7/10 Sturdy and lightweight, but bulky
By Will Gant
/ Perth, Western Australia, Australia
I purchased this baseplate to use with the X3 Bar when travelling, because it is significantly lighter than the baseplate that comes with that system. It is very sturdy and I have no worries that the IsoMax Platform is easily able to withstand the strain of my strongest bands. No issues with the quality.
However, the baseplate is significantly larger than the X3 Bar's baseplate in every direction, which means that it is wider than the standard X3 Bar. This does mean noticeably increased resistance and having to go down a band for some exercises such as the Deadlift. The bigger size means much more bulk, so there is a trade-off here when packing the baseplate in my suitcase - yes, it is much lighter, but it is much larger.
A couple of negatives regarding this product, but they are particular to how I use it. First, I prefer to do my workouts barefoot. The slip-proof checker plate raised pattern is a little uncomfortable to stand on when working out with heavy bands. It means that I need to wear gym shoes - not my preferred way of doing things, but necessary.
Second, the narrow 'waist' makes the baseplate uncomfortable to use for single-leg squats if I run the band along its length. So, with the IsoMax Platform, I need to run the band along its width in the middle instead, so a 90-degree change in my orientation. The baseplate has a channel underneath the 'waist' that allow this, so this is of course possible. It's just not my preferred way of doing the workout because it means less resistance due to the narrow 'waist' of the baseplate.
I will point out that neither of these matters are dealbreakers, but they do force me to adjust how I do my workout with this baseplate. I just wished that there was a smaller version of it without the narrow waist, and a smoother surface.