At some point we’ve all wished we had a home gym. One that can guarantee a workout as good as an expensive trainer at a state-of-the-art fitness centre. Cue the Unit Nine Sweat Pack: a small clutch-sized neoprene pouch containing all the equipment (yes, really) you need for a blood-pumping at-home workout, whether Strength, HIIT or Toning is your thing. Best of all, it’s under $100. We challenged our health and fitness writer Larissa Yu to swap her trainer for this workout-in-a-bag.
Honestly, I was sceptical. I mean this thing is smaller than my make-up bag – how could it possibly contain everything I need for a legit effective workout? Like a bizarre unfolding magic trick, out came: a set of 3 sleek latex resistance stretch bands; a sturdy longer rubber resistance band; a skipping rope; 2 slider discs; a sweat towel; three illustrated workout programs (Strength, HIIT, Booty Workout) created by a professional personal trainer AND a trigger point ball for post-workout muscle recovery. All I could think was: how the hell am I going to get all of this back in the bag afterwards? This is my recurring travel nightmare: my suitcase seems to shrink when I’m packing to come home.
I wake up the next morning to heavy rain and a thundery-grey sky outside: perfect day for an indoor workout. I throw on my lycra, ready to try the Strength workout before work. Two minutes into the skipping warm-up and I’m officially winded. They don’t call it the Sweat Pack for nothing… I work my way through the routine of six exercises, including classics like Sumo Squats, Seated Rows (using resistance bands) and Reverse Lunges (using the sliders). The Arm Slide-Outs were super-challenging and felt a lot like some of the ab moves you do on a pilates reformer. While the exercises look simple, this is a serious workout: 8-12 reps of each move repeated 3-5 times. I compromise and decide to do the highest number of reps (12) but the least amount of rounds of each (3). The whole workout takes just under an hour. I am drenched in sweat, have gulped down half a litre of water and my muscles are shaking. I can already feel I’m going to be sore tomorrow = #winning!
THE VERDICT:
Cost-effective, time-saving and convenient. Each workout is about 45 mins long, add on 15 mins of cool-down stretching and you have an awesomely challenging hour of power that you can do anywhere. This dinky little pack is not a dinky little workout – I found it comparable to the pro strength training I do at the gym. This genius workout-in-a-bag will be coming with me on holidays and work trips, plus I’ll be adding it into the mix at home. I can’t wait to try the Booty Workout tomorrow – plus nothing beats a post-workout shower in your own home.
TIPS:
–> If you’ve never used sliders before, go slowly – they’re slippery little suckers. And if you have polished wood floors, put a towel underneath them to avoid scratching the wood. Yoga mats are too sticky and you won’t be able to slide.
–> The programs are for all levels of fitness – challenge yourself as you get fitter. For example, beginners can start on the least number of reps and rounds of each exercise and slowly increase either or both as needed. You could also try mixing up the order of exercises in each routine to challenge your muscle memory.
Want one? The UNIT NINE Sweat Pack, $95, is available here.
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