Review: Bellicon Rebounder - First Impressions

Bellicon’s motto “Stay fit and healthy the easy and fun way!”
Made in Stuttgart, Germany and assembled in Chicago, USA

If you've read any of my posts, you've probably figured out that I am a huge fan of health and fitness.  So I was pleased to have an opportunity to try out a new piece of workout equipment.  For review, I received the Bellicose Classic 44in with fold up legs, medium black bungees, black-grey mat and Fayth Caruso's Best on the Web DVD. This DVD contains nine 10 minute workouts and one 20 minute workout.

This is my first time owning a rebounder so I made sure to read the instructions that came with it. The assembly instructions were easy to understand and not needed with how simple it was!

What stood out for me while reviewing the safety instructions was this section:

“You should not train for longer than 2-5 minutes at a time during the first week. After a week you can increase the training time to 10 or even 20 minutes at a time.” 

I honestly couldn’t stop myself at 2-5 minutes. I did 3 of the ten minute videos for my first workout. However, if you're not a regular exerciser, this is good advice.

The other piece of exercise advice that caught my eye was:

“A Rebounder is not a trampoline. Rebounding focuses on letting the weight of your body drop DOWN into the mat rather than jumping high out of the mat.... Bounce not higher than 4 inches above the mat.”

Check out my video to see just how easy it really is to set up and use the Bellicon Rebounder!

The Bellicon advertises that it “exercises every one of the 638 muscles in your body while being low-impact, low-stress, and revitalizing your entire system.”

My current workout routine has been leading a momma and kiddo workout group Monday - Friday. We do a mix of body weight cardio (lots of burpees), pilates, yoga, and other body weight training. On weekends I run and practice yoga.

I was very excited for this opportunity to add some new movement into my routine. For my first workout I did the first 3 videos on the DVD - Warm Up, Arms, and Bounce Blast. They were a lot of fun - I would have kept going but my son woke up.

My son is a huge fan of the Bellicon, so much that I can only use it if he is sleeping. It’s a good thing he woke up though and made me finish at 30 minutes. The next day I could feel the soreness of working muscles that had not been worked in a while.

Even though I bounce around, jump and get airborne a lot in my regular workouts, the Bellicon added the new element I needed. My body felt the most sore in my lower back (in a good way, I have no lower back injuries).

For my second workout I finished up the rest of the videos on the DVD. The next day I could feel the muscles I worked but was definitely not as sore as that first workout. The moves are so smooth on the body (especially the knees which is very important when choosing a rebounder) that you can’t help but keep going back to it.

Having the opportunity to review this product came at the right time. I’ve been doing my current fitness routine for about 9 months and am ready to take it to the next level. It’s also summer now in the desert and very tough to go out on a run without the risk of heat exhaustion.

I’m able to maintain my cardiovascular endurance and even increase it within the comfort of my air conditioned home. The extra bonus is the Bellicon gives my toddler son the opportunity to expend energy and practice his coordination and balance.

I looked at some comparisons for rebounders with the Bellicon. The Bellicon is more expensive, it is the high end model kinda like a Lexus (not a car expert so don’t hold me to that). But you get what you pay for right?

Bungee cords are much kinder to your knees than springs.

When it comes to exercise equipment it is important to have a high quality product that will keep you safe. Bouncing on a $30 spring rebounder is going to wreck havoc on your knees over time. I’ve have ACL and meniscus reconstruction on both my knees from previous sports injuries. While using the Bellicon I felt absolutely no pain. I’m a minimalist, so if I’m going to make a purchase I want it to be a high quality product (and it’s a huge plus it’s made in Germany and assembled in the U.S.).

Flip up legs make for easy storage.

Through the Bellicon website you can configure the right fit for you starting at $499.00  There’s 1200+ different variations. Final price is based on model, size of mat, and leg option (screw in legs are free). Your choice of bungees and mat are also free. Shipping is free!

There are options for accessories as additional purchases and you can give your Bellicon a fresh bounce with new bungees. The Bellicon has many single bungee rings that can easily be exchanged if they are worn out. You don't need any tools for this replacement, and it will only take a few minutes to replace a whole set of bungee cords. New bungees retail for $85.00.

The accessories are a good option for when you hit a plateau in your training. Right now I’m going to stick with just the rebounder and soak up all its benefits.

Once I complete the abundance of free Bellicon workout videos available online I plan to start putting together my own workouts. My background includes a Masters and Bachelors in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, certifications in holistic nutrition, group exercise, personal training, yoga, and pilates. My creative outlet is the way the body moves. Stay tuned for my updates on the results I see in training with the Bellicon!

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