game changer
By Josh Belser
/ Syracuse, New York, United States
I began using the Isochain as my sole form of training last year. In my mid 40s I've put on muscle, gotten stronger and reduced my blood pressure. The Isomax is an upgraded version and because I can move through the exercises faster with the strap. It also taxes my cardiovascular system like a HIIT session. This system is revolutionary especially for those of us on the wrong side of 40 who still want to train without pain and injury. DragonDoor has outdone themselves with this product and I would recommend it to anybody without hesitation.
Rated 10/10 The Best Home Gym Purchase
By Marty Sweeney
/ Youngstown, Ohio, USA
I have a relatively lean but still robust home gym. And I've tried just about every modality and program in the last twenty years of lifting. Nothing really compares to using isometrics with the IsoMax.
I know exactly what I'm trying to do each time I approach a workout and I know how it went each time I finished. There is nothing quite like quantifiable isometrics for basic strength and body composition work.
Other members of my family - mainly my wife and daughters - have taken to strength training because of the IsoMax.
If I had only one purchase for home workouts, I'd choose the IsoMax. Actually, if I were a member of a gym, I'd choose the IsoMax still. Can't speak highly enough of it.
Rated 10/10 Worth every penny
By Juli G
/ Burlington, VT, USA
I have had the Isochain for a few years and now have had the IsoMax for a few weeks. The Isochain is awesome so I was unsure I needed to upgrade to the IsoMax but Dragon Door has managed to improve an already awesome product. The adjustable strap is a HUGE upgrade over the chain, not only in the feel but in order to provide consistency from workout to workout I used duck tape to mark the chain links on the IC; now the strap is numbered and I KNOW exactly what # to use. The base plate is improved as well, it's lighter and doesn't bend even under max force. Top all of this off with a rechargeable handle and you have another winner from DD. If you are thinking about getting an IC or an IM stop thinking and get one! You won't regret either purchase but the IM is the clear winner for me.
Rated 10/10 Love my Isomax.
By Bob Lorenz
/ Vernon, NY, USA
Been working out since 1975. Started with a 45lb dumbbell and bodyweight calisthenics. Switched to kettlebells in 2008. Went with Convict Conditioning at the start of 2010. Added clubbells and maces a few years ago. It's all great but the Isomax has taken center stage. The combination of convenient, very effective isometric and seeing the amount of force generated on each rep is phenomenal. Dragon Door's innovations are a godsend. I'm 70 and the strongest I have ever been.
Rated 10/10 The King of Isometric Equipment
By Matt Schifferle
/ Denver, CO, USA
The Isomax is the ultimate king for building muscle and strength with isometric training. Everything else is merely supplemental.
Rated 10/10 Excellent product
By Fern Barrera
/ Los Angeles, California, United States
This will change your efficiency in terms of how you train! I love this system and if you want to tone or grow muscle this is an excellent process through which to achieve results quickly. In 10-15 minutes you will have a complete workout and be on your way to a great physique. I highly recommend this game changing system!
Rated 10/10 Worthy successor to game-changing Isochain!
By Joseph Brown
/ Menlo Park, CA, USA
I was an early adopter of the Isochain and pulled the trigger and ordered the Isomax almost as soon as I was notified about it. I'd dabbled in isometrics decades ago but never stuck with it, despite reading about its benefits. The lack of feedback was the problem. The Isochain changed that, the Load and Timer modes in particular make progressive resistance isometrics a practical reality.
Yet the Isomax makes some great improvements on the original, including:
* a sturdier bar with a re-chargeable battery
* a strap with numbered slots rather than the noisy chain and spring, so changing angles or switching position is much faster, so workouts are more time-efficient
* a polymer baseplate that is lighter than the Isochain metal plate and that doubles as a resistance band platform
These changes are going to make the Isochain a great tool for many more folks, including those who might not be into the old school bar and chain of the Isochain. But the core of both devices is the same, permitting people to perform isometric training and KNOW how much force they're generating and for how long and permitting people to set resistance goals just as one would with free weights. Isometric training that is genuinely progressive.
Now, a couple of tiny quibbles...the numbering of the slots is only on one side of the strap, it would be better on both. Also, the first time I used the Isomax in a not-so-well lit room, I noticed the lwhite ettering on the bar is hard to see (that was less of a problem with the black lettering on white background of the Isochain bar). This isn't a big problem, I have the different buttons memorized, but subsequent models should use brighter white ink. Honestly, very minor complaints on a stellar product.
Online I've seen some folks question the price of the Isomax & Isochain. Everyone has to make their own decision with respect to something like that. For my part, realizing the great benefits of isometric training, I think it's worth it--to get the kind of feedback that lets you make that training a part of a progressive regimen & to have a clear idea of just how much force you're generating for a given exercise at a given angle.It's money well spent.
Rated 10/10 The ISOMAX perfects Bruce Lee's early training
By Jason Sceski
/ Lebanon, PA, USA
As a family man I find workouts are best undertaken early in the morning. With a 5 AM start, I'm done before the kids and wife wake up. I've cultivated a self-imposed LUNK alarm in my basement gym to keep the volume down. I added rubber spacers to my adjustable dumbbells to reduce noise. Once in a while I drop some weights and get the breakfast stink eye.
I always admired the ISOCHAIN, having experimented with homemade isometric setups, but the chain looked too LOUD. When the handle was offered standalone, I ordered one. I used some climbing gear and my UHMW band plate to rig it up, and it worked great! It's a solid and durable piece of equipment. Most importantly, I can mute it, so my workouts are SILENT (spare some heavy breathing). I track my MAX and AVG a few times a week, in conjunction with weight training. I find that isometrics, coupled with the data provided by the ISOCHAIN and high rep dumbbell hypertrophy work, are my happy place!
The ISOMAX is a luxury version of the ISOCHAIN. With my daisy chain setup, I wasted time counting links and not having links in the right place. The ISOMAX chain allows for much finer increments. You can start in exactly the position you want. Stay consistent in your measurements. The material is heavy duty and the numbers make setup SO quick. The baseplate is equally impressive; it's easily the lightest plate I've owned, yet is incredibly strong. No worries exerting maximum force on it, which is important for isometrics. Finally, the rechargeable handle is uber accurate, solid and aesthetically pleasing. And it can be muted, allowing you to train silently.
Rated 10/10 Great Improvement on the original
By Jason Hanna
/ Dallas, Texas, USA
I bought the original Isochain and absolutely loved it. The IsoMax is a major improvement. The new base makes the whole setup more portable, quieter and provides more angles to work from.
The strap is much easier to work with than the chain. The handle also feels sturdy and beefier than the original.
All in all, I love working out on this.