“She makes me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.”
Garth Algar, Wayne’s World

I wanted so badly to knock the Viper Rope Climber from Marpo Kinetics. I wanted to say “go out and spend $2-3 per foot for 1.5 inch manila rope, tie it to a tree and save thousands!”

But the Viper is actually an interesting piece of equipment. Beyond the near-fact that you can’t watch TV climbing a tree, the Viper is a safe alternative for Wheelchair bound folks, kids, the elderly or anyone afraid of heights.

The variable resistance settings provide cardio, strength and circuit training benefits. Rope climbing is an excellent way to build total upper-body strength; arms, chest, back, abs and hands.

Unlike fitness equipment designed to work a specific part of your body, the Viper promises a total upper-body workout as stabilizing muscles are used making you prison fit (trust me, there’s a whole other post coming for this). Rope climbing has been used for ages (back to ancient Greece) for hand-to-hand combat training and 8 time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes is evidence of that.

If you’re looking for a good work out, looking to get crazy monkey combat skills or worried about a trip to the joint, check out the Viper at local gym locations.