Mirafit Studio Pump Set review

I love reading reviews from people I know to get first hand recommendations whether it be for events, kit, books or anything else.  I recently read a review from my friend Lucy at Paddle Pedal Pace, where she was talking about wall ball exercises to build full body strength using a 10kg wall ball from Mirafit.

Earlier this year we had a home gym built and we are steadily adding pieces of kit to our collection.  Weights have been something that I really enjoy using in my workouts and so when Mirafit got in touch with me to review some of their kit I was keen to do so.  I wanted something that we didn’t already have and something that could be versatile.  I am a big fan of workouts using just one piece of kit as this often makes it more accessible for most people rather than needing to have several pieces of kit that you either don’t have space or money for.

The piece of kit I got from Mirafit was the studio pump set.  The set includes:

• 1 x 140cm bar
• 2 x collars
• 2 x 1.25kg weights
• 2 x 2.5kg weights
• 2 x 5kg weights

The cost of the item is £44.95 and the total weight for the bar and weights is 20kg.  The description from Mirafit explains that this item is designed for high repetition movements with low weight load.  I was pleased to see it came with a soft padded bar as I am always that person who uses the padded collar at the gym on the bar!

I’ve also had many sessions with my friend Emma who is a fab PT using the weighted plates without the bar so knew there would be numerous exercises I could get with this set.

If you have done a body pump class at a gym you will know that it is a total/full body workout where the exercises you complete target all the main muscle groups.

Here are some examples I have been doing with the bar:

• Chest press – lay on a bench with feet flat on the floor, each rep sees you straighten your arms and lower the bar to your mid chest.
• Clean and press – stand with feet shoulder width apart and with hips down, chest lifted, eyes forward, arms long and core tight, drive through your heels to lift the bar to your collarbone first and then overhead with both straight arms and legs.
• Power press – like the clean and press but after lifting the bar overhead return to your collarbone and sit into your legs to drive the bar overhead again.
• Overhead press – also known as a push press, similar to the power press but without sitting into your legs when repeating.
• Deadlift – one of my favourite exercises! Stand with your feet under the bar, shoulder width apart, grab the bar, bend your legs, lift your chest and keep your back straight (I have a tendency to arch mine and its something I need to work on), strand up straight with the weight.
• Bent over row – stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, chest forward, pull the bar up to your navel and repeat.

Here are some examples I have been doing with the plates:

• Tricep extension – stand with feet shoulder width apart, hold the weighted plate overhead with fully extended arms and bend the elbows lowering the plate behind your head.
• Deadbug with plate – lay on the floor with knees lifted and legs bent and arms straight holding the plate, lower one leg but to just above the floor and at the same time lower the weighted plate by lowering your arms overhead and repeat with alternative leg.
• Thuster squat with rotation – stand with feet shoulder width apart, holding the weighted plate at chest height, lower into a squat position and as you stand up straight lift the weight above head height twisting to the left and repeat on alternative side.
• Chop – stand with feet shoulder width apart, holding the weighted plate down to one side, rotate and lift the plate to opposite side above head height, repeat on opposite side.
• Lateral lunge with push – holding the plate at your chest, lunge to one side and push the plate straight out, return to centre and repeat on the opposite side.
• Crunch reach – lay on the floor with knees bent, hold the weighted plate on your chest and sit up in a crunch then extend your arms.

This piece of kit will be a staple in my workouts I am sure and as I continue to train, with benefits to my cycling in mind, I know I will get use of these weights and be able to easily incorporate them into exercises for my legs and core, two main areas to focus on for bike strength.

I was gifted the item but all opinions are my own.