After 21 years as a quad, I struggle to find new ways to exercise that feel worthwhile. Doing the same exercises on the same equipment for years makes it easy to hit plateaus and become discouraged about making progress. The Evolution Home Gym is a new piece of exercise equipment that combines resistance bands with a sturdy and versatile platform so wheelchair users and others with disabilities can perform exercises in new and different ways. After a few weeks with the Evolution, I could feel muscles burning that haven’t burned in a long time.

Simplicity Evolved

The Evolution’s simple yet effective design consists of a 3-by-3-foot platform with height-adjustable posts on the corners. The posts have holes where you can place hooks to anchor resistance bands. The Evolution comes with five sets of resistance bands with up to 170 pounds of resistance, eight hooks and locking pins to anchor the resistance bands, two pairs of handles, a pair of wrist/ankle straps and an assistance strap that is useful when extra support is needed. It also comes with a pair of bars that can be attached to the tops of the posts to create a set of parallel bars.

Delivered mostly preassembled in a single 77-pound box, it only takes a few minutes to finish setting up the Evolution. The posts on the corners come preattached and folded down but need to be set in the upright position and secured with a bolt, for which an Allen wrench is included. Assembly does require being able to reach the ground and manipulate the Allen wrench, so assistance may be required depending on your level of function.

The Evolution allows users with differing levels of function and strength to complete exercises that would otherwise require several pieces of equipment. In my experience as a wheelchair user, the worst part about using resistance bands is finding someone or something to anchor them. The Evolution eliminates this problem as it provides a steady base and many options for attaching the resistance bands. The resistance bands come in 5-, 10-, 25- and 35-pound resistances and can be used individually or together.

Exercises can be completed either on the Evolution’s platform or outside its frame. While on the platform, you can do seated exercises like chest presses, shoulder presses and front shoulder raises. You can also utilize the parallel bars for tricep dips or to work on assisted standing exercises. From outside the frame, which is where I did most of the exercises while testing the Evolution, you can do rowing exercises, shrugs and curls, among many other options.

The handles for the resistance bands worked well for me with my Active Hands grip aids. You can also use the parallel bars from outside the frame to do sit-to-stand exercises from a wheelchair. I was able to do almost all the exercises on the Evolution that I would normally do with the weight equipment I use at home or at physical therapy. The Evolution website has a video library of exercises for wheelchair users as well as nondisabled people. I found the video library very helpful, both for finding ideas of what to do and how to properly set up the Evolution for different exercises.

Some Assistance Needed

Quads and people with limited hand function, beware: There are some design decisions that could make it difficult to use independently. First, the platform of the Evolution is 2.5 inches high. In order to get on the platform, the user needs to pop a wheelie and pull themselves up using the posts or have somebody bump them up onto the platform. I have spoken with representatives of the company, and they hope to add an option for a small ramp in future generations of the Evolution.

The other shortcoming of the Evolution is that it will be difficult for users with limited hand function to adjust the height of the posts and to secure the hooks and locking pins. In order to adjust the height of the posts, you need to twist and pull a knob to unlock the post and simultaneously move the post up or down to the desired height. To secure the hooks and locking pins, you need to put the hooks through the holes in the posts and secure them by threading what is essentially a large bobby pin through a hole in the stem. I was not able to do it on my own. Of course, this is not an issue if you will have assistance, but it is worth considering if you’re looking for a piece of equipment that can be used independently.

The Evolution is a great piece of equipment for wheelchair users looking to enhance their workout regimen. I enjoyed using It enough that I would consider purchasing one myself. The Evolution is also well suited for gyms and physical therapy clinics looking to add adaptive equipment. The Evolution is available for $679.99 with free shipping in the U.S. For more information, visit the Evolution website, evolutionvn.com.

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